Bulls handling move up to 3A

When the news came last summer that, due to reclassifications, Wiregrass Ranch's wrestling team would be bumped from Class 2A to 3A, coach Matt Simmons knew the 2011-12 season wouldn't be easy.

Simmons knew he would need somebody on his team with leadership and experience who wouldn't be intimidated when facing teams like nationally ranked Brandon.

Enter Kyle Koesling and Elliot Morales.

The talented duo are both seniors who come with plenty of experience and accomplishments. They both have surpassed 100 career wins and are both in line to make some noise in the state series tournaments, which start this weekend with districts. Simply put, both of these wrestlers make Simmons' job easier than it should be.

"Having Kyle and Elliot out there makes it easier on me," Simmons said. "They lead by example with their hard work, and that helps the younger guys we have."

Wrestling was forced upon Kyle Koesling at a young age. Having older brothers who excelled at the sport, Koesling saw the foundation that was laid in front of him. In 2011, Kyle's older brother, Dylan, finished a solid senior campaign with a sixth-place finish at the 130-pound 2A state finals in Lakeland. While Kyle was happy to see his older brother succeed at the state finals, it was a bittersweet moment for him.

The previous weekend, at the region championships, Koesling lost one match but that loss kept him from qualifying for the state tournament. An elbow injury suffered the previous weekend while wrestling Sunlake's John Ortiz, kept Koesling from performing his best, although he won't use that as an excuse. Instead, Koesling has used that setback as motivation for this season.

"It was very disappointing not making it (to state)," Koesling said. "I feel like I let my older brother down, so I worked harder all summer trying to get past that feeling."

The work has paid off. Koesling sports a 40-6 record this season and is fresh off a first-place finish at the Sunshine Athletic Conference tournament last weekend at Fivay. The district tournament should be a big test for Koesling, as he could square off with defending state champion, James Flint of Brandon. Almost as important as his results this season is the leadership Koesling has delivered.

"He's like another coach out on the mat when he's out there," said Simmons.

The story for Morales is the nearly identical. Like Koesling, he lost in the region tournament one match away from advancing. It was a big letdown for Morales, but he has rebounded nicely in his senior season.

He burst onto the scene in December when he won the 138-pound weight class at the prestigious Zac Jarzynka Memorial Ironman Tournament in Oviedo. Morales defeated Austin Seward of Kissimmee Gateway 7-0 in the championship.

Morales is 42-3 on the season, and will likely be a No. 2 seed at the 3A-District 6 tournament Saturday at Durant. Brandon's Troy Joyce will probably be the top seed. Joyce defeated Morales 2-0 in their only previous matchup. Coach Simmons is excited about the possible matchups for Koesling and Morales with the Brandon wrestlers.

"I think it's great," he said. "It's a great gauge to see where we line up, and I know my wrestlers aren't going to be intimidated, and they look forward to it to see how they measure up against the best."