brandon high school wrestling state champions

Coach Cozart agrees this will be a tougher challenge than any in recent memory. Brandon Wrestling Club 94 National Champs 204 All-Americans-ages 5-19, 1980-present, NFHS Hall of Fame, California Wrestling Hall of Fame, FLORIDA Wrestling Hall of Fame, Brandon HS Hall of Fame, Upland HS Hall of Fame, Florida Sports Hall of Fame, Tampa Sports Club Hall of Fame, NHSCA Hall of Fame, 7X WWA Veterans World Champion, Upland HS, Calif 1971 2nd CIF SS, University of Alabama 19764x SEC placer 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, Former Brandon Wrestlers have qualified for 13 consecutive (2006-18)NCAA D1 Championships. "The region meet is a funny kind of meet because it's so emotional," Cozart said. Freshman Eric Grajales is just one Eagle who comes from a long line of wrestlers. Also, we encourage all stakeholders to visit the district website and the district's mental health page for a variety of mental health resources. "Clark and Bruno are contenders for state championships this year and Koziel is capable of winning or at least placing high in the state. Nov. 30-Dec. 1, Cougar Invitational at Durant: Good early measuring stick. Florida commission urges sweeping mental health reforms, Madeira Beach advances development increases for Johns Pass Village, If the rent is too high, we need to build more housing | Column, We should honor Al Langs contribution to St. Petersburg and major league baseball | Column, Golden Globes red carpet underway, after year off the air, Lightning rebound at home with win over Blue Jackets. The Chamberlain Chiefs still had football players competing last Friday. Ages: All ages Elementary, Middle, and High Schoolers. But Cozart noticed Keller's tendency and his teammates helped him fix it. Mark Zimmer Columbus St. Francis DeSales 1976, 77, 78, 79 2. So when you face them, you go in there with nothing to lose. "There were maybe 50 fans in the stands," Holsonback said. "If Tony loses, we lose the match," former Brandon coach Jim Graves said. "This one is special," Bruno said. Graves resigned at the end of the season. Alex Hamm, Durant, Jr., 103: State qualifier last year, should place in state in 3A. Cozart Remembers Pioneer Wrestling Notebook. 13 in 3A, 7 in 2A, and 11 in 1A. [8], Brandon High boys won the state championship in 2003.[9]. His wrestlers loved most of what they saw in the film. Jared Hayes (189) was third, while Jordan Holding (130) and Moises Gomez (160) were fourth. Russ Cozart and his wife attended. River Ridge Football Loaded for 2021 Season, How Cheerleaders and Band Members Adjusted in a Pandemic, The Top 10 Quarterbacks in 2023 Florida High School Football. "Things went pretty much as scripted.". March 4th has been proclaimed as Brandon High School Wrestling Day by Hillsborough County! In Class 2A, Spring Hill Springstead (185.5) won the team title, while Lakeland Lake Gibson (164) was second and Fort Myers Riverdale (106) was third. I owe a lot to Alex - and to James for throwing me around in practice.". I like our chances of making our presence known in tournaments this season.". But Cozart said it's not the families that have made Brandon what it is; it's the program that has produced the family ties. Get additional training during the season and see improvement.Russ Cozart, Wrestling Coach 1976-2021 45 years, Head Wrestling Coach 1976-2018,42 seasons, Brandon HS, Fl 38 years 1980-2018, Presently Volunteer Coach at Brandon HS, 27 Time Florida Team State Champions, 2014 NFHS National Wrestling Coach of the Year, MaxPreps: 11/17/20 Greatest Coach in Florida, 17 State Championships in a row 2001-17, 119 State Champions, 153 State placers. Therein lies the nine-match difference between the unbeaten and undefeated streaks, both national marks. Brandon High is currently Pending school grade[6] in SDHC's high school grading scale. Freshman Eric Grajales (103) turned in a solid effort by pinning Lake Gibson's Brent Jorge in 1:39. David Galloway, a 1977 graduate, may be the most prolific football player to come out of the school. Like I tell them, Cozart said, its not being on top of the mountain thats exciting, but the work it takes to get there.. l during the State Wrestling Championships at . Actually, they started over a while back. Times: Wrestling begins 5 p.m. Friday; semifinals Saturday at noon, finals at 7, Top teams: Brandon, Palmetto Ridge, Manatee, Miami South Dade, Springstead, Durant, Venice, Jesuit, Plant City, Alonso, Wharton. Hawaii High School Athletics Association (HHSAA) tournament information, news and photos . Hwt: In a battle of Ohio high school wrestling stars - and rematch of the 2008 Big Ten heavyweight title bout -- top seeded Dustin Fox, the Northwestern senior with a 28-1 record, faced off against fellow Big Ten big man JD Bergman, the second-seeded senior from Ohio State, with a 28-2 record (the two losses to Fox). Never before has the two-day Graves Duals boasted a field as talented as this. To add a tournament to this site (for now) . "He is working hard with the kids. There are currently no completed events. (Heavyweight Jo Dudley forfeited his match.). Dwayne Schintzius played alongside Mack and helped the Eagles to a Class 4A state runner-up finish as a sophomore, and another Final Four berth as a junior. "It's a way for us to recognize Tony Ippolito and his accomplishments that he made as a teacher and as an athlete here at Brandon High School," Cozart said. Brandon High School is a public high school in Brandon, Florida, United States. USA TODAY Sports; Photos: Saturday at the 2022 Florida State Wrestling Championships. A 4-foot toy gorilla named Mongle, dressed in Eagles gear, joined them on the bench. Brandon crowned six individual champions and three runnersup at the 30-team tournament, and all 14 starters placed in the top six. The championship is Crown Point's fourth overall and first since girls basketball won championships in . The next closest Florida high school is Homestead with eight school titles and 50 individual champions. The complete high school wrestling schedule for the state of Florida for the 2021-22 season. March 07, 2021. They must wrestle smarter.". ""My opponent was very good, and I wanted to show everybody I could beat a quality opponent. Dec. 11, 1976: The Eagles beat defending state champion Miami Palmetto 30-17. The following year, the Eagles went 12-1, earning the nickname "Graves' grappling gorillas." After last weekend's state wrestling championships, Oklahoma now has 44 four-time individual champions. "If Chamberlain would have tied that match," Cozart said. Cougars coach Dennis Kitko doesn't have the word "lose" in his vocabulary, so even though he is reloading, these teams will be nose-to-nose all the way to regionals. Six-Time Winner Zachary Van Alst, Montgomery-Catholic, 2012-17 (138 pounds as senior) Brandon Womack, Scottsboro, 2009-13 (103, 103, 112, 126, 160, 160) Michael Sutton, Weaver, 1999-2004 Five-Time Winners. Brandon, which hasn't lost a dual meet in 32 years, earned a victory on its California vacation by placing 12 of their 13 wrestlers in the top six. "He is just too strong and too big. As the transit agency falters, Hillsborough riders pay the price, Common Dialect Beerworks opening in Tampas Seminole Heights. COLUMBUS Led by four weight-class champions, Floyd Central finished second in Saturday's Hoosier Hills Conference Championships at Columbus East. Jan. 18-19, Ippolito Memorial at Brandon: A final big-bracket tournament before districts. Garfield Hts. The county has set its schedule, like it does every other school, limiting Brandon's option of facing top-caliber out-of-area teams other than in invitationals, like the Graves Duals. Robinson: Coach Tom Montero has a savvy staff of assistants and some tough kids. By BRYAN BURNS Fairy tale enough. Before they were dominant, they were dormant. Of the 15 teams other than Brandon entered in the field, three - Naples Palmetto Ridge, Homestead South Dade and Bradenton Manatee - are among the state's top programs, while several others - Springstead, Parkland Douglas, Alonso, Jesuit and Durant - are among the best in their respective areas. Each time he did, two more of his wrestlers hopped on the mat, locked arms, then legs and started grinding, sweating and caring. James Gray, Armwood, Sr., 112-119: Fifth in state last year, should place higher this year. Eagle Jeff Turner played for Vanderbilt, earned a gold medal with the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and had a 10-year NBA career. BRANDON - Before "The Streak," there were struggles. Joey Cozart, Brandon, Jr., 140-152: Two-time state champion with numerous national youth titles. There were chances of all five winning championships. Wrestling is a fantastic winter sport that provides our kids with a fun way to learn, practice, and get exercise. His two brothers wrestle in college and his uncle, Bobby Hendrickson, is the JV coach and a former Brandon state champ. Six wrestlers have won state titles all four years they wrestled for Brandon. It got me ready; it really got the rest of us ready for our match," Brandon 130-pounder Alex Araoz said. The joint filled with tears that night. Gulf's Anthony Ayers (130) and Ladarious Jackson (171) ended their high school careers with consecutive state titles. Most State Champions-7(09,11,12), Most State Finalists-9(03,05,11), Most State Placers-12(04,0913), USA Most Prestigious All-Star Meet "Pittsburgh Classic", 1993 Dennis Kitko, 2005 Franklin Gomez, 2006 David Craig, 2009 Eric Grajales, 2010 Joe Cozart, 2016 Kyle Norstrem, Outstanding finishes in National Tournaments. ""This is my first tournament championship this season," he said. Congrats Coach Russ Cozart for being named NFHS National Wrestling Coach of the Year!!!!!!! The streak came to an end on January 5, 2008, when Brandon was defeated by South Dade High School 3228. This team was built around hard work. Mental Health Matters / Overview (hillsboroughschools.org. CIF State Wrestling Championships Results 2003 California State High School Wrestling Results Published 20 years ago on March 2, 2003 By CalGrappler 103 1. Letsgetstarted. Team Title, Started the Streak Undefeated last 7 seasons. He is back at Tampa Bay Christian with three buddies who are capable of combining their skills for a top-10 Class A team finish. CONGRATS!!!!!!!!! Gustkey edged King, 2-1 . March 15, 1998: Brandon wins 11th state title with 141 points, breaking its previous record. Virginia USA Wrestling . "I'm used to big matches," said a calm Lucas, " so I came out with the same thing. "I just can't move Kyle," Alonso said. He received a standing ovation when it was over. Brandon, George Jenkins, Heritage, Leesburg, Leto, Manatee, Riverview, Wakulla . Pin (5:30) . Freshmen Rossi Bruno (119), Tyler Liberatore (125) and Clark Glass are state champs. The Eagles, coached by Upland graduate Russ Cozart, won five weight classes and and placed second or third in five others. "You kind of expect something. Berridge, an excellent scholar and a tough upper-weight wrestler, is capable of winning a state title anywhere between 160-189 pounds. The most impressive thing however which separates Brandon from other programs is the legendary winning streak. Jan. 26, 1974- Brandon and Bradenton Manatee tie 24-24 in the ninth match of the season, the last time the Eagles did not win a match before Saturday. They learned together. They have a great work ethic.". "That would make one," three-time state champ Eric Grajales said. CAA I Holy Family Academy (Phoenix) def. This past weekend, the Eagles claimed a team title at the Heart of Dixie Classic in Alabama, a tournament featuring multiple state championship programs from Alabama, Tennessee and Vermont. The Eagles' national record winning and unbeaten streaks end at 459 and 468, respectively. It is overseen by the School District of Hillsborough County. She won state shot put titles in 1979 and 1980. But three local wrestlers were stopped by Eagles in the championship matches. When - or if - that day will arrive remains a mystery. 15); in each dual, the teams wrestle each weight class (103 to heavyweight) like a regular dual. March 1, 1980: The state meet is Graves' final appearance as Brandon coach. "I've been working my whole career for this," Kyle Koziel said before the state tournament, "trying to be the first in my family to live the dream.". "All three coaches readily accepted the opportunity to try out the new format," Cozart said. Ippolito's words proved prophetic, and now Brandon is one of the most successful teams in all of prep sports and boasts a remarkable dual-meet winning streak of 423 consecutive matches. Brandon Bradley: Henrico: N/A: 182: Tyler Bowers: Gar-Field: 2005: 182: Ian Squires: Colonial . They should win. The Brandon wrestling program has received national acclaim for its record 456 consecutive dual match victories - the longest for any sport, in any state, in high school history. He is a dominant wrestler but not with pins, and could rewrite the technical fall (win by 15-point difference) record at Brandon. Their dedication to the program, from youth to high school, has sparked wrestlers from around the country to move in and become part of the tradition. Name: School: Dist. Staff Report. Russ Cozart built on the foundation set by Graves and eventually helped Brandon amass an undefeated dual match streak of 459. "This means a lot," said Sweet, who moved up from 140 pounds to 160 when he gained weight over the summer. Ten of the 21 members of the Eagles' varsity wrestling team have at least a brother, uncle, cousin or father who once wrestled at Brandon. "Kyle's really tall and lanky, and he gets down real low.". "A lot of people feel that the heart of this program started with Tony Ippolito," Cozart said. Tyler Liberatore, Brandon, Fr., 125: Defending state champ. Champs. I just pushed the pace.". Brandon adopted the school colors maroon and white in 1931. I thought the [final score] would be within 10. Class A wrestling during the 1980s saw many outstanding state champions. In just their first appearance at the team wrestling state finals, the Crown Point Bulldogs (21-1) defeated Perry Meridian, 33-25, to claim the 14th Annual IHSAA Team Wrestling State Championship at Center Grove High School in Greenwood. ", "This is something they can take on," Russ Cozart said. Craig is the only one of the five who will return to high school this fall. Independence's Brandon O'Brien celebrates his win against Osage's Averee Abben in their 132-pound Class 2A championship bout at the prep wrestling state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in. GUIDELINES for classes: parents allowed in gym(drop off or wait outside), no temp check, no masks during class. Keith Koziel, now an assistant wrestling coach at King High School, as a player found the state title elusive. 115 N. Patterson St. | PO Box 812 | Valdosta, Ga 31601, 13245 Atlantic Blvd., Suite 191 | Jacksonville, FL 32225. "I didn't know how (changing weight classes) would go, but I did well and stuck with it." Congrats Coach Russ Cozart for being named NFHS National Wrestling Coach of the Year!!!!!!! Source: Florida High School Athletic Association. ""We looked very solid throughout the tournament," Brandon coach Russ Cozart said. UPLAND - They were the New York Yankees in singlets, the team everyone came to see but loved to boo. Brandon wrestling has been around for 51 years (1969-present), has a combined all-time dual meet record of 908-26-1 with an all-time winning percentage of 97.1%, and has won countless championships. I did well and stuck with it. competing last Friday the.! Hayes ( 189 ) was third, while Jordan Holding ( 130 ) and Glass... Oklahoma now has 44 four-time individual champions who are capable of winning state. 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