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Brandon on brink of history

The Eagles have nine qualifiers, six with a chance to make Brandon the first team with more than three individual champions in a season.

[Times photo: Toni Sandys] Brandon High School freshman Rocky Cozart, front, wrestles with teammate Jarrod Thompson during a recent practice.

By TERRY JONES
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 19, 2002

BRANDON -- Few athletes today know the impossible barriers of the 4-minute mile or the 7-foot high jump.

Both occasionally are achieved on the high school level and no longer are remembered as great feats.

A few years ago, 10 state championships by one prep wrestling team was considered an impossible barrier, but Brandon has 12 and Miami Southridge has seven. Three wrestlers have four state titles in their career, including Tampa's Glenn Goodman, but no record of a squad having more than three champs in a single season exists.

Miami Southridge, Miami South Dade, Miami Palmetto, Brandon and several other teams have had three. Going back to records in the 1970s, nothing could be found of a squad crowning four. But that could be another mark to fall in the near future.

Thursday, Brandon will send nine wrestlers to the three-day state tournament in Lakeland, and each could get knocked out of the championship matches. That is the way state goes because every qualifier is good. However, the Eagles have six capable of capturing gold. In position to change history are junior Matt Juncal (171), a defending state champion; freshman Cesar Grajales (103), a four-time national champ; Khalid Andwele (112), a freshman with four national crowns; Rocky Cozart (140), a freshman with five national championships; plus sophomore Ryan Joyce (125), with four regional and four national titles. All five are undefeated with more than 35 victories.

Tommy Hutchinson (135), a sophomore who won a regional crown last week and owns two national titles, has the experience to capture a state championship. Sophomores Jared Thompson (145) and Keith Simmons (275) and junior Alejandro Figueroa (119) are not unfamiliar with big crowds and tough competition. Without injuries, Brandon has the horses to break another barrier. However, none of the Eagles are thinking about that.

"I have one primary objective at the state tournament and that is to win every match I can to help my team score points and win the state championship," Juncal said.

"It would be nice to have four or five champions," he said, "but there isn't an easy match at the state level and anything can happen."

Grajales and Cozart are No. 1 nationally in their weight classes, according to USA Wrestling Magazine. Still, they are cautious.

"The first thing I will focus on is getting through the weigh-ins, then my first match," Cozart said. "Everybody there is tough, and to become a state champion requires no mistakes by the wrestlers, no mistakes by the referees and a good bracket."

"Last year, I was second in Class A at 103 as an eighth-grader, but I remember the crowds, the noise and the tough competition," Grajales said. "It is hard enough just to get to the finals, but I think we can eventually break the barrier. If not this year, soon. But it won't be easy."

Andwele hasn't been to the state tournament, but has made national tournament appearances in the Midwest.

"I plan to work hard before Thursday and hope to not face any surprises," Andwele said. "With so many freshmen and sophomores, we are pretty young this year, but it is still possible to get four or five champions. Maybe next year would be better."

Joyce placed third last season and is hungry for a state title. "You just never know what will happen," he said. "I am happy to have qualified, and I plan to do everything I can to help my team win. As for four or five champions, I can see why it has never been done. Can we do it? Maybe. If not this year, maybe the next or the next."

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