Sickles finds a tough competitor in Liberatore

This lightweight is a hard worker who is quick on his feet and could place high in the state tournament this week in Lakeland.

By TERRY JONES
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 22, 2002

ODESSA -- The clock was winding down. Only 10 seconds remained in the match and Stan Liberatore was two points behind Khalid Andwele, the No. 1-ranked wrestler in Florida at 112 pounds.

In a few moves, Liberatore immobilized Andwele and took the Brandon wrestler down -- just after the buzzer sounded. A second earlier and Liberatore, a junior at Sickles, would have pushed the match into overtime.

"I guess nobody expected Stan to come that close to taking the Brandon kid into that close a match, but Stan is really coming on strong as the season progresses," Sickles wrestling coach Terry Brockland said afterward. "That was a close one."

Liberatore, a 16-year-old from Odessa in his third year wrestling, could place high in the state tournament this week in Lakeland. He finished third in his weight class in the regional tournament last week. In addition to training with the Sickles team, Liberatore gets coaching from his dad, a former high school and college wrestler.

The teen started wrestling as a freshman at Tampa Catholic, but he transferred to Sickles in midseason as a sophomore. His limited experience wasn't enough to get him onto the Gryphons' varsity squad last year. However, after a summer of training with the Guardian Wrestling Club, he nailed his spot at 112 early this season.

"With the Guardian Wrestling Club, I can train and compete all year," Liberatore said. "That has been a big reason I feel I have improved so much in the last year."

Liberatore is not involved in other sports. He says he trains and competes all year long and misses the mats when he has to leave to go home.

"I don't like school and would rather just wrestle," Liberatore said. "But I know it is necessary and I do what I have to do to make the grades I need to go to college. I want to wrestle at that level also."

Liberatore is an eager student on the mat, constantly working to improve his skills.

"There is little time to develop many things new, but Stan has to work on escaping from the bottom position," Brockland said. "He struggles on the bottom and the better wrestlers at the state meet are good at riding on top. There are no easy matches at that level. But he is a hard worker."

Liberatore and Brockland agree the lightweight's best moves are on his feet, especially with takedowns.

Although academics are not his favorite part of high school, he maintains a 3.0 GPA, because he is fully aware of the value.

"For the past two years, I have attended wrestling camp at Boston University and I really like it there," he said. "I know the coach, I like the way he helps me and I hope to attend there and wrestle there. To get accepted there, I have to have decent grades, but even that goal is influenced by my desire to just wrestle."

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