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Pirates in fine form for state

By FRANK PASTOR
Published February 14, 2006

DADE CITY - Appropriately, Pasco will travel in a van with six seats to Lakeland for the state tournament Thursday through Saturday.

One for each wrestler who qualified.

With a second-place finish at the Class A regional Saturday at South Florida Community College, the Pirates advanced more wrestlers to state than any other county school and the second most in coach Mark DeAugustino's eight seasons.

Pasco placed 21/2 points behind Citrus despite taking only eight wrestlers, three fewer than the Hurricanes. The showing was the Pirates' best since they advanced seven while taking second in 2001.

Senior 171-pounder John Clarke was one of two individual champions for Pasco. Clarke defeated Justin Collura of Zephyrhills in a rematch of the district final, which Clarke also won. Senior Mikey Cowell was first at 103.

Though they didn't win individual titles, Pasco junior Javier Benitez and sophomore Eric Stroud provided the best stories.

Benitez beat a wrestler from Delray Beach Atlantic who knocked him out of last season's region tournament 12-0 in the 125-pound quarterfinals.

After tearing rib cartilage near his collar bone in the semifinals, Benitez won a consolation match to advance to the third-place bout, where he fell to Titusville Astronaut's Andrew Fisher (35-1).

DeAugustino first feared Benitez had broken his collar bone because Benitez didn't have feeling in the area. But after applying ice to the injury, Benitez realized the injury was lower.

"He wrestled two matches with that (injury)," DeAugustino said. "That's sucking it up right there. That's a kid that wants to go to the state championships."

Stroud seemed off to a good start when he led Lake Wales' Karl Stanley 7-4 and was in control with 20 seconds remaining in his 215-pound opening-round match.

But Stanley took Stroud down on the edge of the mat to send the match to overtime tied at 7. The match remained tied after the extra period, and Stroud eventually lost when Stanley rode him out.

As Stanley advanced to the final, Stroud battled through five matches to place third. He avenged a district semifinal loss by pinning Gulf's Bryan Baron in a consolation semifinal before winning the third-place match.

"You talk about stepping up," DeAugustino said. "And then he went in for third and fourth and beat the kid for third."

Second-time state qualifier Jacob Hinkle (fourth at 130) and Ray Perez (fourth at 189) also advanced for Pasco.

DeAugustino hoped to take eight, but Brendan Wheaton was pinned while leading 5-1 in a 145-pound match and Chance Finlay failed to advance out of an evenly-match 135-pound bracket.

Also qualifying were Gulf's Michael Centani (fourth at 103), Brandon Muetzel (fourth at 112) and Mike Calafiore (first at 119); Zephyrhills' Westley Thornton (second at 140), Beau Barnes (fourth at 160) and Justin Collura (second at 171) and Hudson's Lance Barabas (third at 130) and Travis Tindell (third at 275).

Land O'Lakes' Josh Kweller (fourth at 135) and Evan Stack (third at 145) and Ridgewood's Dean Stupar (third at 103) and Allyn Williamson (fourth at 125) advanced in Class 2A.

[Last modified February 14, 2006, 02:45:31]