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Schools

Star wrestler finds new place to pin his hopes

A Christian school dropped senior high, so he signed on at Brandon.

By BRYAN BURNS
Published December 15, 2006

When Temple Heights Christian School announced it was cutting 10th through 12th grades, it doomed the school's high school sports program.

It also meant Sean Patrick, an 11th-grade standout on the northeast Tampa school's highly successful wrestling squad, would need to find a new home.

A three-time St. Petersburg Times honorable mention all-county wrestler, Patrick learned of the decision when principal Ron Sainsbury, also the school's wrestling coach, pulled him aside to give him the news. "It was disappointing," Patrick recalled.

With nowhere to wrestle for his senior year, Patrick looked to national power Brandon High School's storied program. The fit was natural. For years, standout Brandon wrestlers competed for Temple Heights in the seventh and eighth grades to compete at an early age against varsity competition before transferring.

Patrick also had a number of friends on the Brandon squad.

"It just seemed like the logical step," he said.

The move appears to be paying off for Patrick and Brandon.

Patrick has quickly stepped into the 171-pound weight class vacated by David Craig - arguably Brandon's best wrestler ever and 9-3 as a freshman starter at Lehigh University.

He has established himself as one of the top wrestlers on what is shaping up to be one of Brandon's strongest teams.

"He's really made an impact," Brandon coach Russ Cozart said.

Patrick is 17-0 through the first month of the season and boasts tournament victories in the East Lake Invitational and the National High School Coaches Association Sunshine Invitational held last weekend at Brandon.

"He's a good athlete," Cozart said. "He has a good combination of balance and strength. He's smart, too. He's been picking up on our wrestling style quite quickly."

Patrick's win at the Sunshine Invitational came amid top quality competition, including a nationally ranked team from Easton, Pa., four defending state championship teams and a total of 11 teams from three states.

Patrick pinned Easton's Joseph Piro at 3:52 to take the title.

"The victory was a boost for my confidence," Patrick said.

Cozart sees Patrick gaining momentum. "We talk about confidence a lot," Cozart said. "Winning a championship like that and beating quality wrestlers will certainly help him."

Patrick, who says the move to Brandon has opened up a number of college opportunities, including a couple of scholarship offers from Division II schools, does admit disappointment at not being able to finish his high school career at the school where he first took up the sport at age 12.

But Temple Heights' decision to discontinue its high school program could end up a blessing for Patrick.

"I do miss (Temple Heights)," he said. "There's no Bible class or Bible study, which I enjoyed. But it's not every day that you get to wrestle for Brandon."

[Last modified December 14, 2006, 07:39:43]