Don't pencil in Oviedo just yet

The latest twist in the Eagles-Lions soap opera arose Thursday when, after previous futile attempts to get the state's top two teams on the mat, Eagles coach Russ Cozart appeared to have a match set for Jan. 24.

By TERRY JONES Times Correspondent
Published January 9, 2007

BRANDON - What shapes up as the state's biggest high school match of the season, between Brandon and Oviedo, again appears in danger of never coming to fruition. The latest twist in the Eagles-Lions soap opera arose Thursday when, after previous futile attempts to get the state's top two teams on the mat, Eagles coach Russ Cozart appeared to have a match set for Jan. 24.

"Via e-mail their coaches, J.D. Robbins and Tom Coffman, asked me again for a match, in our gym," Cozart said. "Our county rules eliminate duals with out-of-county teams, but not tournaments. So I put together a four-team duals tournament to also include Bloomingdale and Wharton. Our county and school officials approved, as did their coaches, still via e-mail, and I thought the match was a go."

It was jeopardized, however, when a pair of Oviedo students came to Saturday's title match of the Graves Duals at Brandon and started videotaping the Eagles-Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons match, a Florida High School Athletic Association violation.

Hillsborough County deputies escorted the students out of the Brandon gym. They identified themselves as representatives of Oviedo. Brandon and Oviedo administrators discussed the situation Monday on the phone.

"I was not given the details of the conversation, but because I was getting ready to file the official information to make the tournament all proper, I was told the Oviedo administration was not aware of the taping incident or the match," Cozart said.

Cozart said he is ready to put his program's streak of 438 consecutive dual-match wins - spanning 32 years - on the mat only if everything is done properly and approved by Oviedo administrators.

Lions athletic director Greg Register did not immediately respond to phone messages Monday afternoon.

Brandon, which dropped only five of 56 individual matches at the Graves Duals, is the top-ranked team in Florida in all classifications; Oviedo is second. The Eagles, in Class 2A, have won 17 state team titles; Oviedo has won the past three in 3A.

Cozart registered his team to wrestle in a national tournament sponsored by Oviedo in late December. When Oviedo denied Cozart's request for an open seeding meeting by participating coaches, he pulled out his team.

Some of the assistant coaches at Oviedo came back with a list of dates for the Lions to have a one-on-one dual with the Eagles in Brandon. At first, Cozart said the only way he would put the streak on the line was via the Graves Duals, which he set up five years ago to allow any school in Florida a shot at the history books.

KNIGHTS WIN CHALLENGE: Robinson produced five champions and scored 142 points to capture the Marauder Challenge at Clearwater Central Catholic last weekend. Newsome placed third behind CCC, but with no champs. Winning individual titles for the Knights were Matt Willis (112 pounds), Zach Boyer (119), Rudy Santiago (152), Demarcus Pool (160) and Ellis St. Johns (189).

[Last modified January 8, 2007, 22:23:13]