Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Wildcat among SAC heavy hitters

By STEVE LEE
Published January 23, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Lance Aram Rothstein] He has lost to top opponents in the 112-pound class, but don't count out Eddie Ortiz, left.

WESLEY CHAPEL - Not surprisingly, Eddie Ortiz has lost to Ridgewood's Dean Stupar and Springstead's Steven Bliss, the top 112-pounders on the North Suncoast.

Nonetheless, Stupar and his coach, Ridgewood's Pete Smith, consider the Wesley Chapel senior a formidable foe who might give the region three state qualifiers in that class.

Noting that Bliss needed double overtime to beat Ortiz and Bliss defeated Stupar in two matches that were not nearly as close, Smith said Ortiz is "no slouch."

"Yeah, he's been beaten by Stupar and Bliss," Smith said. "But I'm nervous about Ortiz. You can't take a kid like that lightly."

Wesley Chapel coach Brian Simmons lauded Ortiz for his stellar effort against Bliss. "Eddie was really looking forward to it," Simmons said of that match. "He had his mind-set right. I don't know if Bliss expected that from him."

For Ortiz, 18-9, the Bliss match at the Sprinstead Invitational a few weeks ago ranks among his most memorable.

"That psyched me so much," Ortiz said. "I was ready to go back the next week to do it to him again."

One thing Stupar expects in Saturday's Sunshine Athletic Conference meet at Zephyrhills is a rematch against Ortiz, who should improve on last season's fifth-place showing.

"I'm not underestimating him," Stupar said. "The next time I wrestle him, it's going to be a show for everyone. I think he's going to come up with something I'm not looking forward to."

Ortiz expressed a mutual respect for Bliss and Stupar. "Those guys are so skilled at what they do," he said.

Simmons said it all comes down to how well Ortiz adjusts to his opponents.

"He's got to fine-tune the little things; adapt to opponents' styles as he wrestles," Simmons said.

In the preseason, coach Brian Simmons listed Ortiz among his top seniors. But unlike teammates John Middleton (119), Alex Turner (152) and Tom Lane (189), Ortiz was not a region qualifier last season.

Expectations are higher now.

"I want to set my goals high, but I'm going up against a lot of hard guys," Ortiz said.

"He knows he's got to pick it up," Simmons said. "He's certainly working hard. He's come a long way."

Steve Lee can be reached at lee@sptimes.com or (352) 521-6517.

[Last modified January 22, 2007, 22:16:55]