Preps

Hillsborough: News and Notes

By JOE SMITH AND KEITH NIEBUHR
Published October 27, 2007

Turns out, Brandon wrestling coach Russ Cozart is not only a master of the mat, but he can match wits with celebrities on national TV. Cozart and several members of the Eagles wrestling team appeared Friday morning on Regis and Kelly to discuss an ESPN documentary Kelly Ripa's husband, Bloomingdale grad Mark Consuelos, is producing on the Eagles' famous streak.

Brandon, which boasts seven straight state titles and a national-record 439 consecutive dual match victories, will be shadowed by film crews all season with the documentary out in the spring.

The Eagles, in the New York area for a wrestling tournament, enjoyed the live segment, run by Ripa and Jimmy Kimmel, who is filling in for Regis Philbin. The team took a photo with Kimmel backstage, but not before the ABC late-night host backed down from a challenge.

"Well, you know what, I'm going to fight the whole bunch of (the Brandon wrestlers)," Kimmel quipped to Cozart in the live spot.

"We're always looking for a good workout," Cozart said.

Then Ripa joked, "Maybe we can have one of them, you know, the scrappiest guy, wrestle Jimmy at some point in the show."

"Yeah, that's all I need is to get my (butt) kicked by a high school kid," Kimmel said.

Cozart said for his wrestling program, the documentary is "something special."

"When I first started here, we were the championship team that had this record but nobody knew about it - it was kind of like the underground record," Cozart said. "I think those days are over now."

Kris Ruffo, 39, who has 13 years of college coaching experience, will try her hand at another rebuilding job with Leto. Ruffo, who moved to be closer to her family, came from the New York area, where she coached five years at SUNY Geneseo (Division III).

At age 23, Ruffo became the youngest female college coach in the nation in starting up a Division III program, the Savannah College of Art and Design. Within four years, the team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Ruffo's presence is seeing results; 20 girls have attended practice.e_SClBWant more football?

For more in-depth game stories, visit highschool.tampabay.com. Be sure to check out the new high school pages complete with rosters, schedules, district standings and team statistics.

Meyer, Nicklaus reach out to Berean golfer

Berean Academy golfer Harris Armstrong, far left with friend Jimmy Stanger, who recently had surgery to remove a spinal cord tumor, received words of inspiration this week from several sports figures from around the country.

Armstrong, 11, who is a Gators fanatic, got a call Thursday from Florida coach Urban Meyer, who found out about the sixth-grader's condition from a story in Sunday's Times. (The two first traded top golf scores, with Armstrong's 66 topping Meyer's 78). Earlier this week, Armstrong had a visit from former Rays manager Lou Piniella, received a personal note from PGA legend Jack Nicklaus and Masters flags from his favorite PGA pro, Chris DiMarco.

Armstrong has two more weeks of physical therapy before radiation begins.

[Last modified October 26, 2007, 21:36:18]