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Tavaris Allen, a wrestler at Wharton High School, works hard to win. And win he does, on the mat as well as in the classroom.
By TERRY JONES
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 14, 2000
PEBBLE CREEK -- Tavaris Allen was only looking for a way to stay in shape between football and track seasons when he walked into the Wildcats wrestling room two years ago. He soon discovered wrestling would not only keep him fit, it would challenge him and showcase his natural talent for the sport.
As a 140-pound freshman, he placed fourth in his district and qualified for regionals. He moved up to 145 pounds as a sophomore and became a state qualifier, a rare feat for seasonal wrestlers.
Now a junior, Allen weighs in at 152 pounds. Wharton coach David Mitchell thinks his tough middleweight could place in the top four in his weight at the state championships in two weeks.
"I call Tavaris our blue-collar worker," Mitchell said. "Things don't always come easy to him, but he will work as hard as needed until mastering what he is trying to do. He has good basic technique and continues to improve. Some of his takedown skills are unorthodox, but he makes them work for him."
Allen is a starting defensive back with the Wildcats football team. On the track team, he runs the 100, 440 and 4-by-100 relay.
"I started wrestling to stay in shape for track, but I wish track was before wrestling now because running helps my endurance for wrestling," he said. "I still run when I can because those matches in the districts, regional and state meets usually go into the third period. When it goes there, both guys have skill so the one still wrestling hard in the end usually wins."
Last year's regional meet was almost as tough as the state championships for Allen. He lost in the second round and then had to win three matches in a row to qualify for the title meet.
This season he says he is wiser. He knows the importance of strength and endurance and is willing to push his body to the limits and then some.
"Sometimes after practice, my body is so tired the last thing I want to do is lift weights," he said. "I know I have to do it though. I just push beyond my last limit and find out I can still push a little more. It is painful, but not near as painful as getting beat."
Allen's mental preparation for a match is much easier.
"I find an empty spot in the bleachers and go to sleep," he said. "I fall asleep easy. It rests my mind and helps me conserve physical energy. It works for me."
Allen doesn't shy away from leadership with his team.
He knows his success on the mats is an encouragement to his teammates, but he pushes them in practice too.
"When I see one of my teammates slacking off or not working hard at all, I will say something to them," he said. "We are not just one person, we are a team. If we are to build a winning tradition for Wharton, we will have to work hard to be ready for the matches."
On top of his athletic success, Allen has done well in the classroom, too.
"Tavaris carries a 3.0 (grade point average) and still manages to excel as an athlete," Mitchell said. "He is a great kid and I am glad he is on my team. If he doesn't get hurt, I am confident he will do great in the state run. Then more good news is he is still a junior so he should do even better next year."