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Eagles' champ heads returning qualifiersBy GREG AUMAN © St. Petersburg Times, published February 27, 2001 LAKELAND -- The most encouraging part for half of Hernando County's 14 wrestlers in the state championships was simple: there always is next year. Among the county's seven returning qualifiers is one state champion -- Springstead junior Matt Booker -- plus a runner-up in teammate Steve Garofano and a semifinalist in Central sophomore Bucky Solomon. "You've got to start thinking about next year," said Springstead coach Bob Levija, whose team finished third in Class A. "That starts Monday." After a third-place finish last season, Booker (46-1) dominated. He recorded a pair of second-period pins and a 15-2 decision before edging Fernandina Beach's Rudy Leming 7-5 in the championship. Garofano (45-3) nearly gave the Eagles another title. But with nine seconds remaining, a two-point takedown by Jeremy Mosley of Jacksonville University Christian stole the championship from the 171-pound junior. In head-to-head meetings with the schools (University Christian and Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons) that finished ahead of them, Springstead went 2-3 In the 103-pound class, Solomon (41-4) pinned his first opponent in 3:59, then earned a 11-4 decision against Wakulla's Brandon Gavin to reach the semifinals, in which he lost a controversial 3-2 decision to Jesuit's Alex Enriquez. Enriquez and his cousin, Cesar Grajales of St. Petersburg Northside Christian, double-forfeited the championship match. Solomon lost the consolation final 4-2, giving him a fourth-place finish. "That's three short," said Solomon, who has a silver medal tacked to his bedroom wall with a 'This Won't Win State' note written nearby. "I thought I could win." Hernando junior Billy Woods (39-14) had a tough opening draw at 130 pounds, losing 23-9 to eventual state champion Ivan Enriquez of Belen Jesuit. Woods bounced back with three victories in the consolation bracket before he defaulted with an elbow injury during a consolation semifinal. "He stretched some ligaments, but he's going to be okay," Hernando coach Matt Smith said. "He placed sixth, and if he had been able to finish, I think he would have gotten at least fifth. He did have a good run there." Each school had an underclassman go 1-2 in Lakeland, sandwiching a consolation victory between two losses: Springstead freshman Tommy Walker (35-12) was pinned 4:18 into his opening match at 103 pounds against Cardinal Gibbons' Jorge Badia and earned a 17-2 victory in his first consolation match before losing 10-6 to Gavin. Hernando sophomore Billy Combs (36-16) was ahead by five points when he was pinned 2:58 into his first match at 125 pounds against state runner-up Brandon Helton of Wakulla. Combs rebounded with a 15-5 victory against Narciso Nievas of Miami Pace before being pinned by Pensacola Christian's Zeke Hazewinkle. Central junior Sergio Matos (30-9) held his own in the 145-pound class in a first-round match with state champion Mark McKever of Jacksonville University Christian, getting pinned with 11 seconds left in the final period. Matos pinned his first consolation opponent in 1:36, but lost a 4-2 decision in his next match. Five of Springstead's eight state qualifiers were seniors -- state champion Gerard DeCristofaro, plus Jason Faucher, Louis Kachiroubas, Reggie Pena and Tim Cook. Central senior Bobby Vasquez won his first match 15-4, but lost 4-3 in the second round, then was eliminated with an 8-0 consolation loss. Hernando senior Drew Innes (160) won his first three matches before dropping a 4-1 decision in the finals.
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