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Levija is master on mat at Springstead
By BRANT JAMES © St. Petersburg Times, published March 14, 2001 SPRING HILL -- Bob Levija doesn't always look like an involved man. He often sits away from the fray when his Springstead wrestlers compete, deferring to one of a number of valued assistant coaches, allowing them to sit in one of two coaches chairs at the corner of the mat. Levija may erupt with an occasional scream if something is not quite right. The 21-year coach may give the impression of not being in control, but everyone involved with the program knows whose stamp is indelibly marked on everything the Eagles do. After going 26-1, leading Springstead to a third-place finish in Class A and winning his 300th career dual meet, Levija is the Times' All-Citrus/Hernando Coach of the Year. To their formidable list of accomplishments (in 21 years of the program), the Eagles this season added a 13th conference title (fifth consecutive), a 17th district championship (ninth straight), sixth regional crown and improved their all-time record to 304-40. Levija has affected a lot of kids' lives. "(Levija) is like a second father to me," said Gerard DeCristofaro, one of two Springstead state champs and the All-Citrus/Hernando Wrestler of the Year. "I love him. He's the best thing in the world." As Tony Soprano has his Paulie Walnuts, Silvio Dante, Christopher Moltisanti and Furio Giunta, Levija has his Chris Soto, T.D. Talbott, Louis Kachiroubas, Sr., and Ralph DeCristofaro. "My staff is great," Levija said earlier this season. "None of this happens without them." Trusted souls all, but none the man in charge. "Coach Levija, although he has a lot of help, he has to direct the direction he wants his program to go," said Hernando coach Matt Smith, who wrestled for Levija in the late 1980s. "He basically runs the show and lets people know what he expects of them." Soto (who is Matt and Nate Bookers' uncle), Kachiroubas and DeCristofaro were drawn to the team for the love of the sport and because they had kids in the program. Talbott, a long-time coach in Ohio, dropped into the Eagles' lap when he "retired" to the area. It's a support system any coach would envy. "Whenever you can break down the numbers and work more one-on-one, the better you are," Central coach Alan Solomon said. "If you can get one (coach) to every six guys, that is great. You can do a lot more teaching and see a lot more mistakes," he said. Smith hopes his program will someday evolve into such an efficient machine. "Coach Levija is definitely a great coach," Smith said. "I try and learn from him. I try to coach my kids the way I feel they need to be coached."
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