Classic mismatch: Buccaneer mat men upend Leopards, crush Eagles
This article appeared in Hernando Today on Nov. 25, 2002.
By TONY CASTRO
SPRING HILL - If pre-season wrestling classics mean one iota, then there will be a changing of the guard.
Coach Travis DeWalt's Gulf Buccaneers sent shock ways through the North Suncoast mat community Thursday during the four-team, Eagle Classic at Springstead High. In the first of two dual meet matches, the defending Class A, District 5 champion Bucs squandered an early 15-0 cushion after three matches, trailing 36-33 against Hernando going into their 14th and final bout.
Buc junior heavyweight Cameron Neptune, however, raised eyebrows as he pinned promising Hernando sophomore Windham Rotunda in 68 seconds to give the New Port Richey team the unexpected come-from-behind win, 39-36.
Meanwhile, on the opposite mat, the host and defending Class 2A, District 6 champion Springstead Eagles, under first-year skipper Roy Reyes, trailed 41-18 to pesky Ridgewood after 10 bouts.
The Eagles, who dropped seven of the initial 10 matches, needed a miracle - four straight pins - to pull out the match.
They nearly got it.
Springstead's Luis Perez at 171-pounds, Nate Booker at 189-lbs., and Jon Howland at 215-lbs., flattened Rick Hartwell (1:06), Kevin Galason (0:34) and Ryan Thoma (0:52) respectively to trim the deficit to 41-36.
With host crowd in a frantic pace entering the final bout, Ram sophomore heavyweight Patrick Kelly delivered the knockout by pinning first-year Eagle senior Nate Martinez in 72 seconds to clinch a 47-36 victory.
In the nightcap, the Bucs carried their 11th hour enthusiasm on to the mat while Springstead appeared to have the air released from their balloons.
Coach DeWalt's troops opened a 21-0 lead before Springstead senior Fabien Lewars countered with his second pin of the night in 1:51 over Ridgewood sophomore Matt Fleming to close the gap to 21-6.
From there on out, Gulf appeared like a Sioux tribe facing Gen. George Armstrong Custer's outnumbered troops. The Bucs reeled off seven consecutive wins, including six straight pins plus a 21-6 technical fall before Booker stopped the bleeding at 215-lbs. with a 4:24 pin of senior Fred Liriano.
But unheralded Neptune closed the books with a 3:18 pin - the Bucs' 12th individual win and 10th pin - over first-year Eagle sophomore Ryan Hart at heavyweight to clinch a whopping 68-12 sweep.
On the other mat, Hernando rallied from a 15-0 deficit after four matches, to post nine wins, featuring seven pins, across the final 10 bouts to throttle Ridgewood and earn a pre-season split, 51-21.
Bucs shock Eagles
Afterwards, Bucs Coach DeWalt surveyed the battlefield. He liked what he saw. His mat squad team had six wrestlers win both their matches including junior Joey Pospisil (103-lbs.), sophomore T.J. Dickey (112), junior Steve Manzione (119), senior Andrew Mendonca (171), senior Tim Tracy (189) and heavyweight Neptune. Everyone else captured at least one win.
By comparison, the host Eagles had two grapplers win twice - two-time state qualifier Lewars and Booker - four others won once.
"I think Springstead's got a real young team that got the wind knocked out of its sails against Ridgewood," said DeWalt, a former Buccaneer state champion. "While they were kinda smarting after their loss, we were as high as kites to beat Hernando the way we did. We had a lot of unexpected guys step up and make things happen.
"I was preaching to our kids to stay away from the tie ups against Hernando but it was as if no one listened. I've seen those kids and their style, if you tie-up you'll get a lot of frequent flier miles, you'll fly everywhere. No way did we expect the match to boil down to Cameron [Neptune].
"That said, it's still November, I think Hernando and Springstead will rebound hard. If anything we're starting on positive footing but we've still got room for improvement."
Coach Reyes was pensive before describing the carnage.
"The positives were we were able to hang with Ridgewood after some freaky things happened to us," said Coach Reyes, a former state runner-up at Central High. "Steve [Bartke] injured his sternum this week and he was out. Nate's little brother broke a finger and he's out for couple weeks. Tim [Heal]'s shoulder is still bugging him. So we weren't close to 100 percent and we came in obviously short-handed.
"Maybe if nothing else this will serve as a wake up call that we can't just rest on our laurels. I mean, this was still just a practice match, next time [Dec. 5 at Lecanto] it's for real."
What about Lewars and Nate Booker?
"I was very impressed with Fabien and how he took care of business," added Coach Reyes. "And Nate wrestled up a class and he wrestled well. At this point we're not panicking, we're young and we're hurt, but we're looking towards wrestling our best at the end of the season.
"Ridgewood did real well but I've got to hand it to Gulf, they've really improved that program since I last saw them."
Leopards feature four double winners
The Purple and Gold grapplers had four wrestlers capture two victories featuring senior Billy Combs at 135-lbs. and 145-lbs. (pin in 3:17 and a 8-3 decision), freshman Michael Combs at 152-lbs. (17-0 technical fall and a pin in 2:59), junior Charley Combs (19-4 tech. fall and a pin 1:12) and senior Thomas Lyle at 215-lbs. (two pins in 3:44 and 0:38).
Eight other Leopards posted individual wins by junior Jimmy Paynter, sophomore Justin Davis, freshman David Pritz, junior Stephen Pritz, sophomore Earnest Ellis, sophomore Addison Chipoletti, junior Jack Duvall and Rotunda.
"Though we haven't had the football kids out much, they've worked pretty hard," said Leopard Head Coach Matt Smith. "We've really just stressed technique so far. But we're so out of shape it's not funny.
"I thought Ridgewood was tough and Gulf came in terrific shape. Right now, we don't have our set lineup yet. We were one tiny mistake away from sweeping the both matches, that's not bad considering we really haven't got everybody together yet."
Ridgewood 47, Springstead 36
103 - Daly (SPG) pin Higgins, 1:09
112 - Rupe (RW) pin Starace, 4:56
119 - Marcano (RW) pin Friedman,1:49
125 - Grossi (SPG) won by forfeit
130 - Lewars (SPG) pin Jackson, 3:18
135 - Moreno (RW) pin Merando, 1:33
140 - M. Bullwinkel (RW) pin S. Howland, 3:27
145 - Coghlan (RW) pin Rivera, 1:04
152 - Lim (RW) t. fall Luddeke, 16-1
160 - Cappelletti (RW) pin Morales, 3:35
171 - Perez (SPG) pin Hartwell, 1:06
189 - N. Booker (SPG) pin Galason, 0:34
215 - J. Howland (SPG) pin Thoma, 0:52
275 - Kelly (RW) pin Martinez, 1:12Gulf 39, Hernando 36
103 - Pospisil (G) won by forfeit
112 - Dickey (G) won by forfeit
119 - Manzione (G) dec. Gaulin, 14-9
125 - Paynter (H) pin Gallagher, 2:34
130 - Fleming (G) pin Davis, 5:37
135 - B. Combs (H) pin Shinafelt
140 - D. Pritz (H) dec. Ryder, 10-6
145 - S. Pritz (H) t. fall Ruko, 16-1
152 - M. Combs (H) t. fall Leggett, 17-0
160 - C. Combs (H) t. fall Stewart, 19-4
171 - Mendonca (G) pin Chipoletti, 3:10
189 - Tracy (G) pin Duvall, 3:19
215 - Lyle (H) pin Liriano, 3:44
275 - Neptune (G) pin Rotunda, 1:08Hernando 51, Ridgewood 21
103 - Double forfeit
112 - Rupe (RW) won by forfeit
119 - Marcano (RW) pin Gaulin, 0:37
125 - Jackson (RW) dec. Paynter, 18-13
130 - Davis (H) won by forfeit
135 - Ellis (H) pin Moreno, 3:07
140 - M. Bullwinkel (RW) pin D. Pritz, 1:49
145 - B. Combs (H) dec. Coghlan, 8-3
152 - M. Combs (H) pin Lim, 2:59
160 - C. Combs (H) pin Cappelletti, 1:12
171 - Chipoletti (H) pin Hartwell, 1:03
189 - Duvall (H) pin Galason, 1:28
215 - Lyle (H) pin Thoma, 0:38
275 - Rotunda (H) pin Kelly, 3:50Gulf 68, Springstead 12
103 - Pospisil (G) pin Daly, 3:57
112 - Dickey (G) dec. Starace, 14-11
119 - Manzione (G) pin Leon, 1:16
125 - Gallagher (G) pin Grossi, 1:37
130 - Lewars (SPG) pin Fleming, 0:55
135 - Shinafelt (G) pin Merando, 1:51
140 - Ryder (G) pin S. Howland, 3:10
145 - Ruko (G) pin Greifenberger, 0:50
152 - Leggett (G) pin Luddeke, 3:53
160 - Stewart (G) pin Morales, 3:02
171 - Mendonca (G) pin Perez, 0:49
189 - Tracy (G) t. fall J. Howland, 21-6
215 - N. Booker (SPG) pin Liriano, 4:24
275 - Neptune (G) pin Hart, 3:18
