InterMat: Inside info from the N.W.C.A
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Something special brewing in the Sunshine State
Florida takes four titles, Michigan's Metcalf OW
By Jason Bryant
jbryant@intermatwrestle.com
Fargo, N.D. – In 2004, Florida surprised the wrestling world by winning the Junior National Duals in Greco-Roman wrestling in Enid, Okla.
Junior Greco |
In 2005, Florida’s rise to the top of the Greco-Roman world hasn’t gone as unnoticed, but the Sunshine State crowned three individual champions and had five overall finalists in the 2005 USA Wrestling Junior Greco-Roman National Championships.
Wait, don’t you mean four champions and six finalists?
If this were a high school tournament yes, but 119-pound champion Franklin Gomez is representing Puerto Rico, not Florida’s Brandon High School.
Brandon, the 2A state team champions, put five of its wrestlers into the finals, while Oviedo, the class 3A champs, put in the other, Jesse Robbins at 160.
Gomez, bound for Michigan State in the fall, won Puerto Rico’s first title in the island’s history.
“It’s an honor (to be the first), not a lot of people have the opportunity to do that (win a title),” said Gomez.
Gomez had high school coach Russ Cozart in the corner, along with his Puerto Rican National Team coach. He was happy to have four teammates competing in the finals with him.
“I’ve been there ( Brandon) for the past couple years and it felt like my family was here (in the finals),” Gomez said.
Cesar Grajales, another college-bound graduated senior, came up a point short in the 135-pound final against Indiana’s Reece Humphrey in overtime.
Grajales jumped out to a 3-2 lead before a caution and one for fleeing on Grajales gave Humphrey the tying point to force overtime. As time wound down in the extra period, Grajales tried a throw and was stuffed, allowing Humphrey to get the winning takedown at the 8:59 mark.
“He’s a great wrestler,” Humphrey said of Grajales.
But for Humphrey, he didn’t let the pressure get to him on his first Junior title.
“It was all instinct. It feels great to win a national title.”
“I have to be humble because I’ve never won before,” Humphrey said. “My goal was to win two titles and I’m halfway there.”
With Grajales falling at 135, Marco Toledo was the next Brandon wrestler to step to the mat and he beat Pennsylvania’s Matt Dragon on the strength of step-over on a Dragon gut-wrench attempt. With a 3-0 lead, Toledo hung on to take the championship at 152.
The champ at 160 came from Florida, but it wasn’t Brandon – this time it was Oviedo’s Jesse Robbins who used a three-point throw from the clinch and a three point headlock on the edge to knock off Brandon’s Rocky Cozart at 160.
It was the first match between the two in Greco – Robbins was wrestling 171 most of the summer.
“I’m a sophomore, so I didn’t have the pressure,” Robbins said.
“The last two seasons have been kind of bad for me (in high school), so this kind of makes up for it,” he said.
“This is the best ever,” Robbins said of Florida’s performance.
After Robbins’ victory, it was back to Brandon, as arguably the nation’s top junior, David Craig, won the title at 171 pounds with a 3-1 victory over Oklahoma’s Jeff James.
Cesar Grajales Sr., a long-time coach with the Brandon Wrestling Club summed up his wrestlers’ performance with one word – payoff.
“It’s a payoff for all the hard work and dedication they’ve put in,” Grajales Sr. said.
“These kids have been working together since they were four, five and six years old.”
Florida USA Wrestling state chairman Bill Grant was also very pleased with his state’s performance.
“It wasn’t just the champs and the All-Americans,” Grant said. “It was the kids that have never been here that went 5-2, 4-2 and 3-2.”
“This is a testament to the best camp Florida has ever had. We have guys like Shawn Sheldon and Jeff Prescott – things are brighter in the Sunshine State,” Grant said.
While Florida was the buzz during Tuesday’s finals, believe it or not, there were other performances in the Junior Finals.
Brent Metcalf won his fifth Junior title and also took home the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler Award. He bested Washington’s Brandon Sitch with relative ease with an 11-0 tech fall at 2:15.
“This is awesome,” Metcalf said. “Even though I’ve done it before, it’s still nice to know when you’re out here you can stay on the top of your game.”
Pennsylvania’s Adam Frey was also on the top of his game and he jumped out to a 7-0 lead before getting a late escape point in the second period to get past a feisty Elijah Hutchinson of Alaska.
“I can’t say that it (Frey’s performance) surprised me,” Pennsylvania coach Ray Brinzer said. “If he shuts down and tries to protect the lead, it does not go well, so we tried to keep him on the offense.”
“Even with a one-point lead, I was telling him to attack,” Brinzer said.
“I have to thank coach (Brinzer) for putting me through hell the last three months to prepare me for this,” Frey said.
Oregon’s Marty Eng had the only fall of the finals at 105 pounds against California’s Kellen Aura on a big throw late in the match.
“I felt him trying to throw, so I waited for it,” Eng said.
Pennsylvania crowned a champion at 112 when Matt Kyler beat Colorado’s Tony Mustari 8-6 in overtime. Mustari jumped out to a 6-0 lead before Kyler got a turn in the final 10 seconds to force overtime. Mustari tried to throw Kyler with an arm spin and Kyler countered, putting Mustari on his back for the winning points.
Shawn Jones took the title at 125 pounds, beating in-state rival Josh Strait in an all-Idaho final and Boris Novachkov of California beat Jake Quinton of Pennsylvania in the 98 pound final. It was the third straight runner-up finish in Greco-Roman for Quinten.
Brett Robbins was dominant in his 140-pound tech fall victory over New York’s J.P. O’Conner. Robbins pointed to his loss at the Junior Duals earlier this month as the catalyst.
“It’s been in my mind the entire time,” Robbins, who will compete for Northern Iowa next year, said.
Louis Caputo scored three early points and hung on for a win over Michigan’s Trevor Perry at 189 pounds, while Robby Smith bested Virginia’s Brent Jones at 215 pounds.
The day’s final bout saw Justin Wren of Texas become the Lone Star state’s first Junior champion since Brad Knouse in 1983.
After a scoreless first period, Wren and California’s Erik Nye went to the clinch and Wren lifted Nye off the mat with a monstrous bear hug and popped his hips to plant Nye on his head for a five-point throw, the only points of the match.
As a rule, heavyweights aren’t looking for five off the clinch, but Wren never doubted himself.
“I hold the state record for most five-point throws,” Wren said. “If the referee was going to let us lock like that without being all sweaty, I was going to go for it.
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