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Seminole Chronicle Pre-Season Article 11-18-2005 |
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Lions aim to pin another state title to the wall By Isaac Babcock November 18, 2005 When Coach Tom Coffman flew into town this week, he was already two weeks behind by the time his feet hit the ground. Showing up to his first practice Monday, he would be meeting a new crop of would-be champions for the first time. They were supposed to be practicing with him for 10 days already. It didn't bother him much. Three of the best wrestlers in the country, plus the only gold-level certified coach in the state had filed in. But the ever-dominant Oviedo Lions had gotten the ball rolling long before that. Still, it won't be as easy as it was last year. They've lost the best wrestler in the country in the 140 pound class and one of the top three in the 160 pound class over the summer. Jason Robbins was a leader on a team full of leaders, bringing an unthinkable four straight state championships to Oviedo's trophy case. In those four years, he never lost a match. He took his 195-0 career wins to Arizona State this fall. Justin Fraga had gotten hungrier by the year, finishing his career with two straight wins at state. What the Lions are left with is nothing short of remarkable. The lineup isn't gutted, though the departed stars will be missed in their weight classes. It's something Coffman said they've been ready for. "On the surface you'll think 'Whoa, you lost a lot,' " Coffman said. "But we've got guys in there who've been ready." Stepping out from the shadows as a No. 2 to perennial champions like Fraga, senior Jonathon Ruiz had made the junior varsity team a force to contend with last year. Now he hits the big time in the 150-160 pound weight range this year. Tim Hedberg will have the biggest shoes to fill of all, slotting in where Robbins left off, in the 140-145 pound range. He's already had a taste of the big time at the state tournament and at the National Championships in Fargo, N.D. This summer Coffman said he saw a change in Hedberg that could be the start of something good. "He made that decision that he wants to get really serious about it," he said. "He wants to wrestle in college now. He's got the fire." Returning from last year's team, 215-pound Nick Roehrick takes two years of experience on the mat to one of the heaviest classes in the sport. Slotting underneath the team behemoth of No. 1-ranked, 275-pound Kenny Lester, he could score valuable points in his senior year. Looking to make a run at his brother's undefeated final season, Jesse Robbins is now in his junior year. He was national champion at Fargo last year and is ranked No. 1 in the state this year. He wrestled in the preseason at 171 pounds. At the lighter end of the scale, Justin Tortora and Justin Edge were fifth at state last year. Now they're looking to move up in the rankings with an extra year of experience under their belts. Edge will slot into a role occupied by Jason Robbins two years ago at the 130- to 135-pound range. Moving into the second of his three sports for the year, Anthony Salerno is a two-time state qualifier looking to avenge disappointment last year after badly spraining his ankle. He's healthy this year. The sun rises again on Oviedo's empire on the mat this weekend, as the JV team takes on Central Florida yet again for their opening meet this Saturday in Winter Springs. Against teams like the Bears and Lyman they'll find familiar foes, but as usual are hoping for a challenge. Their reign of dominance on the wrestling room floor hasn't been challenged in the SAC for half a decade. Their chances of a state berth are nearly a lock from the season's beginning. Their odds of sending a handful of wrestlers to the National Championships in Fargo is one of the safest bets in sports gambling. The only thing Coffman is worried about is Oviedo fans putting too much stock in the loss of Jason Robbins and Fraga. Though their state and national performances helped carry the team last year, Coffman said there are plenty waiting to step up into their spots. "Across the board it's a deceiving team as far as depth," Coffman said. "But the guys are there. We're going to do well this year." |
