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Seminole Chronicle Article 11-28-07 |
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 Pinning down success: Oviedos Jake Schalles throws Brett Leatherman during a practice. The Lions wrestling team is preparing to continue its run of -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oviedo high is master of the mat Lions look to nab fifth straight title By Jeff Gardenour | November 28, 2007 OVIEDO - When it comes to winning championships, no Seminole County athletic program has done it better than Oviedo High School's wrestling team. The Lions have simply roared on the mat over the past decade, winning 59 consecutive team dual matches and the last four state championships. Oviedo has won so much, in fact, that expectations remain the same every year now - anything less than a state championship is a disappointment. "We only have one goal at the outset of each season in terms of on the mat, and that is to be state champions - both as a team and as individual wrestlers," Oviedo assistant coach Tom Coffman said. "But more importantly, we expect, or rather, demand the same performance from our young men in the classroom. "When the high school season launches, there will be many surprises as to how the improvement through hard work and wrestling all spring and summer will launch our kids to the forefront." The offseason work may be more important than ever as the Lions attempt to continue their winning ways. Gone from last year's Class 3A state title team are five key wrestlers, including state champions Tyler Davis, Brandon Hatchett and Jesse Robbins. Also gone are Justin Tortora and Anthony Salerno, each of whom placed third, and Nic Chase, who finished fifth. If that isn't tough enough to overcome, Oviedo also lost senior starter John Christiansen to a knee injury in the season-opening Lincoln Duals in Tallahassee, where the Lions went 5-0 and won the team title. Last year, Christiansen finished sixth at state, compiled a 34-10 record and was a Florida National Team member. Still, Coffman isn't concerned about Oviedo losing its grip as the state's premier program. The Lions return 10 other wrestlers, including seven returning starters, and picked up a promising newcomer in senior Ty Zarbo, a two-time state qualifier in Tennessee. Zarbo, who will wrestle in the 125- and 130-pound weight classes this season, also is a Florida National Team member. Returning for Oviedo are sophomore Ryan Leatherman, a starter who won district and region titles and was a state qualifier last season on the way to finishing with a 34-9 record, junior Stephon Jenkins, who finished third in the Seminole Athletic Conference as a fill-in starter and compiled an 8-4 record, sophomore Michael Radcliff, who was named last year's Rookie of the Year, senior Brett Leatherman, a starter and two-time state qualifier who finished 22-8, senior Josh Keebler, a starter who won the district title and finished 23-12, senior Thrasher Porcher, a starter who finished third at district and compiled a 20-13 record, sophomore Chase Gordon, a starter who finished fourth at district, compiled a 15-11 record and was named a Fargo All-American, senior Jake Schalles, a starter who placed second at state, finished with a 34-6 record and was the team's pin leader, junior Davin Morris, who won the SAC title and finished with a 12-3 record as a fill-in starter for Hatchett and Robbins, and senior Dustin Meloche, a starter who won the district title, finished fourth at region and with a 20-9 record, won the FILA national title, was named a Fargo All-American and was ranked 18th in the nation. In addition to Zarbo, new to the Lions this season are freshmen Kurt Keebler, Michael Alpert and Lee Wildes, sophomore Erin O'Dell and senior Jonathon Musa. "Certainly, we lost a lot of talent from the previous year, but that is no different from any other year," Coffman said. "If you rewind back to the 2005-06 season and then fast-forward to the forecast to last year's preseason outlook, the list of talent lost includes the likes of Kenny Lester, who was ranked No. 1 in the country for most of the season, David Green, who was nationally-ranked and was a four-time state qualifier and two-time state champ, Nick Roehrick, who finished fourth in the state in his senior year, Jonathon Ruiz, who went 40-6 his senior year, Tim Hedberg, who was a state qualifier his senior year and Justin Edge, a three-time state qualifier who placed fifth at state as a junior." Oviedo can erase any doubts about its potential this month when it hosts two of the biggest tournaments of the 2007-08 season - the Oviedo Duals on Saturday, and the Zac Jarzynka Memorial Ironman Tournament VI on Dec. 28-29. The Oviedo Duals will feature 10 varsity teams in the new school gym and 15 junior varsity teams in the Commons. Matches begin at 9 a.m. and are expected to conclude in the late afternoon or early evening. Joining Oviedo in the varsity division are Camden County, Ga., Naples Palmetto Ridge, Bunnell Flagler Palm Coast, Winter Springs, Tampa Alonso, Dr. Phillips, Orange Park, DeLand and Punta Gorda Charlotte. Palmetto Ridge, which has moved up to Class 2A, won the Class 1A state title last year. Flagler Palm Coast finished fourth in the Class 3A state meet and Camden County placed seventh in the Class 5A Georgia state tournament. "It will be a great event," Coffman said. |
