Oviedo senior Chase Gordon is ready for a takedown. Gordon will wrestle for University of Oklahoma next year.

By Carlos Pineda | March 03, 2010

For four consecutive years Oviedo High School wrestling didn't rebuild, it reloaded.

After a two-year rough period, the Lions won their first class 2A state championship since 2007, the school's fifth overall state title.

One particular Lion was a member of the 2008 and 2009 squad that placed other than first on the wrestling mat, senior Chase Gordon.

The team finished in third and fourth place the past two years with only Gordon winning an individual state championship in the those two years.

"Chase has always been such a young, driven kid in his career," said J.D. Robbins, Oviedo head coach, who coached Gordon since sixth grade. "He just is a very hard worker. He basically did it the old fashioned way and worked himself into the situation by being a two-time state champion."

The 145-pound wrestler was able to provide the finish the team needed to pick up their fifth championship in seven years, as they defeated Springstead High by five points, 161.5-156.5.

Gordon was able to pick up the team bonus point with his technical fall at the 145-pound level. It truly was a two-year journey of commitment for this wrestling powerhouse, finally making it back to the pinnacle of success.

"It's kind of grueling actually going through two years of being down and basically having the horse power falling off," Gordon said. "Every year that's your goal and for us that is realistic because [every year] we place in the top five. Just that hard work paying off, it was great. I can say for most of the team that we're still floating on cloud nine."

It can be said the path for Gordon was placed right before him from the beginning, with his three brothers having wrestled before him.

The Oviedo native recalls first starting to hit the mat around the time he was in sixth grade.

The hard work of wrestling has paid off not only in winning at the high school level, but also through academics, where Gordon will be getting a college education and continue to wrestle at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

"It feels almost surreal to have the opportunity that I have been given," said Gordon about going to college through his wrestling. "To get an education paid for and to also be at a top-10 wrestling school in the country that is going to be contending for a national championship. I feel really blessed and fortunate."

Gordon is a one-sport athlete whose commitment to the sport is year round.

"I wrestle year round," he said. "I take one month off, I take August off after we get back from nationals and then I get right back into high school wrestling."

Gordon sacrifices most of social life to hit the mat and work on his technique, preparing to get better every time he sets to wrestle.

It takes a special breed of a person to be a wrestler, Gordon said.

"Well if it was easy everybody would do it," Gordon said about the dedication it takes to keep focused.

"It is hard because everyone is wanting to do extracurricular activities, but I'm a real competitive guy.

"Anybody can go out and party and hang out but it takes a special person to be in wrestling and put in the hours and hard work the guys put in," Gordon said.

Robbins said that Gordon might not be real athletic but it is his obligation that made him one of the better athletes.

"He decided to live a certain lifestyle, he decided to live the lifestyle of a champion," Robbins said. "He gave up all the things that a normal kid goes to for his cause."

With Gordon's high school career coming to an end, he leaves with two individual titles and two team titles, winning his first in his freshman season.

Gordon said he hopes he was a good role model to his teammates. He hopes he will be remembered for his tough work ethic.

"Just, hopefully hard work and tough," Gordon said. "Hopefully I was a good role model for the younger guys."

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