Red Devils Wrestle To Regional Runner-Up

Three Red Devils were crowned regional champions and the Avon Park wrestling team furthered its growing reputation on the mat Saturday at the Class 1A-Region 2 meet at Matanzas High School.

Senior James Bland, junior Kemosi Hatten and senior Jace Grimmett fought to regional titles and two other Red Devil wrestlers grappled their way into the state tournament with top-three finishes as AP took second place at regionals, just one point behind champion Citrus.

The Red Devils - in just their fourth year of existence -scored 127 team points compared to the Hurricanes' 128, a strong finish for a team that brought 10 total competitors to the meet and had seven wrestling on its second day.

"You can always go back and find something to improve," said AP co-head coach Lee Elder.

"But you have to be happy with what it took to get there because finishing second out of 36 is a pretty big accomplishment."

Bland shut out an opponent with more than 140 victories on his way to the 160-pound regional title, while Hatten defeated his opponent 13-6 in his final to take the 171-pound class, and Grimmett earned a top seed at Friday and Saturday's state meet with a resounding victory in the heavyweight division.

Junior Alvin Moore, a 152-pounder in his last year of eligibility, and junior Charles Hubbard, a 145-pounder, also qualified for state by forging their way through the consolation bracket to take third place in their classes.

"They battled their way back and beat some good people for their chance to go to state," said Elder, noting Hubbard and Moore will be third seeds in the tournament, meaning they'll face No. 2 seeds. "All you want is a chance, because once you get there, anything can happen."

Co-head coach Ed Brown said it was tough to finish second by such a narrow margin, especially when a half-point here or a point there anytime during the tournament can make all the difference in a team-title hunt.

"It's a little frustrating right now because you hate to lose by just one point when it's right there within your grasp," Brown said. "Every single match counts, from the earliest match to the last match in the finals. There are no cheap points in a tournament of this magnitude."

Still, Brown said, he was extremely proud of the upstart Devils, who've helped continue the establishment of the program and help earn its reputation on the mat.

"All the guys in the regional finals are district champs or state qualifiers and they're all quality wrestlers," Brown said. "We went out and handled them and beat them. And that takes some good quality wrestling, especially when the guy across the mat from you isn't easy prey.

"If we can do that, we must be doing something right."

Sebring's lone wrestler to make Saturday's action was senior Derek Drummond, who missed out on qualifying for state with a loss in his final match. Blue Streak coach Josh Miller said Drummond gave it his all in his final high school action against a talented Citrus wrestler, but falling in his second match of Friday's early rounds cost him an easier path to state.

Despite the loss, Drummond said he was happy with his success this season.

"He grew so much as a person and a leader on the team," Miller said. "We had a great time and we goof around a lot, but when it's time to get serious, he knows. I don't have to say anything, and that helps things go a lot smoother when his teammates can see the dedication it takes to be a good wrestler."

For the Red Devils continuing their season, this week of practice will focus on honing skills and making mat strengths even stronger.

"We'll work on some things, but now isn't the time to learn anything different," Elder said. "Things aren't going to change much, we just have to do what we do and do it well."

Looking ahead, Brown said it will be important for the team to stay within itself once the lights go up and the best in the state assemble.

"They'll need to take control and not let their opponent dictate the style of match," Elder said. "If we can do that on a consistent basis, I think we'll do pretty doggone good."

The Class 1A wrestling state finals will be held Friday and Saturday at Lakeland Center. First-round action begins at 10 a.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday. Championship finals will be held at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday.