SPRING HILL – The Hernando Leopards defeated the Springstead Eagles 39-29 in boys wrestling on Wednesday evening. The showdown of the two in-county squads featured 13 bouts and was hosted by the Red, White, and Blue on Greg O’Connell Court.
Head Coach David Pritz’s Leopards jumped out to an early 6-0 lead with Jacob Walker pinning Alexander Piazza in the first period of the 106-weight class, but the Eagles would battle back throughout the night.
By the time Gio Delapz pinned Lane Goodell in bout four (126-weight class), Springstead had taken a 12-9 lead. Hernando would take command with a pair of pins in the next two matches, but Springstead would continue to fight.
They would go on to win 3 out of the next 4 bouts highlighted by an overtime victory by Evan Bozek (144-weight class). Bozek’s thrilling 100th career win would cut their deficit to 23-18, but that would be the closest they would come.
Hernando’s firepower was simply too great as the Leopards took three out of the final four matches themselves. Jeremiah Chavis gave the Purple and Gold their biggest lead of the evening at 36-23 when he overwhelmed his opponent by pinning him to the mat in the first period.
The Sun caught up with the winning head coach following his team’s “solid” performance in the cross-county clash:
Q: Did any of your wrestlers surprise or outperform expectations against Springstead? If so, why?
A: I thought David Moen had a big win at 120 pounds against one of Springstead’s better wrestlers. David continues to improve week after week.
Q: What did your team’s preparation look like for this tournament?
A: This was our last match before the state series, so we are just preparing for the post season at this point. [We are] trying to make sure we are well rested and healed up for the final stretch of the season.
Q: What are the challenges of facing an in-county rival in a tournament like this?
A: It is always fun to compete against our in-county rival, Springstead. We have had some great duels throughout the years, and it is something our team looks forward to every season.
Q: Is there anything specifically you want to work on with your squad before states in March?
A: We are just trying to peak and perform at our best in the post season. We have some big goals, and the kids know what is necessary to reach those goals.
Q: What did you tell your guys after [Wednesday’s] victory?
A: We were down two varsity starters, and they still found a way to win. They have done this all season. I just told them it was a solid performance and now it’s time to get ready for Districts.
Despite adversity, Coach Pritz and the Leopards emerged victorious. The future of wrestling in Hernando County is bright, and both schools will look to send representatives to the state tournament in Kissimmee, Florida on March 6th.
Wednesday’s Results:
(106) Jacob Walker (Hernando) pinned Alexander Piazza (Springstead).
(113) Harleeh Smith (Springstead) won by forfeit.
(120) David Moen (Hernando) won by decision over Amir Hussein.
(126) Gio Delapz (Springstead) pinned Lane Goodell.
(132) Cael Helm (Hernando) pinned Gianni Rodriquez-Garcia (Springstead).
(138) Reilly Burns (Hernando) pinned Brady Hynes (Springstead).
(144) Evan Bozek (Springstead) won by decision in overtime over Jacob Fetzner (Hernando).
(150) Noah Leota (Hernando) defeated Brady Burch (Springstead).
(157) Daniel Quinones (Springstead) won by decision over Terrance Shields (Hernando).
(165) Aden Jaun (Springstead) won by tech fall over Chase Monsegur-Brunet (Hernando).
(175) Shaw Garrett won by tech fall over Darrius Rodrick (Springstead.
(190) Jeremiah Chavis (Hernando) pinned Brendan Hoepker (Springstead).
(215) Kaleb Johns (Springstead) pinned Joseph Earl (Hernando).
(Heavyweight) Wiley Blair (Hernando) won by decision over Jaiden Dukes (Springstead).
