Wrestlers still alive for medals

LAKELAND — They compete in different classifications. They vary in size.

But the common thread running through the four county wrestlers remaining in the state wrestling tournament, which resumes at 9 a.m. today at The Lakeland Center, is this — their goals are different today than they were Friday.

Goals, however, still exist.

Manatee’s Alex Doran (135 pounds) and Stephen Cotton (140), Palmetto’s Darius Brooks (285) and Southeast’s Ludger Denis (130) cannot win state titles after suffering defeats Friday.

They can, however, earn state medals, awarded to the top six in each weight class.

Doran, Cotton and Denis won their first-round matches before falling in the championship quarterfinals. Doran and Cotton were pinned by Winter Springs’ Eric O’Niel and Matthew Nereim, respectively, and Denis lost 7-5 in overtime to Miami Florida Christian’s Nick Alvarez.

A state champion as a freshman and a runner-up last season, Doran bounced back by beating Tampa Wharton’s Saed Basil 6-1, putting him a win away from earning his third straight state medal.

“All I look for now is to push back and get third,” said Doran, who takes a 26-5 mark into today’s match against South Miami’s Orlando Cardelle. “I’m a state champ and a runner up — to lose in the quarters is so unexpected of me. But like I said, all I have to do now is push through and get third. I’ll feel a lot more accomplished (with third) than if I lose again (today).”

Cotton (48-5) recorded a 15-0 technical fall over Winter Park Lake Howell’s Zak Gotay, setting up today’s third-round consolation bout against Brandon’s Travis Berridge. If he wins out today, Cotton won’t only take third, but he will set Manatee’s single-season record with 51 wins.

Denis admitted it was tough forgetting about his quarterfinal loss, when he nearly toppled the undefeated Alvarez. But he managed to knock off Riverview Spoto’s Eric White 13-10 in consolation action and advance into today’s action against Green Cove Spring Clay’s Jason Wojcik.

“It was still on my mind, and I think it showed in that match at the beginning,” said Denis, who is 46-4. “But when I got it out of my mind, I think I did pretty good afterward.”

Slowed by a shoulder injury last year, Denis hopes to top his prep career off with a state medal.

“That would be very special,” he said. “I don’t want to only do it for me — I want to do it for my coaches and all the hard work they put in.”

Manatee wrestles in Class 3A, and Southeast is in Class 1A.

After losing their first-round matches, Donnell Reed (152) and Darius Brooks (285) made school history by becoming Class 2A Palmetto’s first wrestlers to win a match at the state tournament.

Reed accomplished the feat first when he defeated Tallahassee Lincoln’s Jake Burch 11-5 before losing to Inverness Citrus’ Taylor Jackson 6-4 in the second round of the consolation bracket. Brooks beat Melbourne Palm Bay’s Connor Kennedy 11-6 and pinned Tallahassee Leon’s Trey Braun in 4:14.

Manatee’s Ronny Whitt (103), Travis Fulk (125) and Bryan Woods (152) lost their first two matches Friday and were eliminated, as were Southeast’s Edison Dohms (125) and Bobby Wooten (171) and Lakewood Ranch’s Mike Myers (160).