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Cougar Wrestlers Excited By Tournament

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By DAREK SHARP, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 8, 2007

PLANT CITY - It wasn't quite like finishing fifth at the state meet, it just had that feel about it.

Although it was an early-season event, last week's Cougar Invitational wrestling tournament was loaded with quality teams. So much so that Durant High, accustomed to winning such events or finishing in the top three, was thrilled to come in fifth.

"You had state finalists going at it, at least it seemed like it, every single round," Durant head coach Dennis Kitko said. "It was almost too many good teams."

Kitko was able to attract 30 schools from across the state.

Riverdale High of Fort Myers was the tournament champion with 249.5 points. South Dade High had 235.5, Manatee was third with 230, Kissimmee Osceola High finished fourth with 197 and Durant had 139.5.

"We're real excited with that, believe me. Feeling good about the rest of the season," Kitko said.

The event took place Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at the Durant gymnasium.

A trio of Cougar wrestlers wound up finishing third in their weight class, with Kitko calling 130-pounder Derrick Hudson's effort a breakout performance. Hudson lost early on, meaning he had a long trek through the consolation bracket, and he won them all, going 7-1.

Alex Hamm (103 pounds) and Christian Reed (125 pounds) also came in third and Yamil Crespo earned Durant a fourth-place finish.

Hudson was tied through two periods with two-time state finalist James Williams of South Dade, who won the state title as a sophomore. Williams would earn the decision in the second-round match, but Hudson earned his way into the third-place final, defeating Suwannee's Jordan Cone 2-1.

"He was almost flawless in the tournament," Kitko said of Hudson, who was not seeded.

Hamm, who was the third seed in his weight class, finished third by going 4-1 in his matches and Reed went 5-1. Crespo beat Gainesville's Chase Rountree early but lost 1-0 to him later and Rountree finished in second place.

Kitko found himself in the rare situation of having no wrestlers in the final - but he was glued to the action.

The massive undertaking went out virtually without a hitch, Kitko said.

"It was a big thing to organize but I had so much help, from my assistants to four or five team moms, to the kids' dads helping me get everything together," Kitko said. "It's a lot of work but it's rewarding, and I'd like to do it again next year."

Possibly Brandon could be part of the field, although Kitko said the tournament was so strong this year, there was no real sense that it needed any other teams.

Durant's team finish was bolstered by three wins from Devin Johnson (215 pounds) and two wins each from Tykie Mastorides, Christian Leto, Cody Upshaw, Zack Dever, Billy Whitcomb and Brian Sanford.

The only Hillsborough County school that finished in the top 10 besides Durant was Tampa Prep at 10th. Of the top 12 finishing teams, only Durant and Palm Bay did not at least finish seventh in their respective state meet last year.

Reporter Darek Sharp can be reached at dsharp@tampa rib.com.

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