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Young Wrestlers 'Starting To React More Naturally'

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By DAREK SHARP, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 15, 2007

PLANT CITY - It's usually hard for a freshman to crack the lineup, but for the Plant City High wrestling team, they're everywhere.
Four freshmen are wrestling regularly for the Raiders this season, not to mention other first-year participants in the sport. It has made an interesting mix for head coach Nick Ferrario

"We have a lot of young guys, but they're improving a lot," Ferrario said.

He said he saw a lot of good things from the young team recently at the Raiders Duals tournament. Plant City went 2-3 during the Dec. 8 event.

Plant City's most accomplished wrestlers, Colby Clark and Travis Vollick, led the way, both going 5-0 in their matches.

Practically all of Plant City's lighter weights are first-year wrestlers.

The lightest, 103-pounder Deonte Brower, is a junior but in his first experience on the team. Four of the next six light weight classes are filled by freshmen: Devin Bond, Kadrick Richardson, Coy Rozzell and Pierce Harrell, respectively.

"What I saw Dec. 8 is that they're starting to react more naturally, as opposed to thinking about everything they're doing," Ferrario said.

Vollick returns off a regional meet appearance last season. Colby Clark, who wrestles in the 160-pound class, competed in the summer with the Florida Cadet National Team at a tournament in North Dakota.

Plant City finished seventh out of 12 teams at the Raiders Duals but would have been in the top six if not for a one-point loss to Jefferson.

The Raiders defeated Armwood and lost to George Jenkins, then defeated Spoto and Hillsborough in the seventh-place bracket.

"We were scheduled to wrestle Spoto and Hillsborough this week so I purposely separated us into different pools. Then we end up wrestling them both anyway," Ferrario said.

Those matches were set for Tuesday and Wednesday. Today, the Raiders will take part in their final action of the calendar year, as part of the five-team event at Chamberlain High. Matches should begin about 11 a.m.

Auburndale and Jenkins finished first and second, followed by Robinson High, at the Raider tournament.

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

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