1A STATE WRESTLING
The Class 1A State Championship Wrestling Tournament wasn’t particularly noteworthy for either Hernando High or Nature Coast Technical.
Head Coach Travis Dewalt’s New Port Richey-Gulf Buccaneers captured Pasco County’s first-ever state title with 110 points, while Live Oak-Suwannee finished runner-up with 100.5 points.
The Leopards’ two participants, Daniel and Zach Pritz, posted a combined 6-2 won-lost mark worth 28 points and a 23rd place finish in the 82-team field at The Lakeland Center.
The Sharks’ trio of grapplers, Scott Cronin, Mitch Lambert and Greg Jarque, posted a combined 6-6 mark good for a three-way tie for 33rd place with Miami-Florida Christian and Engelwood-Lemon Bay with 18 points.
Pritz: HHS’ 13th gold medalist
Individually, the 1A Tournament belonged to Leopard senior Daniel Pritz.
Daniel Pritz entered the meet with 18 wins across his past 18 matches, featuring a 7-0 postseason run.
At states, he finished 4-0 to go out on top reeling off a 22-match win skein at 145 pounds.
His last loss, a bitter four-overtime 2-1 setback in the finals of the Springstead Invitational to Springstead junior Colton Zimmermann was a source of inspiration.
Head Coach Bill Combs Sr. noticed the difference in Daniel’s ways on the next practice.
“After he lost at Springstead, he turned it up,” recalled Coach Combs. “He always practiced. But after that loss he practiced much harder and with a lot more intensity.”
Before he stepped on the mats in Polk County, Daniel received a phone call with advice from his oldest brother, Robbie, who is in China.
Robbie knows all about the rigors of states. He finished with 107 career wins including the state title in the waning seconds of his senior year in the 140-pound Class 1A final in 2000.
Robbie reminded Daniel of a Biblical verse from Philippians 4:13 that he said over and over prior to his finals match 10 years ago, ‘I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.’
At Lakeland, Pritz said the verse over and over. He opened with a 12-4 major decision over Panama City-Arnold junior Zane Turnispeed.
In round two, Pritz again never fell behind posting a 7-1 decision over Jupiter Christian junior Jesse Stephanos.
In Saturday’s critical semifinals, Pritz led from the opening whistle to solve South Walton junior Justin Dunwald, 9-5.
Before 10,000 fans, Green Cove Springs-Clay junior Casey Soileau fell behind to Pritz 4-1 in the after two minutes in the tournament finals and trailed 12-3 after two periods.
Pritz eventually carved out a convincing 14-8 decision to earn his first-ever gold medal.
“Daniel had a great tournament,” described Coach Combs on his 13th state champion. “I was hoping he’d get the last takedown, but he held on once he got a big lead. Give Daniel credit, he turned on his offense late in the season.”
Pritz, who became the school’s all-time wins leader last weekend, concluded his four-year career at the top of the podium at 155-30.
His three district titles and school-record three regional gold medals will take a back seat to his third state medal in three trips.
What were the keys to success?
“After I lost to Colton, I said I wasn’t gonna lose again,” recalled Pritz. “This is the hardest I’ve ever worked. Looking back, I needed that loss to shake me up. That loss gave me the drive to work that much harder.
Who’d Daniel dedicate his gold medal to?
“It’s got to go to Robbie,” admitted Pritz, “He was right, I can do all things through Christ.”
Extra, extra
Daniel’s brother, Zach, who went 1-2 as a freshman at states in 2009, went 2-2 this weekend before bowing out at 152.
Nature Coast Technical continued to break down barriers.
Late Friday night, the Sharks lost both sophomore Lambert at 140 and Jarque at 285 as each finished 1-2.
On Saturday, senor Scott Cronin at 125 became the Sharks’ first-ever state placer behind a solid 4-2 run to place fifth. He completed his best-ever season at 43-11.
Cronin, who came into states riding an 21-match win streak, opened the tourney with an 18-4 major decision over Bradenton-Southeast’s Edison Dohms.
Suwannee’s Josh Key pushed Cronin into the loser’s bracket, however, behind a 14-2 major decision.
From the loser’s bracket, Cronin reeled off two more wins.
Cronin crunched Matanzas’ Dennis Nieves (14-2) and bested Poinciana’s Benson Bazilme (3-1) before losing to Fort Myer’s Dunbar’s Shaquon Young via a pin in 2:23.
Cronin finished his career on a positive note by posting a 10-2 major decision over Key.
With the win, the curtains came down on the Sharks’ first-ever regional champion and initial state placer (fifth).
“I really wanted to place in the top four,” admitted the 18-year-old Cronin. “I got caught in a couple stupid moves; that’s was my fault.”
How pivotal was the initial loss to Key?
“That loss took its toll,” described Cronin. “Mentally I was expecting to be in the semis.”
Overall?
“I know I broke a lot of records,” said Cronin. “I wanted people to know that Nature Coast was not a throw away school. I still feel I could have done better. I came here sick, but that’s no excuse.”
By the Numbers: Hernando’s Daniel Pritz (2006-10)
– Compiled by TONY CASTRO
YEARS W L .PCT PINS
2006-07 25 14 .641 19
2007-08+ 44 10 .815 13
2008-09+ 43 4 .915 16
2009-10$ 43 1 .977 19
TOTALS 155 30 .838 67
$ Denotes state champion
+ Denotes state placer
By the Numbers: Hernando’s Daniel Pritz Career Stats (2006-10)
– Compiled by TONY CASTRO
RK. CATEGORY TOTAL
1st Career Wins 155
1st Most Regional Titles 3
1st (tie) Most State Placings 3
2nd Most State Appearances 3
2nd (tie) Most District Titles 3
2nd (tie) Career Matches 185
2nd (tie) Career Winning Percentage .838
Final Class 1A State Championship Team Standings/82 teams
PL Hometown-School Points
1. New Port Richey-Gulf (GF) 110.0
2. Live Oak-Suwannee (SUW) 100.5
3. St. Petersburg-Northside Christian (NSC) 89.0
4. Green Cove Springs-Clay (CLY) 87.0
5. St. Augustine-Nease (NEAS) 53.5
6. Tampa-Jesuit (TJ) 52.0
7. Archbishop McCarthy (ARBM) 50.5
8. Orlando-Lake Highland Prep (OLHP) 50.0
9. Crawfordville-Wakulla (WAK) 48.5
10. Orlando-Bishop Moore (OBM) 48.0
Others:
23. Brooksville-Hernando (HER) 28.0
33.(tie) Nature Coast Technical (NCT) 18.0
Hernando’s Class 1A State Tourney Results @ Lakeland
Wgt Name W L Pins PL
145 Pritz, Daniel 4 0 0 1st
152 Pritz, Zach 2 2 1 –
TOTALS 6 2 1 –
Nature Coast’s 1A State Tourney Results @ Lakeland
Wgt Name W L Pins PL
125 Cronin, Scott 4 2 0 5th
140 Lambert, Mitch 1 2 0 –
285 Jarque, Greg 1 2 1 –
TOTALS 6 6 1 –
Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at 352-544-5278 or online at [email protected].
