Springstead’s Russo to wrestle for D-II Coker
There’s always been a fine line between success and failure.
Until Feb. 18, 2012, no Hernando County athletic program had ever held the distinction of earning state championships in back-to-back seasons.
That landscape was altered in Polk County when Springstead claimed its second Class 2A state championship in wrestling at The Lakeland Center.
A year later, the Spring Hill-based Eagles soared up and above that plateau behind their ridiculous third straight 2A crown on the mats, out-touching Lakeland-Lake Gibson and Boca Raton-Olympic Heights at the finish line.
Interestingly, besides coach Sal Basile, only four Hernando County grapplers hold the distinction of being associated with those three stellar Eagle mat squads: juniors Jordan Rivera and Corey Humphrey, and seniors Stephen Pavao and Joe Russo.
Of that quartet, Rivera and Pavao were both three-year starters and earned their third glossy state championship ring.
Two-year starters Humphrey and Russo each earned two championship rings.
Russo, a two-time state qualifier, effectively rode the strength of those title runs to sign a national letter of intent to compete next season on the mats for the Coker College Cobras in Hartsville, S.C.
The Division-II Cobras’ campus is approximately 500 miles and eight hours north of Springstead’s Mariner Boulevard campus.
After being an integral part of the 33-year history of the North Suncoast’s most dominant mat program at Springstead, the 19-year-old Russo carefully whittled his choice of college to Luther College in Illinois and Coker.
“I think the biggest reason why I chose Coker was it was a first-year program,” declared the 5-foot-9, 155-pound Russo. “If I win my wrestleoffs (mostly likely at 149 pounds), then I’ll be on the team that steps on to the mats for the first time. Being a part of something at the ground level really appeals to me.
“To me, South Carolina wasn’t that far away,” pointed out Russo. “While I visited the campus, I met with the coaches and toured the campus. The wrestling room was bigger than our facilities at Springstead. Even though it’s a first-year program, we have our own gym.”
On the coach’s sales pitch, “Coach didn’t beat around the bush; everything he talked about, he showed me,” recalled Russo. “He emphasized that if I wanted to get off on the right foot, I needed to follow his summer workout plan to the ‘T.’ He also gave me the school’s code on conduct. It includes a 10-step program for making the team. Yeah, I thought he was genuine and very straightforward.”
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Russo’s parents, James and Nancy Dicono, have called Hernando County home since he was born in Spring Hill. Russo is the middle of five children.
Russo initially participated in sports playing flag football and then tackle football at the recreational level for the Screaming Eagles at Veterans Memorial Park.
Russo recalls playing flag football at 5 years old before gravitating to tackle football. He played mostly safety and cornerback on defense. In his final year, he played running back and wide receiver.
According to Russo, the gridiron love affair lasted for nine seasons. In between, Russo took up taekwondo at Moon’s Academy in Spring Hill.
“Taekwondo taught me not only to respect my family, but also my opponents,” said Russo. “It really helped my flexibility and mental control. It didn’t hurt that I could do cool kicks for my friends.”
Though Russo attended J.D. Floyd K-8, he never played in an organized team sport for the Dolphins.
Before matriculating to Springstead, Russo attended an early freshman orientation and visited with Springstead mat mentor Eric Swensen. That chance visit changed his life.
“Coach Swensen knew my brother. He said he was natural at wrestling and that I could be, too,” recalled Russo. “I started wrestling on Tuesday and Thursday nights (for the Spring Hill Club Wrestling) – that’s when I got hooked.”
Upon his arrival at SHS, Russo clung to one ambition – competing fulltime for the Eagles.
The problem was the Eagles talent was spread throughout the room. To earn a starting spot Russo had to wade through the rugged Eagle practice room.
“In my first two years I had to go through guys like Virgil Toms, Nick Soto, Sammy Colon, Sean Redman and Cody Ross,” recalled Russo. “I didn’t mind it; I gave full respect to the guys in front of me. I just got my tail kicked in every day. I knew I had to wait for my turn.”
Across Russo’s first two years, he competed in nine varsity matches compiling a pedestrian 4-5 won-lost mark.
Things changed after the 2010-11 season – after SHS claimed its first state title.
“After my sophomore year, a spot in the lineup opened up for me, but no one knew who I was,” said Russo. “I wanted to show the guys what I was capable of doing. It helped that I got better even though I was getting beat by the toughest guys in our room.”
As a junior, Russo turned heads by notching a 34-11 campaign capped off by his initial visit to the FHSAA Finals in Lakeland.
“Psychologically, that first trip to states did wonders for me and my confidence,” recalled Russo, who followed up with career-best 42-10 slate in 2012-13. “When I went back there this year, I knew being nervous was not an option. My goal all along was to finish in the top three – anything less was unacceptable.”
But due to the critical draw, Russo tangled with Fort Lauderdale-Stranahan senior Kenny Boyd – one of the state’s finest grapplers – not in the semis or finals, but in the opening round.
A win over Boyd would help propel Russo to the medal podium. Boyd, however, had other plans; he decisioned Russo, 4-2.
“That loss messed with my head,” described Russo, who eventually was ousted from states with a 1-2 slate. “I thought I earned my points and that the ref handed him his.”
As the first day melted into the second at states, Russo kept blaming himself.
“I felt personally responsible for us not clinching it,” recalled Russo. “States boiled right down to the wire before we finally won. I’ve never been more relieved.
“Some people thought we were lucky, not me,” stated Russo. “Go to anyone else’s practice and then go to ours. In my prespective, ours is hell. In Sal’s (Basile) eyes, if you survive our practices, you’ll be a state champion – and he’s spot-on. No one has the coaching we have. Trust me, no one works harder than we do. We all deserved this.
On how disappointing it was not to share the third title with Swensen, who relocated to Minnesota last August, he said, “When he left, I felt like ‘Now, what do I do?’ I really wanted Swensen in my corner. I kind of pictured celebrating a state title by jumping in his arms – like everybody else.
“It would have been nice to have him there, but the guy that taught us all the technique was Sal – and he was there.”
Basile had always praised Russo as one of the hardest workers in the SHS wrestling room.
“Sal hit it on the head with his description of me,” detailed Russo. “In practice, I did whatever he asked. Then I’d get to the match and have this mental block. I’d get to tournaments and so many things would run through my head.
“Looking back, in practice I was a very offensive-type guy,” said Russo. “In tournaments, I was more of a defensive-type guy. I didn’t want to lose a quality match on a crappy single-leg or double-leg takedown.”
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Russo, who only participated in wrestling at SHS, explains, “Wrestling took up 90 percent of my spare time,” he said. “My goal was to use wrestling as a means to go to college. In between I wanted to win a state championship. . I didn’t win a title for myself, but I reached my ultimate goal – that’s all that matters.”
Russo will graduate on June 5 with a 2.8 grade point average. His favorite class at SHS is economics. He’s torn between a possible career involving medicine and business.
“My dad is his own boss and I like that notion,” he said. “I like the idea of owning my own franchise. But a part of me also likes zoology. I’m into dissecting animals and learning about body parts. I think that all stems from the fact when I was little that I wanted to be a surgeon. I thought that if I could help heal someone through surgery – that would be the greatest gift of all.”
Before reporting to Coker, Russo took a moment to give thanks.
“I have to thank Coach Sal, Coach Swensen and Coach (Bill) Combs. Without them I never would have been as good as I turned out.
“I have to also give thanks to the guys in the room. This year, guys like Jordan (Rivera), Connor (Ross) and Billy (Swift) pushed me every day in practice,” recalled Russo. “Plus, I owe so much to my parents.
“My mom was squeamish. She could not sit there and watch me, but she always checked out my videos,” Russo said. “My dad videotaped every match. I’d get 300-word essays after each tournament. Sure, he critiqued me and gave me advice. Somewhere in those messages he always said ‘I love you’ a couple of times.”
Russo realizes the challenges ahead of being the first person in his family to attend college.
“It’s a big deal in my family,” noted Russo. “I certainly do not want to let anyone down. I’ve seen too many other kids go off to college and return shortly thereafter to Spring Hill for the wrong reasons – that’s not going to be me.”
On his legacy, “I’d like to be remembered as a funny guy,” detailed Russo, “as a guy who was awesome to hang out with.”
By the Numbers: Springstead’s Joe Russo (2009-13):
– Compiled by TONY CASTRO
YEAR W L .PCT PINS
2009-10 1 3 .250 1
2010-11 3 2 .600 1
2011-12*^ 34 11 .756 13
2012-13*^ 42 10 .808 29
TOTALS 80 26 .755 44
^ Denotes All-County selection
* Denotes state qualifier
