Brandon blocks OHS path to next 3A wrestling title

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Brandon blocks OHS path to next 3A wrestling title

Sports

Thursday, 19 March 2009 03:24

By Rick Pedone
Staff Writer
Even as the Osceola Kowboys bask in the accolades earned for winning the Class 3A state wrestling championship last month, the Florida High School Athletic Association has made the Kowboys’ defense of that title more difficult.
The Kowboys wrestlers have been honored by the Kissimmee City Commission, Osceola County Commissioners and the Osceola County School Board over the past week.
The FHSAA released its revised wrestling districts for 2009-10 and 2010-11 Monday, and Brandon, winner of nine consecutive state championships, will move up from Class 2A to Class 3A where Osceola remains.
Eight-time state champion Homestead South Dade, the runner-up to OHS, remains in Class 3A.
Kowboys Coach Jim Bird said he looks forward to the challenge of competing against Brandon, which holds the nation’s longest wrestling winning streak.
“I’m excited about it, and I think our wrestlers will be, too,” Bird said. “It’s the best level of competition you can have. If we win it again, it will be that much more meaningful.”
Bird said after Tuesday’s appearance before the School Board, his returning wrestlers will get back to work in the wrestling room to begin preparations for the club season.
“We’re going to get back to work,” Bird said. “Instead of needing eight (at the state tournament), we’re probably going to need 12 now (to defeat Brandon).”
The FHSAA also announced its new districts for cross country, golf and swimming. The district alignments are tentative. Members have 10 days to appeal their placement.
The Kowboys wrestlers shift from 3A District 7 to 3A-5 in wrestling, with current district partners Gateway and Palm Bay. Joining the district are Lakeland, Lakeland Jenkins and Palm Bay Bayside.
Brandon escalates to 3A District 6, meaning the Kowboys and Eagles will meet at the Region 2 tournament next year. The top four wrestlers from each regional weight class advance to the state tournament.
While the county’s Class 2A wrestling schools, St. Cloud, Liberty, Harmony and Celebration, won’t have to deal with Brandon, four-time state champion Oviedo drops into their district, 2A-5, with Edgewater, Oak Ridge and new school East River. Harmony moved up from Class A.
Poinciana drops to District A-7 where it joins Kissimmee Christian Academy, Life Academy and several Polk County schools.
There are few major changes for Osceola County schools in the other sports.
Osceola and Gateway remain in Class 4A in cross country, but move to 4A-3 which includes Polk County power George Jenkins and 13 other teams comprised mainly from Polk and Brevard counties.
Celebration, Liberty and St. Cloud are in 3A-7 for cross country that includes 20 schools from Orange, Volusia and Indian River counties. Harmony moves up from 2A-4 to 3A-3, where it is the only team from the Orlando area in an 18-team district primarily populated by West Coast teams.
Poinciana drops from 3A-7 to 2A-4 with 17 schools from Orange and Brevard counties.
City of Life Academy’s girls will participate in A-3 and Life Academy’s boys will compete in A-4.
For golf, Osceola, Gateway, Harmony, Liberty, Poinciana and St. Cloud compete in 2A-16 with five schools from Brevard County. The two-time Orange Belt Conference champion Longhorns move up from Class A and out of a district made up totally of private schools.
Celebration is in 2A-9 with 11 Polk County teams.
The swimming districts are largely the same, with Gateway and Osceola remaining in highly-competitive 3A-3 with 10 Orange County programs. Harmony and St. Cloud remain in 2A-6 with 10 Brevard squads.
Celebration is joined by Poinciana in 2A-7 with 10 Polk County teams.