Brandon’s Grajales, Cozart earn state’s top wrestling honors

Posted Jun 29, 2009 by Adam Adkins

Updated Jun 29, 2009 at 11:21 AM

Brandon High’s Eric Grajales and Eagles coach Russ Cozart have earned the state’s top wrestling honors.

Grajales on Monday was named the recipient of the 17th annual Mr. Florida award while Cozart earned the state’s top coaching award, which are presented by the Florida Dairy Farmers.

It is the second consecutive year Grajales was named the recipient of the Mr. Florida award and the fifth consecutive year the honor has gone to a Brandon wrestler. Grajales, a recent Brandon graduate who will continue his wrestling career at the University of Michigan, finished his senior season 67-0 and won the Class 2A 135-pound state championship. For his prep career at Brandon, Grajales finished 219-0 and as a four-time state champion.

Cozart earned the state’s top coaching honor after leading the Eagles to their ninth consecutive state title (the program’s 20th overall title), one that came in record-setting fashion. Cozart coached a state-record seven individual champions and all 12 wrestlers he took to the state championships in Lakeland placed in the top five, helping the Eagles set a state record with 270 team points.