By EDDIE DANIELS
The Tampa Tribune

LAKELAND – Shortly after receiving the tournament’s Russell A. “Russ” Mauger Jr. Mental Attitude Award, Sean Joyce became the first to win four state titles with one coming prior to entering high school. Joyce won titles as an eight grader at Temple Heights (2003) – the first eighth grader in the state to do so - and three with Brandon as a sophomore, junior and now as a senior.
Joyce, 260-9 for his career, joins former teammates David Craig and Cesar Grajales as Brandon’s only four-time state champions for Brandon.

ANOTHER ONE: Seconds after Tampa Baptist seventh grader Clark Glass logged his 103-pound wrestling title with a 4-1 decision over Cody Singletary of Naples Palmetto Ridge, Mike Joyce, father Brandon wrestler Sean Joyce, whispered: “The next David Craig.”
If you need a reminder, Craig, a former Brandon wrestler now at Lehigh University, collected four state titles and went 179-0 in his high school career and just the sixth wrestler in the state to collect four state titles. Those are big shoes, but Glass had other things on his mind – like his first state tournament.
“It was great,” Glass said, admitting to being nervous. “A little, but I prayed to the Lord and asked Him to help me.”
Glass went 4-0, running his record to 41-1. He also becomes Tampa Baptist’s first champion in the program’s first year.
“That David was a special boy in more ways than wrestling,” Clark’s father, Greg, said. “God has blessed him. He gets all the glory.”

LIGHTS, CAMERA…: Brandon is used to having a following when it comes to the wrestling team. Saturday, the Eagles out a whole new spin on the word.
The same production company that introduced the world to the Hoover (Ala.) High School football team will now turn its lenses on the Brandon wrestling team. The crew of three followed each Eagle still competing Saturday and will continue to chronicle the team during the offseason.
The project is slated to air on ESPN.

FIRST TIME: Wharton’s Ben Krcmar not only scored his first trip to the state finals, but he also became the first Wildcat to place in the tournament. His 23-6 major decision victory against Dixie Hollins’ Travis Williams gave him a fifth place finish. Wharton opened in 1997.
The senior ends his final season 25-12 after a 3-2 showing in Lakeland in the tournament.
“It’s an experience of a lifetime,” Krcmar said. He attributed his state placement not only to God, but his work in the wrestling under the tutelage of David Mitchell, also his football coach. “Working as hard as you can in practice, so it can show up later on the mat and always give it your all.”
Middleton’s Moses McCray became the first Tiger to place at state since the school re-opened in 2002 with his sixth place finish.

MORE HISTORY: Wesley Chapel’s Eddie Ortiz (112) and Alex Turner (152) became the second and third wrestlers to place in the state tournament. Before them, Bill Zeranski was the first with his Class 1A second place finished in 2002-03. Ortiz and Turner, who each placed fifth, are the fourth and fifth qualifiers for the school, which opened in 1999.
“If anything, I’m proud for the kids,” Wesley Chapel coach Brian Simmons said. “It at least gives some validation that hopefully the program is moving in the right direction. Hopefully we can build on that ad have more kids come out and keep having return trips back here.”

CHOICES: This is the sixth consecutive season Terry Brockland has had one of his Sickles wrestlers place in the state tournament. This time it was 189-pounder Adam Waymouth, who took sixth. Waymouth now must grapple with the selection of a service academy. According to Brockland, he was accepted to both the Air Force and Naval academies.

OTHER STATE PLACERS: In Class 3A, Bloomingdale had three state placers, with Kyle Paladini (152) and Chris Figari (135) each finishing third, while Austin Figari (125) took fifth. Jesuit, in 1A, also had three, with 171-pound runner-up Matt Lynn and fourth-placers heavyweight Paul Lazaro and Craig Spranger (145).
In Class 2A, Newsome had two with Sam Johnson (189, fourth) and Jordan Scott (215, sixth).
Also in 3A, Durant’s Justin Bechtold (119) took third, while Alonso’s Kurt Ivy (152) finished fifth and Sickles’ Adam Waymouth (189) sixth.
In Class 1A, Tampa Prep’s Tyler Liberatore (103), Robinson’s Ruddy Santiago (152), Gulf’s Tim Longnecker (171) and Hudson heavyweight Travis Tindell each took fifth.

Reporter Adam Adkins contributed to this report. Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214 or edaniels@tampatrib.com.