Page 8 SP www.sunnewspapers.net The Sun /Sunday, April 6,2014 WINTER ALL-AREA TEAMS Wrestling Girls weightlifting Today Tuesday Girls soccer Wednesday Boys soccer Thursday Girls basketball Friday Boys basketball Sunday DENNIS FROM PAGE 1 with a pin. He went 40-4 on the season, winning 21 matches by pin, and the final one earned him third place at the Class 2A state championships. "It's ecstatic, I'm not gonna lie. It's the best feeling there is," Dennis said about pinning oppo- nents. "It's like that last stride of your run. You're pushing yourself to your extremes and you just make it and you get that kind of high feeling after- wards. You're exhausted, but you don't care." His pin against Kirce avenged his only defeat at the FHSAA meet, a 2-1 loss to the Ridgeview senior in the second round. Dennis carried that momentum to the National High School Coaches Association meet last weekend, where he won three matches - one by pin to place eighth among high school juniors in the heavy- weight class. In the latest edition of Wrestling USA Magazine that came out last week, he was ranked as the No. 21 heavy- weight in the junior class nationally. Pins do more for Dennis than finishing matches quickly on days when he has a lot of them. They also help out his team. As a co-captain, he consis- tently earned the most points for the Tarpons SUN PHOTO BY JENNIFER BRUNO Charlotte High School's Bucky Dennis gets a kick out of pinning opponents. "It's ecstatic, I'm not gonna lie. It's the best feeling there is." this season, including leading Charlotte to a third-place finish at the Captain Archer Memorial Tournament in December by pinning all of his opponents. The key to Dennis' wrestling success has always been speed. It's no rare sight to see Dennis finishing sprints faster than several of his smaller teammates during practices. "I love being faster than everybody," he said. "When we get into scram- ble situations we're both moving, but I'm moving faster." He also developed quick reflexes as a junior varsity wrestler, something he credits to a season of getting knocked around by the Charlotte state-qualifying heavy- weight before him: CodyWaldrop. The extra speed allows Dennis to stand in the mat and compete with taller, beefier heavyweights. Now, after putting on some added muscle from his sophomore season, when he had 12 pins, Dennis transformed from a state qualifier to one of the top heavyweights in the state. "I'm still not as strong as 70 percent of heavy- weights a lot of them sit there and pump iron all the time, they can bench 500 pounds," HONORABLE MENTION Matt Gjerde (Charlotte), Gannon Abernathy (Port Charlotte), Dominic Schofield (Lemon Bay), Riley Castle (Lemon Bay), Sam Spence (Charlotte), Bobby Caspolich (Lemon Bay), Chris Fritz (North Port), Jeremiah Martinez (Charlotte), Jake Bennett (North Port), Brannon Scott (North Port) Dennis said. "That's not up my alley, but in a different way I can move people in ways they cannot. It's primarily technique, and now that I've got some kick behind it, it just comes together so much more flowingly." No longer a short heavyweight that can surprise opponents with those bursts of speed, Dennis will likely be the favorite to win the Class 2A title next season. Of the six medal winners at February's state champi- onships, Dennis was the only one who wasn't a senior. "Now I'm the guy to beat, but I really don't care," he said. "You can come after me all you want, but it's not gonna stop that I want that state championship. Nothing's gonna change. I'm gonna go at it harder, I'm gonna get better. I want to prove that I should be a three- time state champion right now and that it's just been a work in progress. "It's almost like a need now, I want that title." Contact ah Miller at 941-206-1140 orzmiller@sun-herald.com. ANTHONY TRIPKE North Port. Junior 106pounds Season: Tripke went 50-9 this season, winning a Captain Archer title with three pins and a technical fall. He went on to win a district title and go 2-2 at the Class 3A state tournament. BRODY MANSFIELD Charlotte, Junior 152 pounds Season: Mansfield went 32-11 for the Tarpons after moving in from South Carolina. He won Captain Archer Memorial and District 2A-11 titles and qualified for the Class 2A state tournament. JACK LIPP Lemon Bay. Senior 113 pounds Season: Lipp went 45-11 and won a district title. He was also a regional runner-up, took third place at the Captain Archer Memorial and took a fourth- place medal at the Class 1A state tournament. RYAN DODGE Lemon Bay Senior 160pounds Season: Dodge went 65-9 and won district and regional titles for the Manta Rays. He also took third at the Captain Archer Memorial and fourth at the Class 1A state tournament. ALEJANDRO TORRES North Port. Senior 120pounds Season: Torres went 45-11, winning most of his matches at 113 pounds. He won a Captain Archer title at that weight and took third in his district and region and qualified for the Class 3A state tournament. DAVID TOWERS North Port. Junior 160pounds Season: Towers split time at 160 andl170,went51-7 and set a school record with a seven-second pin at the Captain Archer. He qualified for the Class 3A state tourney at 160, but only wrestled one match due to a broken thumb. DYLAN MOONEY Charlotte Junior 126pounds Season: Mooney went 33-12 and won a district title for the Tarpons. He also qualified for the Class 2A state tournament after placing third in his region, and took fifth at the Captain Archer Memorial. JOSH POLLARD North Port. Senior 170pounds Season: In an inju- ry-plagued season, Pollard went 29-12 and qualified for the Class 3A state meet, where he was one of four Bobcats to make it to the final day of competition. JOHN CRUZ North Port. Freshman 132pounds Season: Cruz was one of two Bobcat medal-winners at the Class 3A state tournament, taking sixth at 132 pounds. He went 49-13, won a district title and was a Captain Archer Memorial runner-up. ROMAN MORALES North Port Junior 182 pounds Season: Morales went 42-9 and won one match at the Class 3A state meet before sustaining a concussion. He also took second at the Buzz Hill Invitational and third at the Bobcats'district and regional meets. DACODA FLENARD North Port Sophomore 138pounds Season: Flenard went 50-7 and won titles at the Captain Archer and District 3A-8 meets. He also qualified for the Class 3A state tournament, where he won one match before sustaining a concussion. MARCUS KIRKLAND North Port. Senior 195pounds Season: In his first varsity season, Kirkland went 41-8, won a district and regional title and took fifth at the Class 3A state tournament. He also took third at the Captain Archer Memorial. TREY HOFF Charlotte Senior 145pounds Season: Hoff wrestled most of the season at 138 pounds and took third in the Class 2A state tournament at that weight. He went 38-7, won a district title and regional title and was a Captain Archer runner-up. RYAN ADAMS Charlotte Junior 220pounds Season: Adams went 26-12 and was the Tarpons'top placewinner at the Buzz Hill Invitational, where he placed second. He also placed second at the Captain Archer Memorial and District 2A-11 meet. rS LOOKING J FOR SOMETHING? Find it in the CLASSIFIED! S N "EA =4j s U N PNEW SPA IEPES- wIww I I Page 8 SP www.sunnewspapers.net The Sun /Sunday, April 6,2014