Schools

Brandon's 28th Annual Tony Ippolito Wrestling Tournament Draws 32 Teams

The two-day tournament named in memory of Tony Ippolito, Brandon's first state champion wrestler, is set to begin Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. The Eagles under Head Coach Russ Cozart are competing for the team's 26th tournament crown.

 

Wrestlers from throughout the state are set to visit the school that houses the Eagles Nest.

There, , which traces its legacy to the 1914 opening of the Brandon School, is hosting the 28th Annual Tony Ippolito Memorial Tournament, a two-day tournament featuring the powerhouse Brandon Eagles and 31 additional teams.

Find out what's happening in Brandonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The 2012 tournament kicks off today, Jan. 20, at 4 p.m., with competition resuming Jan. 21 at 10 a.m., with the finals scheduled for 5 p.m.

The school is at 1101 Victoria St., between Kings Avenue and Limona Road.

Find out what's happening in Brandonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Ippolito tournament is named in honor and memory of Tony Ippolito, who died at an early age from cancer and was Brandon High School's first state championship wrestler. The 2011 contest marked the 25th time the Brandon Eagles won the tournament, then in its 27th year.

Representatives of the Ippolito family were on hand last year to distribute awards to the top team finishers. Two Brandon wrestlers, Rossi Bruno and Tyler Liberatore, received the first-ever Ed Gorman plaques for most valuable player. The award is named posthumously for Gorman, who came to Brandon in 1967 and became the area's first full-time dentist, according to Gorman's son, John, who graduated from Brandon in 1983 and wrestled for Coach Russ Cozart. 

The Brandon team, under Head Coach Russ Kozart, is celebrated for “The Streak,” which ended in 2007, with the Eagles first loss in 34 years. The streak stands at 459 consecutive victories and 468 matches without defeat, a high school record for any sport.

But there’s another streak of uncommon achievement for the Brandon High School wrestlers: This year the Eagles are competing for the school’s 12th wrestling state championship in a row.

Joining Brandon are teams from the following schools in Hillsborough County:

Alonso
Bloomingdale
Chamberlain
East Bay
Freedom
Hillsborough
Jesuit
King
Plant City
Robinson
Strawberry Crest
Wharton

Also participating in this year's tournament, are teams from:

Baron Collier
Celebration
Central
Chiles
Columbia
Forest
Ft. Pierce Central
Gateway
Hernando
Liberty
Lincoln
Manatee
North Port
Pasco
Port St. Lucie
Sarasota
Springstead
Venice
Wesley Chapel

______________

COVERAGE FROM LAST YEAR'S TOURNAMENT:


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here