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Schools

Last Year 'Curse' Lifted, This Year Koziel Wins 2nd State Title

Koziel claimed his 2012 FHSAA Class 3A title Feb. 18 in Lakeland, one of seven Eagles to be crowned state champs en route to Brandon High School's 23rd state title and 12th in a row.

 

With the team title long since under wraps Feb. 18, senior Kyle Koziel was all that remained for the wrestling team to match its seven individual state titles from 2011.

Koziel did not disappoint.

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He jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but his opponent, Aric Fernandez of Liberty, got on top of him and made him really have to work. Fernandez held control until about 20 seconds left in the second round. At that point, Koziel scored a reversal and went on to win the decision 6-1.

It was a sweet repeat for Koziel, who at last year’s tournament ran into his brother’s arms, as Keith Koziel, an assistant wrestling coach at King High School, lifted his brother up in victory.

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In his high school wrestling career, Keith Koziel had made it to the finals five times and had been a runner-up three times. “It got the monkey off my back for sure,” Keith Koziel said at the time his brother won his first state title. Added his brother, Kyle: “I’ve been working my whole career for this, trying to be the first in my family to live the dream."

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This is Koziel's second state title and .

Brandon Patch caught up with Koziel (52-4) after the match.

Patch: How cool was it for you to get your second state title?

  • Koziel: I'm absolutely amazed. My brother was a three-time finalist. For me to have a second chance at one — it's just unbelievable.

Patch: What's going through your head when you line up opposite your opponent?

  • Koziel: I'm really focused. I have confidence in my training, and it's going to pay off. No one prepares and trains like us.

Patch: What is it like wrestling for Brandon?

  • Koziel: It's really different. We're like a family, real close. We win together, we lose together.

Patch: What makes Brandon wrestling so successful?

  • Koziel: The time we put in. We don't stop training. After this, most kids take time off. We don't. We have guys wrestling in Folk nationals, in Fargo coming up.

Patch: What was your toughest match of the tournament?

  • Koziel: I wrestled Spencer Hazen of Lake Mary in the semifinals. I knew he was gonna be tough, strong, and not back down. I barely got by him 1-0.

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