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| Volume XXV, Number 3 | February 27, 2004 |
By Kenny Bayon, C.PT
TAMPA — For almost two years, Keith Mitchell Simmons has been on a quest to win a Florida state wrestling championship. Whenever he’s lifted weights, run his shoes thin on the track, or wrestled in practice until near exhaustion, he’s envisioned it all paying off with a Class 2A heavyweight title.
By the end of February, Mitchell, a senior at Brandon High, who won the 2A District title on Feb 14, will either be elated or highly disappointed. If he finishes in the top four of this weekend’s Region 2A Tournament in Titusville, Fla. as expected, he will advance to the state tournament on Feb. 27-28 in Lakeland, Fla.
“ His regional will be really tough,” says Brandon’s Coach Russ Cozart. “He has to face an opponent who is undefeated.”
Even though Mitchell, who finished second in last year’s Class 2A state tournament, is among the favorites to reach this year’s state title match, he is taking nothing for granted.
“Favorites don’t mean anything until you win,” Mitchell said. “I want to just prove it on the mat. Making a mental mistake could stop me.”
Mitchell, who is 30-2, has made few errors this year, whether physical or mental. He entered the season coming off a second place finish at the Ironman National Tournament, arguably among the toughest preseason tournaments in the country. His momentum has continued rolling into the postseason, where last week he won all four matches at the district tournament, including three by pin. He won the district title, for the second straight year, by pinning his championship-match opponent in just one minute.
As well as districts, he won the Hillsborough County Championship the weekend before as he again went undefeated throughout the whole tournament, defeating all three of his opponents the final day. He overwhelmed a so called worthy opponent, pinning him a minute into the first period with a powerful right throw, placing his opponent on his back.
“I feel more skill, strength and quickness [than last year],” said Mitchell, who also played football at Brandon.
“ He’s improved his stamina and condition,” Cozart said. “He’s maturing, and he’s much more aggressive and goal orientated.” Even though Mitchell, Cozart, and many others have high expectation for the heavyweight grappler, Mitchell isn’t succumbing to pressure. “There’s good pressure for him to succeed and do the best that he can – positive reinforcement,” Cozart says. “He’s doing a great job and has a heck of a chance to win.”
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