Interview with Oviedo Coach J.D. Robbins
by Peter Dewey
ITW Exclusive Interview with J.D. Robbins head wrestling coach at Oveido (FL) High School
ITW was fortunate to catch up with Oviedo Head Coach J.D. Robbins as his team prepares to depart for the Lone Star Duals. Even in a short conversation it is obvious that Coach Robbins has great passion for and dedication to the sport of wrestling. With his wrestling roots in California and after coaching at different levels for many years, Coach Robbins took over the Oviedo wrestling program 5 years ago when his oldest son Jason was a freshman.
The Oviedo program went from 55th ranked to 5th ranked in a year. Credit to Coach Robbins but also credit to Jason Robbins who graduated last year an undefeated 4X state champion, 196-0 (113 pins). Jason is now the starting 141-lber for Arizona State and Oviedo is two-time defending State Champs in the highest classification in Florida.
ITW: Why attend Lone Star Duals? JDR: It’s because of the quality of Texas wrestling. I have watched Texas wrestling in national events for years (Fargo, Junior Duals, Cadet Duals, Senior Nationals) and it has astonished me how far Texas wrestling has come in the last few years. I want competition and by bringing my team to the Lone Star State I’m confident I’ll get what I’m looking for. I believe improvement during the season is more important than wins and losses [although Oviedo hasn't lost a dual meet in two years].
ITW: What do you think about Bishop Lynch? JDR: Getting to wrestle B-L would be an added bonus but not the reason for attending LSDs. B-L has an extremely tough line-up through 152. Our chances depend on getting pins from 160 – 275 and staying off our backs against the B-L studs. The program will only get better if they continue to get kids from Team Monday. Hey, I’ve got to take these matches one at a time. Shawnee OK worries me. They are dangerous with OK ranked wrestlers at a few upper weights where we have ranked wrestlers. If my guys think we can coast into the finals against BL we’ll be watching from the stands. This year’s team on paper is not as strong as last year’s version (3 Fargo AAs to 6 last year) and can’t afford to take any one for granted.
ITW: Do you scout? JDR: Yes, or at least we have coaches that do that. It is not so much to let the wrestlers know who they might face but to be able to look for opponents’ tendencies to better coach my wrestlers if certaim matchups do occur. But in this Internet age, and with websites like ITW, the kids are finding out on their own what kinds of wrestlers will be at the tournaments they attend. We certainly know about a number of the BL kids – they are hard to ignore.
ITW: Is your team healthy? JDR: We have Jesse Robbins back but it looks like injuries are going to keep 2 starters out of the lineup. We’ll adjust. No excuses.
ITW: How does your team prepare? JDR: The season is a process. It culminates at State. Everything between now and then is about making ourselves better. LSD enables us to get better – win or lose. We look forward to the challenge. We want the kids to work on their fundamentals, be tough, stay focused. The rest takes care of itself.
Additional story on Shaler (PA)
PG North: Shaler wrestling team looking forward to tough opposition in Texas
By Ken Wunderley, Tri-State Sports & News Service
The Shaler Area High School wrestling team will be spending the weekend in Arlington, Texas, at the Lone Star Duals, a 24-team tournament that is celebrating its ninth anniversary.
“We went to Pensacola, Fla., for the Dawg Duals last year, but didn’t get as much competition as we would have liked,” said Shaler coach Rick LaFerriere. “We won six of seven matches in Florida, but ended the season with a 14-10 record.”
With that in mind, LaFerriere and the Shaler Boosters Club started looking for another tournament during the off-season.
“We found the Lone Star Duals on the Internet and they needed a few more teams,” said LaFerriere. “When we checked everything out, it was actually a little cheaper than going to Florida.”
The team, which left for Texas this morning, had to raise more than $7,000 for the trip.
“The school is paying for our entry fee and providing a bus to and from the airport,” said LaFerriere. “We are paying for the rest of the trip through fundraising.”
With two nationally ranked programs, the Lone Star Duals organizers are saying this is the best high school field in their nine-year history. Texas’ Bishop Lynch is ranked No. 10 in the country by Amateur Wrestling News, while Florida’s Oveida is No. 20.
Bishop Lynch will most likely move up in the next set of rankings, after finishing fourth out of 87 teams at the Beast of the East Tournament, which is considered the strongest scholastic tournament in the country. And Shaler is in the same pool as Bishop Lynch, and its coach Kenny Monday.
“There are four pools with six teams in each,” said LaFerriere. “We wrestle every team in our pool on Friday, with the top two teams in each pool advancing to the second day of competition to determine the top eight finishers.”
LaFerriere likes the idea that Bishop Lynch has “one of the country’s best lineups from 103 to 152.” He wants to see how the Titans twins Matt and Nick Nelson do against Bishop Lynch. Matt Nelson is expected to face Luke Silver, while Nick Nelson will go against Luke Ashmore. Both were runners-up at the Beast of the East Tournament.
Joining Shaler and Bishop Lynch in Pool D are four other teams from Texas — Austin Bowie, E.P. Franklin, South Grand Prairie and Friendswood.
“They are also holding a junior varsity tournament and a college tournament at the same venue,” said LaFerriere. “Unfortunately, we don’t have too many JVs.”
In fact, Shaler will not be able to fill a full lineup.
“In Texas, they have 15 weight classes, with 180 being their other weight class,” said LaFerriere. “We don’t have anybody at 103 and 180. And we might not have a heavyweight. [Kevin Gray] got dinged up at the Powerade Tournament over the weekend and may not be able to wrestle.”
Shaler finished 17th at last week’s Powerade Christmas Tournament. The Titans had only two place-winners — Matt and Nick Nelson.
Matt Nelson placed third at 130 pounds after being pinned in the first round by Greensburg Central Catholic freshman James Fleming. Nelson then won seven consecutive bouts in the consolation bracket to finish third, while Fleming failed to place.
“It was a super shock,” said LaFerriere, who plans to retire at the end of the season. “Matt was leading, 5-4, and tried to hold the lead, instead of wrestling aggressively, and it cost him. He made a mistake and got decked. Matt walked off the mat and admitted to me ‘that was embarrassing.’”
In the consolation final, Nelson posted a 3-1 victory against Solon’s Kevin Hardy, a two-time Ohio state champion who was seeded first.
Nick Nelson advanced to the 140-pound final, where he faced Connellsville’s Ashtin Primus, a two-time Powerade runner-up.
“It was a great match, despite the fact that neither was in end-of-the-season condition,” said LaFerriere. “Nick made a couple mistakes and Primus took advantage.
Nelson scored a takedown with 0:36 left to take a 5-4 lead, but Primus scored a reverse with 0:13 left and capped the victory with back points at the buzzer.
“If they meet again, it will be a different outcome,” said LaFerriere. “He learned from the loss and will not make the same mistake twice.”