St. Cloud, Harmony should duel for OBC championship again

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Not much new in Osceola County boys weightlifting for 2012.

Perennial powers Harmony and St. Cloud figure to fight it out for the Orange Belt Conference championship again.

Both teams may send several qualifiers to the Class 2A state tournament in Kissimmee, as well.

St. Cloud

Coach Cory Aun believes he has the makings of an eventual championship team at St. Cloud because of good depth and emerging talent.

“We have quite a large team with over 80 lifters, but only six or so are seniors,” he said. “We have six or seven guys who can make a run at qualifying for the state meet, and one or two that will score points there,” he said.

Junior Austin Ocasio (219) returns after qualifying for the state meet as a sophomore and Hans Schroeder (183), a junior, should be a contender at the state meet after qualifying last season.

Senior Dustin Longstreet (129), junior Waylon Sheirer (139) and newcomer Eric Pfeifer (169), another junior, all have state meet potential, Aun said.

Another potential state qualifier is junior heavyweight Ryan McFee.

“He’s made huge improvements in his clean and jerk technique and will have a great shot at making the state meet and possibly placing,” Aun said. “We have huge depth. If this team sticks together, they have a chance of doing some damage at the state meet in two to three years.”

Aun said Harmony remains a huge obstacle in the OBC race.

“It’s going to be a dogfight with us and Harmony again,” he said.

Harmony

The defending conference champion Longhorns again will be an OBC favorite under Coach John Wallauer.

The Longhorns (93) won their first match of the season over Osceola (31), Gateway (17) and Liberty (15). Last week, the Horns nearly upended 24-time state champion Spruce Creek at a three-way meet at St. Cloud. Spruce Creek won, 68-58.

“It would have been great to beat Creek, can you imagine a team from Osceola (County) pulling it off?” Wallauer said. “I feel sick we came so close. We have Bartow coming up. It would be really nice to beat (Bartow) since they are the three-time defending state runner-up.”

Austin Tapp, a state qualifier last year, broke school records for bench press (295) and total lift (535) at 154 pounds and Phillip Laird benched 320 and totaled 595 at 183 pounds at OHS. Laird upped his total lift to 600 pounds against Spruce Creek, placing second.

Wallauer believes the team can send a half dozen or more lifters to the state meet next month in Kissimmee.

Among the contenders after Tapp and Laird are Hunter Perkins (139), Jacob Purcell (129), Glen Hughes (183), Riley Nicholson (219), Devin Christiansen (219) and heavyweights Terry Akers and Ryan Meyers.

Among others competing for the Horns are Ty Demeter (119), Jacob Purcell (129), Austin Poff (169), Colton Keene (199) and Austin Wright (238).

Osceola

Coach Doug Nichols takes over the team and has a pair of solid lifters in the upper weight classes in Randy Brown (219) and heavyweight Reggie Turner.

Liberty

The top lifters for Coach David Benson include Emette Quiambo (169), Caleb Lucien (199), Jorad Joseph (238) and Jesus Fisher (238).

Celebration

Coach Ben Aarestad has several good returning lifters as well as a few newcomers.

Leading the returnees are David Akins (119) and heavyweight Brandon Ashe.

Among the promising newcomers are Miguel Lebron (139) and heavyweight Nick Kritikos.

Poinciana

Coach Joel Campbell welcomes several returning lifters, including football standout Michael Cirino (183).

Hardy Blake (139) and heavyweight Cameron Alcime also should have good seasons, Campbell said.

“This should be a good season,” he said.

Gateway

Coach Marlin Roberts said several of his lifters should contend for conference honors.

They include Derrick Perrera (119) and Wesley Escobar (199) along with Javonny Vega and Jaiquan Owens.