By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

The Kowboy Kup, which brings all of the county’s high school wrestling programs together, gets under way Friday at 1 p.m.

The tournament tentatively is scheduled for the new OHS gym, located at the rear of the campus.

It will be the first event held in the new gym, which is part of the school’s three-year renovation.

The Orange Belt Conference championship will be decided at the tournament when Harmony, Celebration, Liberty, Gateway, Poinciana and St. Cloud join Osceola.

“The OBC is going to be crazy this time. It’s going to be a lot more wide open than it’s been,” OHS Coach Jim Bird, winner of the past five conference titles, said.

Bird said virtually every team is capable of winning the title, although Harmony may be a favorite.

Joining the county squads at the Kup are several of the top programs in the state including Dunedin, Fort Pierce, Flagler Palm Coast, Manatee, Olympia, Jensen Beach and Countryside.

The tournament continues Saturday at 9 a.m.

Admission is $5 per day.

Osceola was eighth at the Cougar Invitational at Plant City Saturday.

Senior Pete Baldwin won the 145-pound championship and won four matches, three by fall. Baldwin (9-0) set the national record for falls (205) at the tournament. He is the county’s all-time wins leader (280) and he is approaching  the national record (304).

Also placing for the Kowboys at the Cougar Invite were Alex Rivera (4th, 130), Trevor Darnell (4th, heavyweight), E.J. Jiminez (5th, 119) and Chris Pagan (6th, 171). Half of the Kowboys’ 10 wrestlers placed at the tournament.

Darnell defeated two state-ranked competitors at the tournament, and Rivera won five matches.

“That was the best tournament Alex has wrestled, and Trevor beat a couple of real tough heavyweights,” Bird said.

Paul Zupofska (140), Wade Ridings (135), Kenny Martin (152) and Dillon Kelly (160) all won at least three matches.

“I watched them over the weekend and they’ve got a lot of good wrestlers. They’re going to be hard to beat,” he said.

The Longhorns placed 15th at the Cougar Invitational under Coach Chris Todd.

The Horns’ Chris Grillo moved up to 145 pounds for the tournament and placed fourth, as did 171-pounder Alex Githens. Matt Vaughan (135) was sixth.

“I think we can do well if we wrestle to the best of our ability,” Todd said. “Each of the county teams have some pretty good wrestlers, so teams are going to trade points. I think it’s going to come down to the unseasoned guys winning matches for teams.”

Celebration tuned up for the Kowboy Kup by beating St. Cloud Friday in a dual, 42-30, the Storm’s first win over the Bulldogs.

The Storm got win from Skylar Lerner (135), J.J. Francis (145), Tyler Phelan (152), Justin Temple (160), Cameron Ward (189), Brandon Guerrero (215), Alvaro Norena (285), Josh Douglas (119).

The Storm then won three matches at Gateway’s Troy Smith Duals Saturday, defeating Astronaut, Freedom and Tampa Alonso.

The Storm lost a 33-32 decision to West Orange and lost to Satellite during the final match.

Douglas won all five matches at 119 and was the Outstanding Wrestler. Francis (145), Temple (160) also won five matches.

Coach Vic Lorenzano saw mostly positives during last weekend’s action.

“We still have to work on some things when we get to the practice room,” he said. “Still, there was much more on the positive side and that is what we are taking from this weekend. We will build upon what we are doing well, and we will work on the areas that need attention.”