Robinson Captures First State Wrestling Title Since 1985

Robinson wrestling coach Bryan Hazard had been preparing for this moment since he was in middle school.

He even wrote an essay about it.

“He said his dream job was to come back and coach his high school wrestling team,” said Kevin Hazard, the state tournament’s announcer and the father of Robinson’s coach.

So when Bryan Hazard, a 1991 graduate, took the state champion’s gold cup in his arms at the conclusion of two days of wrestling late on Saturday night, it was not only the culmination of 15 years of hard work as the Rams’ coach, it was something he dreamed of 26 years ago.

Coincidentally, 1985 was the last time Robinson won a state wrestling title, and also the last time a team from the Northern Region claimed the honor.

“He’s a great coach. I’m just tickled pink,” the elder Hazard said at the end of the meet, which saw five Robinson wrestlers in the finals, and two earn individual titles.

Heading into Saturday night’s final round, the Rams had clinched the championship, but that didn’t mean they weren’t going to push for a handful of wins.

The Rams’ title-winners were junior Brooks Martino at 135, who defeated CJ Jablonski of Cox, and junior Jake Smith, who took the crown at 119. The other Robinson finalists were freshman heavyweight Jake Pinkston, sophomore Dallas Smith at 112 and freshman Jack Bass at 125.

“It’s amazing. It could be one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever had,” Bryan Hazard said. “Besides my own children being born and my marriage, it’s better than any tournament I’ve ever won, because this was a team effort.”

Heading into the weekend, Robinson, with nine team members qualifying for the state meet, was seen as a contender, but Frank W. Cox High School of Virginia Beach was seen as the true favorite.

“(Bryan) really thought it was Cox’s tournament to lose. But (his) kids won every match they had to win,” Kevin Hazard said. The Rams, hosting the tournament, with the banner honoring the 1980, 1981 and 1985 Robinson state champion teams hanging in the rafters, outscored Cox 155.5 to 125 to earn the title.

“Now we get to put 2011 on it,” Bryan Hazard said, his voice hoarse, clutching the champion’s trophy.

And the banner could get some new stitching in 2012, too, as all of Robinson’s finalists will be back next year, and only two  state qualifiers, Wes Jones at 160 and Tim Fitzpatrick at 171, will graduate.

“They’re incredible students, student-athletes. They respect the traditions,” Bryan Hazard said of his wrestlers.

Perhaps one new tradition will be initiated by Martino, who said his first stop after the conclusion of the meet would be Taco Bell. After watching his weight all season, he was looking forward to a splurge.

“It’s the five-dollar touchdown box. It’s got everything you need,” Martino said when asked about his go-to order. “Crunch wrap supreme, crunchy burrito. You’ve got cinnamon twists, a medium drink and a crunchy taco.”

Seriously, though, Martino said that if he is two win a second state title in 2012, he has to treat the next nine months as part of the season, too.

“There really is no break at all. It’s only called the offseason,” he said while posing for photos with the 135-pound bracket.

Bryan Hazard praised John Epperly, the Robinson coach who guided the Rams to those state titles in the 1980s, for instilling in him the coaching philosophy he uses today.

According to Martino, that’s winning the mental game, not just the physical battle.

“You’ve got to expect to win every tournament, no matter what tournament,” Martino said. “… knowing that you can do it, you’ve put in the hard work. So the hard work is going to pay off.”

Winning the title in the Robinson gym was extra special.

“Very rarely do you get to do this in front of your home crowd. This is a family. And these kids are like a family. And this school, as big as it is, is like a tight-knit family,” Bryan Hazard said. “So to win it at home is something pretty incredible.”

Bruins’ Renzi Earns All-State Honors

Lake Braddock’s Rory Renzi was one of two Bruins to qualify for the tournament. His teammate, Jake Sage, wrestling at 140, lost his first two matches and was eliminated. Renzi, a 10th-grader who won his match for fifth place, was knocked from the winner’s bracket by eventual runner-up Jablonski. He won three of his next four matches in the consolation bracket to take home the fifth-place medal.

“I was a little disappointed. I placed fifth last year (at 112),” he said. “I was working on winning the whole thing this year. I just got caught earlier in my quarterfinal match. I wrestled hard this season.”