Durant Wrestlers Finish Strong at State Competitions
By Tamas Mondovics
The Durant High School wrestling program, with head coach Dennis Kitko at the helm, may have had a tough season but the program’s recent success during the state championship in Lakeland leaves little doubt about its strength and in the high school wrestling arena. “It has been a long and tough season for us,” Kitko said. “We struggled at the beginning, and it took a while for everyone, but at the end, things did come together.” Hard work, commitment and solid work ethics seemed to have paid off as the Cougars posted a 26-3 team record, which Kitko had no problem being pleased with. “This season ended up as one of our best yet, and I am very proud of the guys,” he said. While state hopeful Alex Hamm fell short of reaching the coveted title, Cougars seniors TJ Davis (152) and Titus Horner (171) reached their personal goal and won first and third place, respectively. Kitko spoke highly of Davis, pleased with the athlete’s state championship title, and praised the young wrestler’s ability to get motivated when needed the most or, as he put it, “Pulling things together at the end.” Horner’s third place win, according to Kitko, is also well-deserved as he posted a strong season. “What Titus was able to accomplish last month was awesome,” Kitko said. One interesting piece of information about the two seniors is the fact that both have only been wrestling for the past couple of years versus a number of their opponents who have been wrestling for years. “That is a big advantage for a wrestler and shows that we are doing something right,” Kitko said while reminiscing about the past eight years of his coaching career at Durant High. For now, the Cougars squad is looking forward to the next season as Florida’s presence on the national wrestling chart grows ever stronger. For more information about Durant High School, please visit www.sdhc.k12.fl.us.
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