Sacrifices Pay off for Moody With State Title

By Blake Hasenzahl

The Ledger

LAKELAND | Nothing could stop Lake Gibson wrestler Skyler Moody from his dream of becoming a state wrestling champion.

 

Not two shoulder surgeries. 

 

Not having to cut more weight than anyone on the Lake Gibson roster throughout the season. 

 

And Moody was sure that Barron Collier's Tanis Taylor wouldn't get in his way either. 

 

Moody routed Taylor 9-1 in the Class 2A, 113 pound state championship bout on Saturday night at the Lakeland Center to claim his first state title.

 

But the road to get to the top of the podium has been anything but easy for Moody, who started his high school career banged up.

 

He tore his rotator cuff as a freshman and missed half the season after having surgery and then tore ligaments in the same shoulder and had to sit out a large portion of his sophomore season because of another procedure over the summer. 

 

This season he gave up a lot outside of wrestling to put himself in a position to be successful. 

 

He had to run every night after practice to cut weight, gave up all fast foods and even time from playing in his band and hanging out with his friends to make sure he could compete at 113 pounds. 

 

"This whole season I ate, slept and breathed wrestling," Moody, a senior, said. "All so I could get to this title."

 

His training included a five-mile run before school, a short run before practice, a grueling practice, another run at night. And then, Moody hit the weights.

 

"He gave up a lot to get here," Lake Gibson coach Daniel Walker said. "I'm not sure anyone will understand how much. But it paid off."

 

Following his match on Saturday, Moody looked exhausted. When other champions ran into coaches arms and fell to their knees, Moody stood at the middle of the mat with a smile on his face. 

 

After the match? 

 

He leaned against the cold concrete wall waiting for his medal … With one thing on his mind: Food.

 

But all of that work finally paid off for Moody, who placed second at states his sophomore season and fourth last year.

 

"There is a lot of relief that comes with this but a lot of anxiety about what will come next," Moody added. "Don't get me wrong, this is a big thing. But there are bigger things out there. Everything is a stepping stone, districts then regionals and now states.

 

I have to win so I can get my education. It's all about getting that future. Colleges want the champs."

 

Moody was one of two champions for Lake Gibson at the finals. Brandon Jorge also won a title for the Braves. Four other Polk County wrestlers also placed in the top six. Lake Gibson's Chase Krutzky finished fifth at 145 and Devante Terrell, a heavyweight, finished in third place in Class 2A. Robert Thornton of Winter Haven, also a 2A heavyweight, took sixth. 

 

In Class 3A, Alec Nutting, who competes at 220 pounds, came in fourth place. 

 

Terrell's final match featured his favorite thing about wrestling: Throwing people

 

"I love it. Throwing people is my favorite thing to do when I wrestle," Terrell said. "I think I threw about half of the people I wrestled this season."

 

Nutting came into Saturday still with a chance of winning a title but fell to William Ford of South Dade, 10-6.

 

"I put myself in a bad position during the match. The kid was a good wrestler," Nutting said. "I don't think I panicked but he was able to do what he wanted and he controlled the match, and I didn't."

 

Once Ford got a large lead early on he was able to wrestle defensively and got called for stalling. But it wasn't enough to give Nutting a victory.

 

"I really wanted to win. I really wanted a state title," he said. "I improved you can't argue with that. It's a tough class."

 

Thornton got off to a hot start by winning his first two matches but fell by pin early to John Dreggor of Springstead. He then lost his next match two matches to take sixth.