Lake Gibson's Jorge Earns Third Title; Moody Breaks Through
Sun. February 19, 2012 at 2:45 a.m. | By Solange Reyner
Lake Gibson's Brandon Jorge celebrates after winning the Class 2A state title in the 138-pound division of the FHSAA State Wrestling Finals on Saturday at the Lakeland Center. Jorge finished his high school career with three consecutive wrestling titles for the Braves. (Photo by RICK RUNION | THE LEDGER)
BY SOLANGE REYNER
THE LEDGER
LAKELAND | Before the final wrestling match of his illustrious high school career, Brandon Jorge looked over at his coach, Daniel Walker, and gave him a wink.
He then glanced in the direction of the scorers' table where his older brother, Anthony, was standing off to the left, and winked at him, too.
It was a moment of silent understanding between Jorge, a senior at Lake Gibson, and two of the most important people in his life that he had this state title, his third, in the bag.
He didn't disappoint, claiming the Class 2A FHSAA championship at 138 pounds by pinning Fort Myers Riverdale's Christian Jurney in 1:36.
The first-place finish was the second for Lake Gibson on Saturday at the Lakeland Center. Skyler Moody, who competes at 113 pounds, also won one for the Braves in a strong showing at the state tournament for Lake Gibson, which finished in second place in the team standings behind Springstead.
Jorge, who will compete at North Carolina State next season, finished his high school career as one of the most decorated wrestlers in Polk County.
He's a four-time district champion, a four-time regional champion and only one of two three-time state champs from the area.
Trent Lawhon, a heavyweight who competed for Kathleen in the mid to late 90's, also won three.
On Saturday, though, the spotlight was all on Jorge.
And the pressure was on, especially because this was where he was expected to be: in the finals again.
But the tension heading into the championship match was high.
And Walker noticed it.
"That was the first time I've seen him that nervous," Walker said.
That's because there was so much on the line.
A third straight state title. The first 3-timer for Lake Gibson. The first 3-timer from the Jorge family.
Anthony, a two-time state champ at Lake Gibson could have won a third one his senior year had he not succumbed to a late take down.
But Jorge handled it all swimmingly.
He made it through the state tournament without having to finish a match and pinned Jurney after over a minute of injury timeouts stalled things.
And after it was all said and done, he looked out to the crowd, to his mom and dad and grandparents watching, to his brother and to Walker, and held up three fingers on each hand to indicate what four hard years of work had amounted to.
And it all started on the wrong foot this season.
Jorge, who finished the season 26-0, didn't compete in a full wrestling tournament until mid-January because he was sidelined with a calciated ligament in his neck.
So he rode a bike for three months into the season and rehabbed as much as he could, missing out on tons of mat work all the while.
But then came the post season.
And he turned it on.
Jorge breezed through the county, district and regional tournament. When he made it to states, he told Walker he was going to walk out with another title.
"Of all those kids in that family, he is the most stubborn," Walker said. "So when he says he's going to do something I believe it. When he has his mind set on something he's not going to be denied," Walker said.
Not Saturday. Not with everyone watching.
And Anthony, who hollered and howled throughout the final match "Finish him," "Take him down," will probably be reminded constantly that he isn't the Jorge brother with three state titles.
"I'm going to hear it for the rest of my life," Anthony Jorge said.
"But I wouldn't have it any other way."
And that's nice to hear because it's not often big brothers say nice things.
"Just to know that he thinks of it like that makes it even more special," Jorge said.
