The recently crowned National
Collegiate Wrestling Association champions are still savoring the
sweet taste of success.
After their heart-stopping 166-163.5 victory over two-time national champion Grand Valley State, the UCF Wrestling Knights finally have some time to look back on the season that was.
Coach Johnny Rouse is no doubt proud that his team won the NCWA title. However, what makes this season a success to Rouse is that the Knights came together to accomplish a goal: This team became a family.
This team doesn't brag. The athletes don't use metaphors of war, or even hold a sense of aggression. Simply put, they're passionate about their sport.
"Over the last two years, the chemistry on this team is something that cannot be defined," said Rouse, who was also named NCWA "Coach of the Year." "I mean, these guys live and breathe each other and are each other's support base. I don't see any one person or persons who don't form the same camaraderie. If I was to teach a lecture on how to create the chemistry we have, I'd be at a loss for words."
Rouse explained that the there were two main turning points during the season that ultimately led to the team's commanding performances.
The first took place shortly after winter break ended. It was early January and the team had finished a sub-par performance at the Lone Star Duels.
"We had our 157-pound guy home sick, and the rest of the tournament didn't go as we would have liked it," Rouse said. "When we got back, the team met and talked. We lit a fire under us. From that point on we were in attack mode."
The second turning point of the season came in the form of a mobile camper. With no money to fly the players to Pennsylvania, the team elected to rent a camper and take a road trip. The coaches and nine wrestlers headed to the Ron Morrow Tournament in mid-February to face the stiffer competition of the Northeast.
Undaunted, the Knights prevailed by sweeping the finals round, winning 6-of-6. UCF never looked back from this point on and rode that momentum all the way to the national championship.
Heading into the season, Rouse believed he had a top-four squad that could reach the pinnacle of collegiate wrestling. Since 2002, UCF wrestling has been on a steady climb in its performance. The Knights finished eighth overall in 2002. They jumped four spots to fourth in 2003. Assistant Coach Scott Sherman attributes the team's continued success to focus and perseverance.
"This is an outstanding group of men," Sherman said. "They are up every day busting their humps. We travel a lot and all these guys give it 110 percent. They managed to perform at a high level and still keep up excellent work in the classroom. This is a classy group of guys."
Todd Hauser, champion of the 197-pound weight class, was the member of the squad who sealed the championship for the Knights. With his pin, the Knights knew they had secured victory. The point total put them two and a half points ahead of Grand Valley after the Lakers had already finished their matches for the day. Hauser credits a lot of his success to his teammates.
"We all look out for each other, we're brothers," Hauser said. "After the match, I immediately looked to the sidelines. I knew we had it."
Jason Ruberg, who won the championship of the 184-pound weight class, claimed that his expectations going into the new season were fervent. He felt that they were better than their fourth-place finish of their previous campaign. After the Lone Star Duels, Ruberg noticed a 180-degree change in the team's performance and intensity.
"Coach just kept preaching to us 'just worry about your match, everything will fall into place,'" Ruberg said. "We really took a hold of our coach's philosophy. Our coaching staff has always instilled in us 'Great individuals make up a team of champions,'"
It is obvious from the attitudes of the staff and players that this group is special. No more than two weeks after winning the championship, the team is already in the gym preparing for next season.
Indeed, this team has everything it takes to defend the title. The spirit of the team and camaraderie built over the last two years is something every team should aspire to. The UCF Wrestling Knights are everything that is right about sports.
