Cosby High School helps county wrestling move on up
By Jerry Reid CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Cosby High School's Mike Birnbaum (left) drives hard against a Midlothian High School opponent.

Wrestling is an enigmatic sport. It combines athletic ability with strategy. Quickness and size are equally as important. Speed and moves, big and small, are needed. And possibly for many high school programs in the Central Region, the enigma is finding enough committed wrestlers to clear the last hurdle… to get the job done at the State Championships.

The trend is changing, though. Chesterfield County is beginning what promises to be an upward swing. For Cosby's Dominion District title winners and Thomas Dale's breakthrough Central Region champions, the new and the old are combining to help put the area on the wrestling map.

Only a second-year school, Cosby's Titans got an early title, showing a promising future. Thomas Dale, celebrating 100 years as a school, has won three Central District crowns in a row. The Tim Persing-led Knights finally captured the Central Region top spot recently, after 18 long, yearning years. A balanced effort led the Knights all last season, and Patrick O'Brien was fourth in 189 at States.

Dominion District champions (from left) Anthony Delano, Christian Evers, Mike Birnbaum and Coach Michael Stefanko.

But for the new kids on the scene, Cosby Titans coach Michael Stefanko is bringing his full load of experience to the table.

"I went to Hampton High School, and actually I didn't start wrestling until I was a freshman in high school. I was playing football, and my coach was also the wrestling coach, and he wasn't much of a wrestling coach in the first place… he just wanted to have a full team," Stefanko recalled wryly.

Once in the fold, Stefanko gave up baseball and went at wrestling full-tilt. Football was still in the mix, though. He played the gridiron game at Randolph-Macon College.

"They didn't have a wrestling team. I got out of it (wrestling) for a few years. After college and while at Meadowbrook High teaching biology, football and wrestling coaching positions opened up," said Stefanko.

After four years teaching and coaching, Stefanko moved to Clover Hill High School and logged eight more before seeing the opportunity Cosby presented.

"I've jumped back into it with both feet and really enjoyed it," he concluded.

And now that his feet are planted, how does Stefanko see this area stacking up against the schools in the rest of the state?

"The biggest thing around here is we don't have middle school wrestling. The Virginia Beach area, some Northern Virginia and even around here in Henrico and Hanover… they all have it. Those kids usually start wrestling as sixth-graders. Most of the kids I've gotten come out as ninth-graders, or if I'm lucky I might get them as eighth-graders. So, we're at a disadvantage early in their careers because they don't have mat time," he reckoned.

Without that jump-start, "It's a totally different level when we get up there," Stefanko said of the state level. He and others schedule as many out of area matches as possible to get the wrestlers prepared for the talent and pressure that lurks in the other corners of the state.

According to Stefanko, Chesterfield County's six-year drought in state wrestling title winners is going to be swept away and soon. One of those ninth-graders is Mike Birnbaum (160 lbs.), winner of the individual title in districts. He and Christian Evers, along with Anthony Delano, led the Titans.

Mike is a true believer in wrestling, and a kid who gives back while playing three sports. He's got football, and then there's wrestling, then there's baseball, plus he tutors, studies and maybe socializes.

He also likes his wrestling coach. "I think he's great. He's one of the best coaches I've ever had. I've learned a lot from him… I've learned tons," said Mike.

He likes the challenge of the physical side of wrestling. "The endurance and conditioning your body… sometimes you'll get four or five matches per day. It's a lot different from two hours of baseball or football," he said.

As a linebacker in football, catcher in baseball and onto the mats, Mike has put himself in the thick of the action. And away from sports? He's put himself out there, too.

"There's a club called the Varsity Club at school. We tutor elementary school kids once a week. I've got a kid I work with; he's a fourth-grader. He's got leukemia, so he's out of school a lot. I try to help him a lot," Mike stated.

The Central Region has the heart and soul to get some statewide respect in wrestling. But even if they don't win a title, many of these athletes are winners any way you cut it.