Pirates freshman wrestler get on top following weight loss

What a difference seven pounds makes.

Wrestling at 113 pounds to start the year, Braden River freshman Brandon Tackett was struggling. The 5-foot-5 Tackett had the experience, having been involved with the sport since he was 4, but couldn't find consistent success this season.

Finding himself with a 6-7 record, he knew something had to change.

His coaches, Nick Balde and Christian Sharbono, suggested he drop to 106 pounds, the theory being he would have a strength advantage. Tackett was game, and the change worked better than anyone anticipated. As of Jan. 25, Tackett’s record is 21-9, or 15-2 since he cut the weight.

Getting to that point wasn't easy. When a wrestler is light to begin with, cutting weight is a challenge. Tackett admitted as much.

“I was having a hard time at first,” Tackett said. “I wasn’t doing it right. I wasn’t eating right. I wasn’t in the right mindset. I was kind of in over my head, thinking that I could do it at 113, when really I was on the small side of things (in that class). I also just wanted to eat.”

“He never got frustrated,” Balde said. “He never got down. He always showed to practice and worked hard. Nothing changed in that respect.”

That changed when he went to the Graves Tournament, a notoriously tough meet, at Brandon High on Dec. 8. He took fifth place at 113, but while watching the 106-pounders compete, he realize he could dominate, using the same advantage the bigger 113 wrestlers used on him. When Braden River took its winter break, Tackett revamped his approach to weight loss and exercise in general.

Tackett ran 41 miles over the two-week break, he said, a sign of his newfound dedication. He decided to cut out carbs completely, including sugar. He misses bread and pasta, he said, but the results are worth the nights without spaghetti. 

Tackett wasn’t alone in making changes. To support him, his family changed its diet with him, also agreeing to cut out carbs. That way, there were no temptations around the house. Dan Tackett, Brandon’s father and a former wrestler, had no hesitations about the change.

“Wrestling season is only a few months,” Dan Tackett said. “We can do it.”

The elder Tackett is not surprised by his son’s turnaround. High school wrestling is filled with athletes from other sports trying to stay in shape. Tackett said wrestlers versed in the technical aspects of the sport, like his son, always find success against those with less experience, as long as their physical prowess is similar.

If Brandon Tackett is going to ride his wave of success to the state tournament, like his coaches and father think he can, he will likely do it with takedowns. Those are his best skill, he said. They were even effective at 113 and he scored takedowns against his opponents in five of his seven losses at that level, then couldn't control them when he was on top. Tackett said he currently is working on his riding skills and not “getting greedy.”

Balde said he is impressed with Tackett’s takedowns, too. His entire team has been working hard on the skill and it has been paying dividends.

Balde also has been impressed with Tackett's emotional strength.

“He never got frustrated,” Balde said. “He never got down. He always showed to practice and worked hard. Nothing changed in that respect.”

There is plenty of time before the state tournament (March 2-3 in Kissimmee) for Tackett to get even better. He may not be getting any dough, but on the mat, he's money.