Wrestling: Dobzanski aims to finish strong

By Phil Anastasia

Every senior in every sport senses the approach of the end of his or her scholastic career.

Bryan Dobzanski is no different in that regard.

But what puts Delsea's sensational senior in such a unique position on the brink of the individual state tournament is that Dobzanski is not just dreading the end of his high school wrestling career.

He is dreading the end of his wrestling career, period.

"Every day it gets a little closer and I get a little more upset," Dobzanski said the other day during a workout in the Delsea wrestling room. "It's hard for me to imagine that I'll never touch the mat again after March 9."

Dobzanski said he would be upset about the pending end of his wrestling career if he was just an average competitor on the mat. He said he's loved the sport since starting out with Delsea's midget program as a six-year-old.

"I took to it right away," Dobzanski said. "I never even tried basketball. It was all wrestling for me."

But what adds another level of poignancy to Dobzanski's realization that his career is coming to a close is this indisputable fact: He's three winning weekends away from establishing himself as one of the best wrestlers in South Jersey history.

He isn't about to walk away from a sport at which he's been merely good. Or even exceptional.

Dobzanski has been dominant. And if he can finish the job -- winning the District 31 title on Saturday, the Region 8 title on March 1 and the state title on March 9 in Atlantic City -- he will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best wrestlers in New Jersey history.

Even as he says goodbye to the sport forever.

"That's what his focus is on -- not just winning but finishing in dominant fashion," Delsea coach Greg Sawyer said. "He's enjoying every last bit of this. He's working harder than ever on his conditioning, on his techique because just winning isn't enough.
"He knows how he wants to go out."

Dobzanski enters Saturday's district competition at Delsea with a career record of 144-8. He needs one more win to break Luke Fedechko's school record.

But with all due respect to Fedechko, who was a terrific wrestler, Dobzanski is seeking to align himself with the most elite athletes in the sport's history in South Jersey.

He is 33-0 this season. He was 42-0 last season, when he won the 220-pound state title. He also won his final four bouts as a sophomore, wrestling back to take third place in the state tournament at 195 pounds.

That means he has won 79 bouts in a row.

But there's more. He has allowed two points this season, both on escapes. He allowed eight points last season, all on escapes. He has not been taken down since his sophomore season.

Two points allowed in 33 bouts as a senior?

Ten points allowed in 75 bouts as a junior and senior?

That's off the charts.

"It's his size and his athleticism," Sawyer said. "That, coupled with his hard work ethic and his great technique. He's just a solid, basic wrestler. There's no fancy stuff.

"Plus, he's just a physical dominant athlete."

The 6-foot-3, 218-pound Dobzanski has signed to play college basketball at Louisville but he might never get there. He's a pitcher with a fastball that touches 94 mph so he could be selected high in the major-league baseball draft in early June.

"I know baseball is my future," said Dobzanski, who already has been visited at home by scouts from around half of the major-league teams.

Dobzanski knows that his wrestling career is nearing an end. In a month, he'll be all baseball.

But he's determined to finish strong, not just to cement his place among South Jersey's best wrestlers but also as an apt sign-off to the sport.

"Day by day I'm getting more upset," Dobzanski said. "It's definitely bittersweet to think it's coming to an end. That's why I want to go out with a bang."

-- Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com

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