Bourne ends memorable season with title
www.rochesterdemocratandchronicle.com
James Johnson • Staff writer • March 10, 2008

When it came time for his son, Bryan Bourne, to wrestle for a state championship Sunday night, Chris Bourne headed to the rafters of the Blue Cross Arena. This is the way it's been of late for the father who becomes so nervous he can barely stand to watch.

"He's got the best coach in the country in (Spencerport's) Bill Jacoutot, so I just get away from it as far as I can and let the coach do the job down there," Chris said. "You can call me superstitious."

You can also call him the father of a 2008 New York state wrestling champion.

Not to mention relieved.

Bryan had come into Sunday night's match with a remarkable wrestling resume that included a 184-20 record and five Section V titles in six varsity seasons. He also won two national championships along the way, but it was the one title he didn't own that gnawed away at him and motivated him.

"This has always been on my list of things to do and I've never been able to do it," he said. "I've always come up short."

The pressure to take care of unfinished business mounted with each victory this winter.

Never mind the proverbial monkey on the back. By the time Bryan took the mat for Sunday's finals he was lugging King Kong.

"I think there's no question he was feeling it," said Jacoutot, who was named national high school wrestling coach of the year earlier in the evening. "When you come here as many times as he did — three previous years — and have not won it and you're now in your senior year, the pressure really builds. You feel this tremendous sense of urgency. That's a lot to put on the shoulders of an 18-year-old, but Bryan proved once again he is a special kid."

That he is. In defeating Fulton's Matt Bogardus, 5-3, in the 160-pound finals, Bryan tossed that big ape off his back once and for all.

Doing it in front of the hometown fans made it even sweeter.

"I think the states being here in Rochester really helped to motivate me to win this thing," he said. "Out of all the things (I've accomplished), this is probably the most special thing that happened to me so far."

His dad would second that emotion.

Chris Bourne was a pretty fair wrestler himself back at East Rochester and Cortland State. The Brockport High athletic director and Section V wrestling coordinator also was one of the driving forces behind the state tournament coming to town for the first time since 1969.

So to have his son win a state title was the perfect ending to the weekend.

"I couldn't have scripted this better," he said. "I'm so happy I can't even explain how I feel."

How about ecstatic, proud, grateful and relieved?

Bryan's win had taken care of some unfinished business not only for himself, but also for his older brother, Mike, who excelled while wrestling for Wayne and Spencerport.

"Mike placed fourth and sixth and Bryan had a fifth, a third and a second in this tournament, so there was only one other spot on that podium to fill," Chris said, smiling. "It's nice to finally have a Bourne climb all the way to the top."

There were some nervous moments on his way to the summit. Bogardus, who entered the match with a 52-1 record, nearly pulled off a reversal toward the end of the third period that would have forced overtime. But Bryan was able to hold on till time expired.

It was the first time the two had met on the mat.

"I didn't want to wrestle him for the first time in the state finals, but it ended up that way," said Bryan, who finished the season 41-0. "He's a great competitor, a great wrestler and he gave me everything I could ask for."

And Bourne reciprocated with more than Bogardus could handle.

"I could see it in his actions this entire season how much he wanted this," Jacoutot said. "He worked and pushed himself so unbelievably hard that it would have been a shame if he had lost in the finals. To be able to cap his high school career in this manner in his own back yard, well, it doesn't get any better than this."