By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO From left to right: Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School head wrestling coach Joe "Bert" Bertolone, national wrestling champion Javier Rodriguez, and volunteer assistant coach Mike Turner.
SOUTHWEST RANCHES - Javier Rodriguez, a junior at Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School and a Davie resident, won the 143 pound wrestling division at the Brute Adidas National Tournament in April. His win made McCarthy High history: Rodriguez is the first national champion in the school's history. Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO National wrestling champion Javier Rodriguez (center) is pictured on the winner's podium at the Brute Adidas National Tournament, which took place in Independence, Missouri in April.
The tournament took place in Independence, Missouri, where Rodriguez competed in a sixteen man bracket. 
"Javier has had progressively successful years," said his father, Javier Rodriguez, Sr. His son began wrestling on the varsity team as a freshman, was a state qualifier his sophomore year, and placed fourth in the state in his weight division during his junior year before becoming an All American National Champion at the Brute Adidas National Tournament.
"Javier is the hardest working student athlete that we have on our team," said Joe "Bert" Bertolone, McCarthy head wrestling coach. "Javier is the type of student who learns every time he steps on the mat and is very open to being coached and making adjustments in order to improve." Bertolone himself was a two time heavy weight Division 3 national champion at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio and has been the head coach at McCarthy since 2000.
"I like wrestling because you get out of it as much as put in to it. The harder you work the better you can do," said Javier Rodriguez, who first became interested in wrestling when he began high school. "My dad encouraged me to try wrestling because he thought I would be good at it. I tried it and I love it."
