Neither Would Mind Being Called ‘Winner’

The state wrestling championships are fast approaching and the burning question on the minds of fans is, how the heck do you pronounce Kucukkoseoglu?

Poway is loaded and almost a shoo-in for the team title; Brian Moreno of Santa Ana Foothill is chasing a third consecutive state title and Bakersfield’s Jake Varner has pinned just about every opponent he has faced this season, yet their opponents have nothing to fear compared with public address announcers Sandy Stevens and Ramon Hendricks.

That’s because the way brothers Arman and Herman Kucukkoseoglu of Chino Hills Ayala have been wrestling lately, their names are going to be mentioned often Friday and Saturday in Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.

For the record, the proper pronunciation is koos-UK-uh-SO-loo.

“I get asked about it just about every time someone sees it,” Arman said. “Not too many people even try to guess how to say it.”

Said Herman: “It’s 13 letters and you can’t make any kind of English word out of them. People just call me Herman K.”

The name is Turkish Armenian; the wrestlers are full-blooded outstanding.

Arman, a senior, is ranked No. 2 in the state at 189 pounds. He won the Southern Section Masters title Saturday and was fourth in the state finals at the same weight last season.

Herman, a junior, finished second in the Masters and enters the state tournament unranked in the top eight in the 171-pound class. His only loss at the Masters was to Jimmy Stormo of San Jacinto, ranked No. 2 in the state.

Their success in wrestling is surprising, considering neither gave the sport a second thought until they entered high school. Their father, Ara, played soccer at the national level for Turkey and then professionally in Germany.

Arman went out for football as a freshman and was hesitant when wrestling Coach Terry Martin suggested he give wrestling a try, but it took only a few days to persuade him.

He gave up football and now wrestles exclusively. When he won at Masters this year, he became the first wrestler from Ayala to win consecutive titles.

“I really liked the one-on-one competition,” he said. “It’s just you out there. You don’t have to rely on your teammates.”

Even as his brother started wrestling, Herman had no interest. He wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and play soccer, which is in the same season as wrestling. Martin persuaded him to come out a few times, and Herman found he liked it.

“I never thought too much of wrestling,” he said. “I was a soccer player all my life, but I went to give it a try and I was pretty good at it.”

Herman still plays football. He started last season as a defensive lineman and also played fullback and punted. He still likes to dabble in soccer too but says he has become addicted to the demands of wrestling.

“Right now, it’s my No. 1 committed sport,” he said. “It’s all about character and heart, which are my strengths. I’m going to the state meet because of all the work I’ve put into the sport this season.”

Herman, as a junior and an unranked wrestler, has less to lose. Arman says he is feeling some pressure this year because it’s probably his last in the sport.

As a sophomore, he broke a vertebra in his lower back and the injury went undiagnosed for several weeks. He has wrestled through pain the last two seasons, suffering occasional numbness in his legs, cramping and an uncomfortable tingling in his back.

Doctors have advised him to stop wrestling after high school.

“That was really hard to hear,” Arman said. “But I have to do what’s best for my future. When I’m on the mat, I don’t really think about it too much. Sometimes, I have to change my style a little, but that’s OK.”

Arman’s biggest challenge is Varner. Bakersfield’s 189-pounder is ranked No. 1 in the state and is generally considered the top wrestler. He has pinned Arman in their two previous meetings this season. The two would meet in the final of the bracketed tournament if both made it that far.

“I can’t really think about it,” Arman said. “If we both get that far, then I’ll think about it and I’ll approach it like every other match. Anything can happen at state.”

A Kucukkoseoglu victory over undefeated Varner would be a major upset, and fans love to see upsets. The always-vocal crowd at the state championships most certainly would cheer wildly.

Just don’t expect anyone to chant his name.