Los Angeles Times
March 3, 2005

HIGH SCHOOLS

Neither Would Mind Being Called ‘Winner’

Kucukkoseoglu brothers could give wrestlers — and those trying to pronounce
name — fits at state championships.

By Peter Yoon, Times Staff Writer

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.