From the roaring crowds of sold-out arenas to the sidelines of a high school lacrosse field, Larry Brannon has traded in his wrestling tights for a coach's whistle. The former WWF star, known to fans as the villainous "Vito DeNucci," is now in his eighth season leading the Park Vista girls lacrosse team, bringing a champion's mindset to a whole new game.

While the sport may look different, Brannon sees a shared thread of toughness. "In theory it’s not as physical as the boys but it’s very physical," he insists. "There’s a ton of contact. They knock the crap out of each other on a regular basis." He laughs off the notion that girls lacrosse is no-contact, pointing out the fast pace and the sting of a hard rubber ball. It's a mentality forged over 12 years in the ring, and it's paying off: his Cobras finished the regular season 9-3, earning the No. 1 seed in the District 15 2A tournament.

That mental edge is now channeled through his players, like top scorer Brooke Ybarra and elite goalie Dayana Perez. The team knows all about their coach's legendary past, where he perfected moves like the "Veg-O-Matic" and took bumps to make the heroes look good. "It’s a tough, tough business," Brannon reflects, his body bearing the proof with lost disks he describes as "shrapnel."

But that resilience is his greatest coaching tool. As Park Vista prepares for its playoff run with a first-round bye, the team is led by a man who understands that victory isn't just about skill—it's about the grit to get back up, whether you're in the squared circle or on the grass field.