Month: February 2018

3A state meet preview

When & where: Friday and Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. Wrestling Friday starts with weigh-ins at 8 a.m. and the first round at 10 a.m. with first-round wrestlebacks immediately following, and second-round wrestlebacks following those. On Saturday, wrestling begins at 9:30 a.m. with semifinal competition. Third- (blood round) and fourth-round (consi semis) wrestleback competition follows after. Placing-round matches will take placer afterward. Finals are scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Team outlook: I would expect that South Dade should be favored, but Fleming Island will chase hard and could push the Buccaneers for the team title. I would look at Palm Harbor, Wellington, Flagler Palm Coast, Hagerty and Southwest Miami all to be in the mix for top-five team honors.

106
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Luis Peraza (South Dade). 2. Ryan Rowland (Hagerty). 3. Louis Gagliardo (Fleming Island). 4. Chris Difiore (Wellington). 5. Jaekus Hines (Osceola). 6. Jason Wolk (Stoneman Douglas).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Peraza. 2. Rowland. 3. Hines. 4. Christopher Busutil (Southridge). 5. Gagliardo. 6. Difiore.
First-rounders not to miss: Three, all in the top half: Rowland v. Noah Wadle (Manatee); Gagliardo v. Hines; Wolk v. Busutil.
Local outlook —
Gagliardo: With his fourth-place finish at regions, he draws quite a capable region champ in Hines in the first round. Gagliardo has a 3-2 win in hand, but that was back in December. Assuming survival through Friday, he could get a semis rematch with Rowland, with whom he went double-overtime on Rowland’s home mat last week. A finals appearance — and another shot at Peraza, who’s proven tricky to solve in a couple of chances — is not out of possibility.
Trent Burke, Flagler Palm Coast: Is facing Palm Harbor University freshman Mikey Cuttitta, who went 6-2 with Hines last week, so he’s capable. But Burke’s been on a roll of late, and the way he’s been wrestling, a Saturday appearance is in the works.

113
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Gabe Naranjo (Palm Harbor University). 2. Briar Jackson (Fleming Island). 3. Isaac Duran (South Dade). 4. Santiago Portilla (Cypress Bay). 5. John Johnson (Flagler Palm Coast). 6. Michael Goldstein (Spanish River).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Naranjo. 2. Jackson. 3. Goldstein. 4. Portilla. 5. Johnson. 6. Anthony Siplin (Southridge).
First-rounders not to miss: Siplin v. Josh Guerra (Riverview), Johnson v. Jesse Weinberg (Wellington), and Christian Fields (Freedom) v. David Colton (Jupiter).
Local outlook —
Jackson: Path to the final has some interesting things about it, but not impossible things. He would face the Siplin-Guerra winner in the quarters, and possibly South Dade in the semi, where he has a prior win in hand. The results have suggested he’s much more locked in than earlier in the year. Naranjo is a tough out, though.
Johnson: Is more than capable of winning against a solid Wellington wrestler in the first round, but then would face Naranjo in the quarter, and that’s a very tall order. But his path in the second consi quarter is not one he can’t navigate through to a medal.

120
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Bretli Reyna (South Dade). 2. Michael Bush (Sarasota). 3. Raiden Johnson (Coral Springs). 4. Jayden Bradshaw (Boone). 5. Anthony Vitale (Steinbrenner). 6. Ryan Rosano (Oakleaf).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Reyna. 2. Bush. 3. Charles Huffman (Columbus). 4. Rosano. 5. Johnson. 6. Vitale.
First-rounders not to miss: Josue Calderon (Osceola) v. Tony Widrig (Wellington); Reyna v. Dylan Kohn (Hagerty); Bradshaw v. Huffman.
Local outlook —
Rosano: Every time I want to count him out, he proves me wrong time after time, so I’m kind of playing both ends against the middle. I think he’s got a winnable first-rounder, but the quarter against Vitale could be a little complicated, with Reyna waiting in the wings in the semi. A consi rd 2 match with Huffman Friday night would be the crucible. Survive that, and the medal is more real.
Albie Snedaker, Fleming Island: Should have a winnable first-rounder as well (Region 4 has Reyna and Huffman, but isn’t too deep after that), but Bush in the quarters is a very difficult challenge. If Snedaker can get past Kohn Friday night and then Bradshaw Saturday, he’ll have earned a medal.

126
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Malyke Hines (Osceola). 2. Tyler Khawly-Orta (South Dade). 3. Smaill Saint Pierre (Freedom-ORL). 4. Kevin Hernandez (Forest Hill). 5. Daishaun Felton (Miamia Beach). 6. Jacob Sandoval (Fleming Island).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Hines. 2. Khawly-Orta. 3. Felton. 4. Saint Pierre. 5. Sebastian Melguizo (Columbus). 6. Sandoval.
First-rounders not to miss: Melguizo v. Jacob Spray (Strawberry Crest); Corban Arana (Timber Creek) v. Chrisley Accime (Coral Springs); Sandoval v. Robert Saldarriaga (Wellington).
Local outlook —
Sandoval: The only local in the bracket, Sandoval has achieved another level with his wrestling this year. That should be enough to push him through round 1 and possibly the quarter, where Felton awaits. Honestly, I think Sandoval CAN win that match and make the semi, and ensure the medal. He has surprised me all season.

132
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Avery Holder (Flagler Palm Coast). 2. Jaquan English (Fleming Island). 3. Joshua Swan (South Dade). 4. Julian Hernandez (Southwest Miami). 5. Ryan Brown (Lakewood Ranch). 6. Andrew Fletcher (Boone).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Holder. 2. Hernandez. 3. Swan. 4. English. 5. Jaylon Andrews (Kathleen). 6. Brown.
First-rounder not to miss: Hernandez v. Matthew Phillips (Winter Springs).
Local outlook —
Holder: There could be pitfalls along the way, but none that he can’t overcome or hasn’t shown he can overcome. The second quarter has some solid talent lurking in it, between Swan and Brown, both of whom could capitalize if Holder’s less than solid on everything. But since mid-January, Holder has been more than solid on everything, and it should stage up the matchup we’ve seen play out at districts and regions.
English: What do the last two weeks say? Only that winning a state title is hard work, and, that English’s win at region duals was more difficult to accomplish than it looked, because it was his best stretch of wrestling perhaps ever. And it could be duplicated. English has a very tough semifinal prospective matchup with Hernandez. Very tough.

138
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Alex Urquiza (Southwest Miami). 2. Austin Agazarm (Palm Harbor University). 3. Jared Abramson (Wellington). 4. Michael Martins (Flagler Palm Coast). 5. Vinny Sessa (St Thomas). 6. Ethan Woods (Hagerty).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Urquiza. 2. Sessa. 3. Abramson. 4. Martins. 5. Woods. 6. Agazarm.
First-rounders not to miss: Felton Morris (Coral Springs) v. Steven Villalobos (Mater Academy); Brandon VanKampen (Sarasota) v. JJ Contreras (Winter Springs).
Local outlook —
Martins: It’s not a bad draw to the semis and a guaranteed medal for Martins, but the other three in his quarter might be thinking the same thing, so Martins will have to stay on the same point with his attacks that netted him a Region 1 title last weekend. Agazarm, in the semi, would be a tough one.
Dalton Williams, Fleming Island: Could be rough sledding, but so is Williams’ practice room. He’ll have Agazarm in the first round, but could perhaps get past consi rd 1 against Columbus’ David Milton, but Woods likely is going to be waiting there. A Saturday appearance would be an unbelievable weekend.

145
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Grant Aronoff (St Thomas). 2. Devin Kohn (Hagerty). 3. Johnny Lovett (Southridge). 4. Cameryn Townsend (Wellington). 5. Tyler Vitulli (Palm Harbor University). 6. Mitchell Carlson (Steinbrenner).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Aronoff. 2. Kohn. 3. Lovett. 4. Carlson. 5. Kane Vandemark (Miami Palmetto). 6. Vitulli.
First-rounders not to miss: Chase Fuller (Osceola) v. Carlos Matos (Timber Creek); Carlson v. Dominic Isola (Oviedo).
Local outlook — No locals in field.

152
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Brevin Balmeceda (South Dade). 2. Cardeionte Wilson (Miami Palmetto). 3. Gianni Guerriero (St Thomas). 4. Charles Waller (Strawberry Crest). 5. Nolin Eaddy (Osceola). 6. Daniel Haley (Durant).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Balmeceda. 2. Wilson. 3. Logan Perkins (Hagerty). 4. Waller. 5. Bakr Khaleel (Palm Beach Gardens). 6. Ben Asher (Royal Palm Beach).
First-rounders not to miss: Sergio Valdes (Southwest Miami) v. Curtis Brock (Flagler Palm Coast); Haley v. Khaleel.
Local outlook —
Brock: Has a winnable match in the first round, even given that it’s Southwest Miami and Region 4, but Waller, in the quarters, would be a taller order to achieve. Brock’s pulled together quite a nice season in the shadows of his senior teammates, and should be poised to be a leader on the FPC mats next year. Saturday should be doable, a medal possible.

160
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Todd Perry (South Dade). 2. Adrian Vidaud (Southwest Miami). 3. Alex Kiester (Freedom-TAM). 4. James Totten (Palm Harbor University). 5. Jared Fleitas (Ft Pierce Central). 6. Thanks Alcius (Apopka).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Perry. 2. Vidaud. 3. Kiester. 4. Wyatt Forsberg (Oviedo). 5. Fleitas. 6. Totten.
First-rounders not to miss: Vidaud v. Kohl Drake (Newsome); Alcius v. Eric Wilson (Park Vista).
Local outlook —
Jordan Mobley, Buchholz: Has a winnable first-rounder against Wellington’s Ryhan Montes. The road gets tougher from there, with Perry looming in the quarters, but Mobley should be able to get to Saturday. If he can find a road through Alcius in the blood round, a medal would be his.

170
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Paul Detwiler (Fleming Island). 2. Mikaelle Fundora (South Dade). 3. Dylan Whitman (Palm Harbor University). 4. Josh Westberry (Ft Pierce Central). 5. Andy Hernandez (Riverview). 6. Michael Fernandez (Southwest Miami).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Detwiler. 2. Fundora. 3. Justin Segarra (Hagerty). 4. Lee Long (Palm Beach Gardens). 5. Whitman. 6. Brian Santiago (Timber Creek).
First-rounders not to miss: Fernandez v. Mitchell Clark (Seminole Ridge); Trenton Davidson (Strawberry Crest) v. Segarra.
Local outlook —
Detwiler: Like I said a year ago with Jason Davis, everything is all out there for Detwiler to just go out this weekend and take it. Whitman, who was at 182 when Fleming saw Palm Harbor at state duals, is the biggest unknown out there, as Fundora’s two losses were both to Detwiler, both by first-period fall. Time to find out the answers, and I think Detwiler’s got them.

182
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Brandon Dossey (Manatee). 2. Corey Harvey (South Dade). 3. Eric Saber (Wellington). 4. Kendrik Koller (Apopka). 5. Bobby Williams (Winter Springs). 6. Joseph Hatfield (Strawberry Crest).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Harvey. 2. Dossey. 3. Saber. 4. Sammy Bencid (Coral Park). 5. Leonard Wooten (Southridge). 6. Williams.
First-rounder not to miss: Williams v. Hatfield.
Local outlook —
Lawrence Smith-Jackson, Buchholz: Has a winnable first-round match, and then would see Harvey in the quarters. When Harvey’s right, he’s pretty tough, but he’s only had 22 matches this year. If there’s an upset to be had, it could be here. Saturday’s a very real prospect, either way, but a way through Williams would need to be found to get a medal this year.
Wilbur Thomas, Flagler Palm Coast: The schematic didn’t do him any favors, with Dossey in round 1, but there’s a quite winnable consi round 1 match in play, and Saturday’s a possibility, but he’s likely to have to go through Williams or Hatfield to get there.

195
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Anthony Burburija (Countryside). 2. Chase Sharp (Lakewood Ranch). 3. Jessiah Contreras (Winter Springs). 4. Raymond Haverty (Deland). 5. Joseph Fields (Melbourne). 6. Jacob Mason (Palm Harbor University).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Burburija. 2. Sharp. 3. Contreras. 4. Jordi Perez (Jupiter). 5. Fritz Doublas (South Dade). 6. Haverty.
First-rounder not to miss: Mason v. Doublas.
Local outlook — No locals in field.

220
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Ryan Smenda (Fleming Island). 2. Tanner Howe (Lakeland). 3. Matthew Toribio (Cypress Bay). 4. Evan Akel (Riverview). 5. Will Litsey (Lake Mary). 6. Bryan Canedo (Royal Palm Beach).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Smenda. 2. Toribio. 3. Howe. 4. Canedo. 5. Kenneth Crouse (South Dade). 6. Litsey.
First-rounders not to miss: Akel v. Crouse; Canedo v. Michael Handy (Apopka).
Local outlook —
Smenda: We get one last weekend with this hellacious athlete before he heads off to our TV sets on Saturdays and (eventually, I think) Sundays in the fall. He’s got a good quadrant to move through, should have a solid test from any one of three different kids in the semi and then either an experienced Howe or Toribio on Saturday night. This group isn’t like the groups he had to fight through two years ago at 182 and there’s no Gittman-level kid like last year. Even with only slightly more than half a season, Smenda’s the Gittman-level kid this year.
Leo White, Robert E. Lee: White has been the surprise candidate of District 1 just to get out to this stage of the post-season series. I haven’t seen him wrestle — which, given that it’s Lee, is a surprise — and while I have him making a Friday appearance only, I would have to say I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him win a match, maybe even his first-rounder.

285
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Trayvonne Jackson (South Dade). 2. Jordon Earle (Forest Hill). 3. John Moran (Centennial). 4. Jose Concepcion (Fleming Island). 5. Dylan Perez (Columbus). 6. Christian Sanchez (Southwest Miami).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Jackson. 2. Earle. 3. Moran. 4. Concepcion. 5. Will Putman (Plant). 6. Perez.
First-rounders not to miss: Jaden Vilvert (Wharton) v. John Pope (St Thomas); Perez v. Ben Moxley (Lake Mary).
Local outlook —
Concepcion: Has got a solid path to the semis, no matter who he might see in Friday afternoon’s quarterfinal. He’ll be facing either the state’s favorite (Jackson), or the state’s next favorite (Moran, a giant who has to cut significantly to get to 285) in the semi, but he’s put in enough work and has enough experience that he can win at least one on the back side.
Stanley Hollenbach, Fletcher: The schematic putting Region 4 against Region 1 kids didn’t help too much, as Sanchez is a very tough, experienced wrestler to start off with in round 1. Three matches would be a good run, but simply getting here is a good jumpoff point for Hollenbach to be the Northeast’s best in 2018-19.

Pairings for this tournament can be found here.

Please support our independent journalism by going here and donating to our website: https://www.gofundme.com/north-florida-matmen

It’s still up.

http://illinoismatmen.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=25

I last wrote in it, six years ago?

Just in case there’s anybody out there that thought I just wanted to make a name for myself only within the last year or so. Been out here a long time. In fact, long before this blog that I’m showing you all here.

2A state meet preview

When & where: Friday and Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. Wrestling Friday starts with weigh-ins at 8 a.m. and the first round at 10 a.m. with first-round wrestlebacks immediately following, and second-round wrestlebacks following those. On Saturday, wrestling begins at 9:30 a.m. with semifinal competition. Third- (blood round) and fourth-round (consi semis) wrestleback competition follows after. Placing-round matches will take placer afterward. Finals are scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Team outlook: Regions 2 and 3 are loaded for bear, so look for the elite teams out of those regions — Lake Gibson and Brandon from Region 2, Riverdale and Charlotte from Region 3 — to be at the top of the heap, along with Jensen Beach from Region 4. All Region 1 kids, take note: Bring your A+ game to Kissimmee. You’re going to need it. There are going to be a lot of kids knocked out on Friday who are going to be pretty upset about it, but the rest of the state in this classification has stepped their game up, and you need to, also.

106
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Chase Ayers (Lake Gibson). 2. Cullen Guerrero (Palmetto Ridge). 3. Dominic Nardini (Springstead). 4. Jaden Villalobos (Archbishop McCarthy). 5. Anthony Limauro (Suncoast). 6. Roy Chiong (Barron Collier).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Ayers. 2. Guerrero. 3. Matthew Rodriquez (Ridgeview). 4. Villalobos. 5. Nardini. 6. Limauro.
First-rounders not to miss: Rodriquez v. Jose Berdecia (Brandon); Lauren Stone (Venice) v. Villalobos.
Local outlook —
Rodriquez: Has the best Saturday chance of the group, and I have him getting to Saturday, though not via perhaps the most-desired path. There’s pitfalls along the way. Brandon kids are never a preferred first-round matchup. Is it possible to make the semis? Absolutely, but it’s also possible for Rodriquez to medal through the consi side. I have him getting to Saturday, where a critical match with Limauro in the blood round sets the table. He’s not in the picks, but he’d be the first dark horse I’d pick outside of those top six.
Tazz Hampton, Middleburg: Drew probably the second-best Region 2 kid with Nardini, who met Ayers in the semis last week. But he’s got room for a win on the back side, where he’ll likely take on Merritt Island freshman Elijah Lusk. Am guessing Limauro would be next in Friday night’s action.
Noah Kryfka, Crestview: Has a Chamberlain wrestler with 51 wins in the first round, but Tampa city wrestlers often come in with pretty big records and don’t always have a lot of resume behind those wins. The next two matches (Villalobos and probably Berdecia) are much tougher.
Shaun Culbreth, Matanzas: Has a very tough first-rounder in Ayers, but might find the path in consi round 1 navigable against the loser between Limauro and North Fort Myers’ Caleb Massari.

113
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Tyler Forrest (Brandon). 2. Connor Williams (Lake Gibson). 3. Donovan Cataldi (Charlotte). 4. Jacob Cochran (Tate). 5. Nathaniel Parker (Venice). 6. Lleyton Taylor (Riverdale).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Cataldi. 2. Forrest. 3. Williams. 4. Owen Wetzel (Harmony). 5. Sebastian Calmet-Medone (Sunset). 6. Parker.
First-rounders not to miss: Cochran v. Ben McCallister (Palmetto Ridge); Rocco Senia (Palm Bay) v. Wetzel.
Local outlook —
Cochran: Should have a solid chance for the semis and that long-worked-for state medal, though McCallister isn’t a typical fourth-place region finisher and either Senia or Wetzel will be tough outs late Friday afternoon. As tough as his quadrant, the second quadrant — with Williams and Cataldi in it — is even harder, but he should, on the back side, be favored in the first match if not the second.
Gabriel Guzman, Ridgeview: Guzman draws Riverdale’s Taylor in the first round and despite the third-place region finish, Taylor is a solid medal threat. The consi round 1 matchup, probably against Robinson’s Jayden Alverez, is a sound possibility for a win there, with Friday night against either — most likely — Wetzel or Cochran. A Saturday appearance would be a really solid tournament.
Mark Munroe, Lincoln: Finds himself in the “group of death” quadrant with a solid medal threat in Parker in round 1. Most likely, Munroe takes on South Broward’s Anthony Montanez in consi round 1, and would have to take a win there to escape the quadrant.
James Benton, Middleburg: Draws unbeaten Cataldi in round 1, and will most likely face a fellow freshman, Jensen Beach’s Kenny Hauck, in consi round 1. A good match there should at least bring a Friday-night appearance.

120
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Trey Lane (Brandon). 2. Evan Butler (Lake Gibson). 3. Fabian Jaramillo (Olympic Heights). 4. Orande Smith (Estero). 5. Thomas McCane (Springstead). 6. Alexander Godinez (Hialeah-Mater Lakes).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Lane. 2. Godinez. 3. Nicholas Vugman (Bartram Trail). 4. Butler. 5. Smith. 6. Michael Gonzalez (Golden Gate).
First-rounders not to miss: Butler v. Vincent Grimaldi (Charlotte); McCane v. Gonzalez; Zachary Hartzog (Niceville) v. Joey Tufo (Jensen Beach).
Local outlook —
Vugman: I know Brant has him ranked third, and I of course want to see him podium on Saturday, but I’m also a big believer in lighting fires under kids that need a little bit of extra oomph as they complete their prep. I see Vugman winning in round 1, but I’ve seen Lake Gibson’s Butler, and he’s really good. If Vugman beats Butler, he can make the final. If not, he can still win a medal from the back side, but I have Godinez advancing out of the bottom half of the blood round. Let’s see if I’ll be proven wrong a fourth time.
Josh Bower, Matanzas: Bower, too, has a tough first-rounder (this is going to sound like a bit of a recording before long) in Jaramillo, but has a decent shot in consi round 1 against East Lake’s Jason Leggett. He’d either get Godinez or the winner of McCane/Gonzalez, in Friday evening’s second consi round.
Hartzog: Hartzog gets a tough program in round 1, but a winnable match against Jensen Beach’s Joey Tufo. The quarterfinal would see Smith of Estero, a difficult matchup out of Region 3. I think Hartzog can get to Saturday, but a medal will mean defying some statewide expectations.
Jerson Cabiao, Choctaw: Cabiao has a tough first-rounder, with Region 4 champion Godinez there, and a pretty tough out in consi round 1, with 94 wins in that half of the quadrant.

126
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Chris Rivera (Fort Myers). 2. Hugh Herring (Dixie Hollins). 3. Hunter Lefevre (Brandon). 4. Chace Curtis (Columbia). 5. Michael Butler (Olympic Heights). 6. Shannon Hanna (Lake Gibson).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Rivera. 2. Hanna. 3. Lefevre. 4. Curtis. 5. Butler. 6. Herring.
First-rounders not to miss: KeShawn Percy (Palm Bay) v. Lefevre; Herring v. Gabe Jacobs (Gulf Breeze).
Local outlook —
Curtis: As befitting a region champion, Curtis’ path to a medal is the clearest, but by no means are the goals he’s set easy to achieve. He’s got reasonably-good chances to push his way through to the semis, but then Rivera would be waiting in the semifinal. I’ll just say this: the winner of that semi wins the championship.
Stone White, Matanzas: White is in the bottom quadrant, which is one of two “groups of death” in this weight class. White has a very tough Region 3 third-placer in Palmetto Ridge’s Francisco St. Surin in round 1, with another uphill battle looking at him in consi round 1.
Jacobs: Jacobs has an especially-uphill battle in round 1, but at least a chance to move into Saturday, against either Percy or Lefevre. Won’t be easy, but there is a chance it could happen.
Ikeon Myles, Lincoln: Is in the other group of death in this weight class, with Rivera, Lefevre and Percy, and their 163 wins in tow. Myles gets the defending state champion, Rivera, in the first round.

132
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Justin Rivera (Fort Myers). 2. Lucas Willis (Charlotte). 3. Nathan Lawwell (Lake Gibson). 4. Gerald Roger (Golden Gate). 5. Wyatt Kirkham (Jensen Beach). 6. Travis Pawlowski (South Lake).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Rivera. 2. Roger. 3. Willis. 4. Kirkham. 5. Lawwell. 6. Pawlowski.
First-rounders not to miss: Willis v. Alex Rosario (Brandon); Pawlowski v. Roger; Lawrence Russo (Matanzas) v. Marcus Rivera (Olympic Heights).
Local outlook —
Daniel Mann, Columbia: Is a region champion, but got Region 3’s runnerup, meaning he would see Willis — a defending 1A state champion — in the quarterfinals. Mann should win in the first round, and should get to Saturday (more on that in a bit) but will have to beat a very solid wrestler in the blood round (my guess is either Kirkham or Pawlowski) to get a medal.
Russo: Has one of the more solid third-place wrestlers in any bracket, let alone this one, with Olympic Heights’ Marcus Rivera as a first-rounder, with Lawwell waiting in the wings in the quarterfinal. Best way to a medal is to win your way into the semis, because before Kirkham/Pawlowski sees Mann, he might see Russo Friday night.
Matthew Blalock, Tate: This is a really tough quarterfinal, with the defending state champion, Rivera, waiting in the quarters. First-round opponent Zachary Robertson is a solid, solid opponent. Could see Mann, Blalock and Russo all battling for one medal opportunity in the bottom half of the consi bracket.
Christopher Burch, Middleburg: Is in a group of death, with Kirkham right out the chute in the first round and then either Roger or Pawlowski in consi round 1. This quadrant could qualify three on the podium this weekend.

138
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Chris Morales (Springstead). 2. Chris Patterson (Palm Bay). 3. Dan Stone (Venice). 4. David Ortiz (Golden Gate). 5. Cody Rice (Charlotte). 6. Elijah Gray (Lake Gibson).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Rice. 2. Ortiz. 3. Jared Dinh (Riverdale). 4. Morales. 5. Jake Tuschman (Jensen Beach). 6. Patterson.
First-rounders not to miss: Dinh v. Tuschman; Gray v. Matt Ross (Columbia); Stone v. Patterson.
Local outlook —
Saeid Ejmali, Ridgeview: If Ejmali stays locked in and holds serve (dang tennis analogy) through the first two rounds, he’ll finally podium at states. I think round 1 is not a problem, but a quarterfinal with Ortiz is big. If he wins it, he can finish it in the top four. A loss in that quarterfinal has him having to fight off the Stone/Patterson round 1 loser just to get to Saturday.
Ross: Ross has a Saturday chance, as his first-rounder with Gray could be an either/or matchup. Rice would be waiting in the quarters on the front side, and the back side is a winnable match. I could see Ross at least get a chance to compete for a medal on Saturday.
Ian Eckert, Matanzas: In a quadrant with 143 wins surrounding him. Honestly, the first-rounder against Liberty’s Jonathan Figueroa, is probably the best of the matchup possibilities within that quadrant, as there’s two top-three projected placewinners in the other part of the quadrant.
Cameron Bennett, Pace: Done no favors by the schematic; Bennett gets Morales in round 1, then would face either Riverdale or Jensen Beach in consi round 1, with probably Lake Gibson waiting in the offing. A Saturday appearance would be a tremendous tournament.

145
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Ethan Basile (Jesuit). 2. Jalen Soto (Cypress Lake). 3. Andreus Bond (Brandon). 4. Tommy Barker (Springstead). 5. Terrence Clayton (Riverdale). 6. Tyrone Jones (Matanzas).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Basile. 2. Bond. 3. Soto. 4. Jones. 5. Clayton. 6. Barker.
First-rounder not to miss: Andy Martinez (Golden Gate) v. Brandon Gregg (Heritage).
Local outlook —
Jones: Jones has perhaps the safest path among the four locals in the tournament, and he’s in a quadrant with 155 wins besides his. It won’t be easy to turn back both Armwood’s Jacob Newman and either Martinez or Gregg on Friday, but I think Jones can do it. Facing Basile in the semi is another matter altogether, but he does have a decent shot of winning (at least) one match on the back.
Luis Parrales, Bartram Trail: Opens his tournament with Barker, an experienced competitor on the state scene, in the first round. Parrales does have a good shot on the back side to win at least one match, but a Barker/(likely) Clayton) combo is a tough recipe for a Saturday appearance.
Ethan Billhimer, Pace: Has a stern test in Bond in the first round, but some room to manuever around a little bit afterward, with a likely consi round 1 against Fort Myers’ Riley Hackworth. Billhimer would need an upset Friday night to have a shot at a medal, but he’s had some upsets already, so he’s familiar with the drill.
Elliott Crum, Lincoln: Crum is another one done no favors by the schematic, as he faces Basile in round 1. There is a winnable match to be had in consi round 1, but then a tall order for Friday evening, with either Soto or Barker the likely opponent.

152
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Noah Ridley (Brandon). 2. Brian Opalensky (Estero). 3. Nelson Ortiz (Riverdale). 4. Charlie Roche (Springstead). 5. Juan Cruz (Naples). 6. Mitch Hamilton (Palmetto Ridge).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Ridley. 2. Cruz. 3. Ortiz. 4. Opalensky. 5. Nate Golmon (Tate). 6. Hunter Crichton (Auburndale).
First-rounder not to miss: Roche v. Cruz.
Local outlook —
Golmon: Golmon has a good chance to make the podium, even though he wasn’t listed there in the first-impression brackets. His first-round match is pretty winnable, and the quarterfinal against Opalensky should test him well for winning (at least) two matches on the back. Key would be getting past Citrus’ David Miller, a 55-match winner by the time they’d meet and probably that team’s best wrestler, in consi round 2.
Bailey Howes, Niceville: Howes was last year’s 2A breakout wrestler; this year, he should have a chance in round 1 against Jensen Beach’s Chris Williams, but then would face Ridley in the quarters. If he gets past Cruz in consi round 2, he could reach the podium Saturday night.
Tanner Hill, Nease: Hill’s got a little navigable space in his quadrant, with a winnable first-rounder against Port St. Lucie’s Montavious Yearby. Ortiz would be the reward for that win, in the quarters, but there might be an opportunity to qualify out for Saturday against (most likely) Auburndale’s Hunter Crichton, who’s got a lot of wins, but didn’t have a hard path to Region 2 final.
Anthony Root, Pace: Root’s best opportunity for a match win might be right out of the chute against Region 4 champion Justin Maynard of South Broward, because a loss would meaning facing off against Roche or Cruz to stay alive in the bracket.

160
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Christian Minto (Mariner). 2. Jesse Martinez (Riverdale). 3. Jack Johnson (Niceville). 4. Coleman Bryant (Dixie Hollins). 5. Onid Olavarria (Brandon). 6. Mike Edouard (Fort Myers).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Minto. 2. Miguel Hernandez (Lake Gibson). 3. Johnson. 4. Olavarria. 5. Martinez. 6. Bryant.
First-rounder not to miss: Johnson v. Edouard.
Local outlook —
Johnson: Could be a battle of state champion v. state champion in the semifinals. Johnson’s got winnable matches (he sees Fort Myers’ Mike Edouard, once again, right off the bat in round 1) in the first round and quarterfinals, but then would be facing Minto in the semis. If he beats Minto in the semis, he’d be the odds-on favorite to be a two-time champ.
Alex Jacobs, Gulf Breeze: Jacobs is in a decent quadrant, which is a rare-enough thing in 2A, but drew Bryant in the first round. He could make Saturday with two wins at the back of the bracket, but could run into Olavarria with a state medal on the line.
Billy Shaw, Creekside: Shaw’s had a solid season, but is looking at Martinez in round 1. He has a decent shot at a win in the first round of consis, against Olympic Heights’ Joao Ize, but Olavarria would be the likely matchup in consi round 2.
Mitchell Mika, Stanton: The schematic did Mika no favors, as he drew Minto in the first round; the hope for a third match is that Mika would be able to rally and take a consi round 1 win against Merritt Island’s Darren Higgins.

170
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Ashton Habeil (Lake Gibson). 2. Philip Sapp (Sebring). 3. Justin Grant (Lincoln). 4. Ethan Endres (Winter Haven). 5. Jack Sopotnick (Jensen Beach). 6. Caleb Van Helden (Riverdale).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Habeil. 2. Ethan Davis (Olympic Heights). 3. Grant. 4. Sapp. 5. Endres. 6. Sopotnick.
First-rounders not to miss: Grant v. Broc Spurling (Brandon); Van Helden v. Sopotnick; Joshua Hagan (Citrus) v. Landon Dains (Terry Parker).
Local outlook —
Grant: Should Grant get past Spurling in the first round, which he’s favored to do, the quarterfinal looks a little easier. Grant will be looking at Habeil in the semis, and that match could very well be the best one in the tournament.
Dains: Probably looking at a tossup match in the first round with Hagan. Sapp would be a tough matchup in the quarters, but a consi round 1 placement would be a winnable match in that quadrant, but either Riverdale or Jensen Beach looms in the Friday night consi round 2 match.
John Gunther, Pace: Gunther opens with fellow junior Endres in the first round, which might be tricky. Gunther has a winnable match in consi round 1 against Palmetto Ridge’s Lance Lecuyer and it wouldn’t be totally surprising for him to make a Saturday appearance.
Tracey Beshara, St. Augustine: Beshara wasn’t done favors by the schematic, as he’ll face Habeil in round 1, with the loser of Van Helden/Sopotnick in consi round 1. Being in the same quadrant with three potential medalists is a tough place to be.

182
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Jose Valdez (Charlotte). 2. Brandon Dickman (Creekside). 3. Jermaine Teague (Cypress Lake). 4. Colby Singletary (Palmetto Ridge). 5. Blake Wiswell (Jensen Beach). 6. Tannen Slack (Gulf Breeze).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Valdez. 2. Dickman. 3. Singletary. 4. Wiswell. 5. Chase Landgraff (Springstead). 6. Slack.
First-rounders not to miss: Landgraff v. Zion James (Columbia); Wiswell v. Devin Price (Golden Gate).
Local outlook —
Dickman: There’s going to be challenges along the way. Teague, a tough out but an out nonetheless last year, in the quarters. A solid opponent in either Landgraff or Singletary in the semis. And then the chance to gain some revenge in what was probably his most forgettable single set of six minutes this season. It’s all out there to go get.
Slack: I have Slack winning three matches in this tournament, including the first round and then (at least) two on the back side. Valdez in the quarters is probably too tall an order, but a win there could be a boost toward a Saturday night possibility.
Jared Newhall, Lincoln: Probably got the worst draw among the Region 1 kids at this weight, facing a very solid Jaquan Jackson of Robinson, with either Price or Wiswell — two wrestlers that could both be on the podium — in the consi round.
James: For as strong as Region 3 is going to be in this tournament, I actually think James has a pretty decent shot in the first round. While I have it the other way, if I was right, I think James would have a pretty good chance at Saturday nonetheless. If I’m wrong, he’d have a shot to face Dickman with the finals on the line.

195
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. De’Yaveyun Joseph (Lake Gibson). 2. Chad Nix (Jensen Beach). 3. Darius Parker (Riverdale). 4. Alex Bordeau (West Boca Raton). 5. Trenton Shenefield (Springstead). 6. Brian Gimenez (Cypress Lake).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Joseph. 2. Nix. 3. Bordeau. 4. Parker. 5. Shenefield. 6. Gimenez.
First-rounders not to miss: Nix v. Timothy Johnson (Pasco); Gimenez v. Brooks Harp (Bartram Trail); Connor Cleveland (Ft Walton Beach) v. Anthony Andou (Charlotte).
Local outlook —
Reed Danielson, Orange Park: Has been a terror in north Florida, and has a winnable first-rounder, but taking on Jensen Beach’s Nix will be a very tall order in the quarterfinal. Still, Danielson’s beaten most of the odds to get as far as he has, and could be one of those northern kids that shakes up expectations this weekend.
Cleveland: We might see a rematch of the Region 1 final in consi round 2 Friday night, as Andou is a very tough customer and perhaps a podium threat himself. I think Cleveland should be able to win at least once on the back side, where he would get a second shot at Danielson, if first-impression brackets hold up.
Harp: Harp had a great region-tournament run to get into the show, and that could boost him into a decent shot in the first round against Gimenez. Either way, there’s certainly a winnable consi round 1 win, with either Shenefield or Parker in consi round 2 Friday night.
Gus Altenburg, Lincoln: One of the best stories of the season, Altenburg opens his tournament with a placer threat in Parker in round 1. A match against Norland in consi round 1 could provide a chance to get a win, but another placer threat, likely Gimenez, could loom Friday night.

220
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Jacob Stanbro (Riverdale). 2. Troy Jaffy (Olympic Heights). 3. Devin Jandura (Robinson). 4. Braden Buswell (Seabreeze). 5. Coleman Young (Crestview). 6. Jacob Tisdale (Gulf Breeze).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Stanbro. 2. Jaffy. 3. Jandura. 4. Buswell. 5. Jack Marble (Venice). 6. Mason Arnold (Jesuit).
First-rounders not to miss: Kolton McDaniel (Bartram Trail) v. Marble; Tisdale v. Justyn Cordones (Mariner).
Local outlook —
Young: Should have a winnable first-rounder, but then would face Buswell — who’s a tough match for almost any 220 — in the quarterfinals, but I do think that Young can come back and win two matches on the bottom of the back side. We could see one last match between Young and Tisdale before their high school careers end..
Tisdale: Has a bit of a tossup in play in the first round against Cordones, but I think it’s a winnable first-rounder. Jaffy’s been around a long time and is a multiple-time placer, so that quarterfinal could be tough, but Tisdale does have the capability to win two matches on the back side.
McDaniel: Brant and I might disagree, but I think McDaniel’s got a winnable first-rounder, and even Jandura in the quarters — while formidable — might not be impossible to push past, which would guarantee the medal. He should certainly qualify for Saturday in any event.
Darrius Pena, Niceville: Drew Stanbro in the first round (what is it with Region 1 4ths consistently drawing favorites in the opener), which is a tough situation. Pena might have a winnable match, however, in consi round 1, and could get another shot at McDaniel (or Marble) in consi round 2.

285
Matmen picks, sure to be wrong: 1. Carter Harris (Harmony). 2. Brendan Bengtsson (Braden River). 3. Adolphus Taylor (North Fort Myers). 4. Cole Lewis (Cypress Lake). 5. Jeret Harvey (Jensen Beach). 6. James Spencer (Springstead).
Sentinel picks, sure to be less wrong: 1. Taylor. 2. Bengtsson. 3. Harris. 4. Giovanni Allen (Viera). 5. Spencer. 6. Harvey.
First-rounders not to miss: Spencer v. Lewis; Taylor v. Cameron Carr (Lake Weir).
Local outlook —
Saul Storey, Creekside: The best way for Storey to earn a medal would be to earn his way into it on the front side, because that’s the most straightforward way to get it done, with wins in the first round and quarterfinal. A loss in the first round means a tough opponent in consi round 1, a loss in the quarters pushes Storey into the bottom of the consis, which is also a tough place to go.
Connor Saint, Milton: Could have a winnable first-rounder against Sunset’s Jonathan Esquival, but Harris in the quarters would be another matter. Saint could have a decent chance for a Saturday appearance, and would be an outside dark-horse threat for a podium photo.
Darius Stanley, St Augustine: It’s not the worst place for Stanley to be, given that he wasn’t expected to make it out to regions let alone state, but there are three talented heavies in his quadrant, with Allen in the first round and then the loser between Taylor and Carr in consi round 1.
Donnie Wilburn, Gainesville: Has two probable placewinners in his quadrant, including a first-rounder against Harvey. There might be an opportunity in consi round 1 for Wilburn to take a victory, but Saint might be in play in consi round 2.

Pairings for this tournament can be found here.

Please support our independent journalism by going here and donating to our website: https://www.gofundme.com/north-florida-matmen

UPDATE WITH TIME CHANGE: 2A will go out at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, 3A goes out at 6 p.m. Wednesday evening. Can’t be helped.

I’ve just finished the writing on the 3A state preview. That one will go out at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning. Have begun the work on the 2A state preview; that one will go out at 6 p.m. Wednesday evening.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to begin writing the 1A preview tonight. That one will go out at 6 a.m. Thursday morning, so all three previews should be done before everybody heads to Kissimmee before roll-arounds Thursday night. I’ll be on site Friday morning, probably around 9:30, traffic and leave time permitting.

This year, my picks will again appear in the Orlando Sentinel’s preview package, so if your classification hasn’t dropped yet on these sites, you can get a sneak preview on Brant’s site. New this year: Brant’s picks will appear here.

Please support our independent journalism by going here and donating to our website: https://www.gofundme.com/north-florida-matmen

https://t.co/GeSVvXUBwX

I’m not going to tell you who to vote for — there are two Tallahassee-area kids in the mix (Lincoln’s Justin Grant, Florida High’s Bryan Metcalf, plus other deserving kids statewide) — but I will tell you to vote!

North Florida Matmen staff report

LAKELAND — The statewide story is the Lake Highland Prep dominance.

Fourteen region champs at last weekend’s 1A-Region 2 traditional tournament, hosted by George Jenkins HS, that noted Class 1A program. 378.5 team points, more than the next three teams (Hernando, Space Coast and Villages) combined (338.5).

For our purposes, however, the story is that two of the three Matmen-area schools will have representation at Friday’s state tournament at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

Palatka, which finished 11th in the team race with 51 points, moved two wrestlers to states, and Interlachen, which took 21st with 18 points (despite only two wrestlers), had one qualifier. Eastside finished 25th, with six points.

As we did with the 3A Saturday recap, we’ll have a note on each (Lake Highland) champion, and then we’ll have notes on each local wrestler’s Saturday progress, even if they didn’t make it to states.

Below follows a summary of each of the 14 weight classes:

106
Championship: Highlander 8th grader Danny Nini pinned his way through the draw, falling Space Coast freshman Ryan Vite in 2:49 in the finals.
Local outlook: No locals in the bracket.

113
Championship: Highlander sophomore Jake Wohltman also pinned his way through the bracket, never having to go past the first period. Wohltman needed just 46 seconds to fall Villages freshman Cameron Rima in the finals.
Local outlook: Palatka sophomore Drevon Wallace, the District 5 champ, opened Saturday with a 15-3 major over Hernando’s Jonathon Britton, but then fell by major decision, 11-1, to the second-best wrestler in the draw — Astronaut junior Carson Kirk.

120
Championship: Highlander 8th-grader Nic Bouzakis had four falls in just 2:30 for the tournament, never going past the first minute. Bouzakis falled Cocoa Beach freshman Michael Watson in 52 seconds in the finals.
Local outlook: No locals advanced to Saturday’s rounds.

126
Championship: Highlander senior Ryan Chauvin had bonus points in every round. In the finals, Chauvin had a second-period fall in 3:25 over Bishop Moore senior Jake Wheeler.
Local outlook: No locals advanced to Saturday’s rounds.

132
Championship: Highlander freshman Bailey Flanagan advanced to the finals, taking a 15-3 major decision in that round over Hernando senior Josh Hulse.
Local outlook: No locals in the bracket.

138
Championship: Highlander sophomore Noah Castillo, after surviving a 9-7 quarterfinal win Friday, had two pins Saturday, including a third-period fall in 4:37 over Gulf’s Solen Sheppard in the final.
Local outlook: Interlachen senior Cade Mason, the District 5 champion, advanced out of regions with a fourth-place finish. Mason lost by fall to Castillo in the semis in 3:10, but punched his ticket for states in the blood round, pinning Villages sophomore Ethan Hatcher in 2:21. In the medal round, Mason fell to state-ranked Josh Pritz of Hernando, 10-9, in a match where — according to Rams coach Craig Borgus — he led most of the way.

145
Championship: Highlander senior Joey Silva pinned his way through the tournament, with a third-period fall in 5:01 over Hernando junior Boston Tafelski in the final.
Local outlook: No locals in the bracket.

152
Championship: Highlander junior Cameron Monzadeh had two Friday pins and two Saturday decisions, taking a 7-2 win over Anclote junior Andrew Ferrell in the final.
Local outlook: No locals advanced to Saturday’s rounds.

160
Championship: Highlander sophomore Kai Bele pinned his way through the bracket, only having to go past the first period once. In the finals, Bele pinned Cocoa sophomore Julio Escobar in 1:04 for the title.
Local outlook: No locals in the bracket.

170
Championship: Highlander senior Max Cosmides pinned or teched his way through the bracket, falling Villages senior Ryan Hatcher in 1:26 in the championship match.
Local outlook: Palatka sophomore Jacob Carreras, the District 5 champion, was eliminated from further competition in the consi quarters, losing by fall to Space Coast junior Marcus Santos, in 3:45.

182
Championship: Highlander senior Erich Byelick scored maximum points for LHP throughout the tournament, including in the finals, where he won by disqualification over Cocoa Beach senior Cole Mitchell.
Local outlook: No locals advanced to Saturday’s rounds.

195
Championship: Highlander junior Logan Andrew also scored maximum points in the tournament, with three pins following an injury-default first-round win. Andrew pinned Nature Coast sophomore Ashton Harding in 3:13 in the final.
Local outlook: Palatka senior Bryan Smith, the District 5 champion, advanced out of regions by placing fourth. Smith lost by fall to Harding in 1:17 in the semis, but rallied to punch his states ticket with a 21-9 major decision over Hudson junior Lukas Cach. Smith then pushed Rockledge junior Charles Alexander into sudden victory in the medal round before falling, 14-12.

220
Championship: Highlander senior Ben Goldin pinned his way through the draw, never going past the first period in so doing. Goldin falled Nature Coast junior Michael Weston in 1:29 in the finals.
Local outlook: No locals advanced to Saturday’s rounds.

285
Championship: Highlander sophomore Curtis Ruff pinned his way into the finals, where he controlled the pace against Bishop Moore’s Andrew Cannon, taking a 7-1 decision for the title.
Local outlook: Palatka senior Ira Dixon, the District 5 champion, advanced out of regions by placing third. Dixon lost to Cannon, 9-3, in the semifinals, but rallied to punch his states ticket with a fall in 3:33 over Crystal River junior Brandon Dynia, in a rematch of the District 5 final. Dixon then pinned Atlantic’s Vernon Hamilton in the medal round, as he had Friday evening in the quarterfinals, taking third place with a fall in 2:48.

Please support our independent journalism by going here and donating to our website: https://www.gofundme.com/north-florida-matmen

I hate writing this one. I wish I never had to. But it is the most compelling part of the post-season tournament series.

When you’re trying to live-tweet, or semi-livetweet, three different region tournaments all at once, reactions to what’s actually being recorded on those Trackwrestling brackets can be missed.

But as I told my son, who was with me at Bolles Saturday as the semis and consi rounds unfolded, Saturday afternoon breaks a lot of hearts.

You can see it occasionally at the district level, when seniors who’ve had their struggles to find traction in this most difficult sport see that struggle come to its conclusion. I saw it a couple of times over at Westside, weekend before last.

But the region Saturday…this is the round where it sneaks up. The round where it rips kids’ hearts out.

I don’t know that I saw any seniors close up for whom this occurred. A couple of younger kids, yes…there was a notable couple, one from Florida High and one from Suwannee (Interestingly, they were in the same weight class).

But both of them will be back to try again. Or can be.

These guys can’t. Not as high schoolers anyway. For most, this weekend is their last time as competitive wrestlers. Of the 23 kids last year that this happened to, only three signed letters to wrestle — that I was made aware of — and only two saw mat time.

(pulls out 2017 text at this point because I won’t be able to write it any better than I did a year ago)

That’s why I feel sorrow for these kids that follow in this list, the seniors whose careers ended in the blood round on Saturday, because precious few teenagers are willing to step up and do what it takes just to even say that they are wrestlers, let alone be good enough to have a chance to find out the answers on the state stage. Precious damn few.

I know how hard they’ve worked, and, at the same time, I will never, ever truly know.

I celebrate the kids who gain success by writing about them, and I have probably written something about each of these kids. Some of them, I’ve written several somethings (puts 2017 text away).

Tim Messick. Gunnar Nebel. Sam Buatu. Jevonte Hagan. Brenden Teaman. Owen Moore. Jacky Grissom. Max Patterson. Mason Judd. Rocky O’Rourke. Reggie Toombs. Noah Young. Xavier Molina. Jamari Broussard.

Calvin Altman and Blake Dicks, both of whom I interviewed only for the first time just the week earlier when they won district titles. Austin Benton, whose younger brother James made it to states this same past weekend. Austin Nolan, who put the Chiles program on his back this year. Nick Woodward, who just missed state podium last year, two weight classes up from where he wrestled this year. Corey Ryan, who maxed the ACT last year. Aaron Menden, who’d never won a tournament before this year. Isaiah Graham, who never had a better tournament run than he did last Friday and Saturday morning only to see it come up short.

Ethan Gustilo. Nobody worked harder to get better at this sport over the last three years. Show me somebody who started where Gustilo’s level was three years ago and is better than him now. You’ll search a long time.

I look forward to seeing the kind of men you will turn out to be because of your time as a wrestler. But today, I am still devastated for you, and with you.

North Florida Matmen staff report

TALLAHASSEE — In the recent past, it took an army of seniors for Matanzas to compete in, and win, larger tournaments.

This past weekend, it just took the will of the kids who were in the lineup, seniors or not.

The Pirates pushed past a group of teams with more experience and more resume in their recent past, winning the 2A-Region 1 traditional tournament on Saturday at Chiles HS.

Matanzas outpointed defending traditional champion Lincoln, 128.5-122, for the team win. The Pirates advanced six state qualifiers, including one champion, to next week’s state tournament at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

“It was a complete team effort; everyone scored points. (The) coaching staff knew it was going to come down to our bottom seven doing what they have been doing all year in big tournaments. We’re excited to see how we compete next weekend in the biggest tournament of the year,” Matanzas coach John White told Matmen via email Sunday afternoon.

“Great things are coming to Matanzas. We had a great summer last year. (We) went from fourth in the district and 16th at regions, to winning both this year.”

That’s not to mention, also, that the Pirates nearly pulled off the dual region in January as well.

Lincoln, also, had six state qualifiers and one champion. Third-place Gulf Breeze had 115.5 points, with four qualifiers, while fourth-place Creekside finished with 107 points and three qualifiers, two of those region champions. Columbia, in fifth with 103 points, had four qualifiers, including two champs.

Bartram Trail and Niceville each tied for sixth, with 102 points, and each had one champion. Ridgeview, in eighth with 109.5, had two champions, while Pace was ninth at 78.5 points and Tate 10th at 78, with two champs.

The next 10 teams in the group were Middleburg (66.5 points), Nease (63), Crestview (59, one champion), Orange Park (52, one champion), Ft Walton Beach (45), St. Augustine (40.5), Choctaw (35.5), Gainesville (33), Terry Parker (30) and Milton (25).

Englewood was 21st with 22 points, followed by Leon (19), Ed White (15), Stanton (14), Chiles (12), Ponte Vedra (nine) and Paxon (three).

A brief summary of the day’s wrestling for each of the 14 weight classes follows:

106
Championship: NE second-ranked Ridgeview freshman Matthew Rodriquez, the District 3 champion, had a rematch of his district final against NE sixth-ranked (113) Middleburg sophomore Tazz Hampton. This time, Rodriquez had his offense still on point, and cleaned up his defensive lapses, taking a 15-4 major over Hampton for the title.
Semis: Rodriquez assured his place at state with a second-period fall over NW third-ranked Crestview senior Noah Kryfka, the District 1 champ, with a pin in 3:28. Hampton got to the finals with a 23-12 major over NE fifth-ranked Matanzas sophomore Shaun Culbreth, the District 4 champ.
Third place: Kryfka had no problem with his offense against Culbreth, taking a 15-2 major.
Blood round: Kryfka punched his states ticket with a 9-3 District 1 finals rematch against NW top-ranked Gulf Breeze freshman Ian Daily, while Culbreth had a reprise of the District 4 final against NE eighth-ranked Nease sophomore Trevion Demus, winning by a 5-2 count.
Consi quarters: Daily teched District 2 champ and Lincoln sophomore Adam Barnes, 16-1, while Demus pinned Ft Walton Beach freshman Weston Burbidge in 5:29.

113
Championship: District 1 champion and NW top-ranked Tate senior Jacob Cochran had bonus points in every round of the tournament, including the last one, where he majored District 3 champ and Ridgeview sophomore Gabe Guzman, 9-1.
Semis: Cochran assured his place at state with a 15-0 tech fall over NW third-ranked Lincoln junior Mark Munroe, the District 2 champion. Guzman got to the finals with a second-period fall in 3:43 over NE 10th-ranked Nease senior Brenden Teaman, the District 4 champ.
Third place: Munroe’s only loss in the tournament would be to Cochran, as he shut out NE T-10th (120) Middleburg freshman James Benton, 5-0, for third.
Blood round: Munroe punched his states ticket with an 11-3 major over NW fifth-ranked Ft Walton Beach freshman Brandon Mallin, while Benton won by fall over Teaman, with no time recorded, in the bottom half consi semi.
Consi quarters: Mallin falled District 1 rival and Pace sophomore Derrick Lancero in 4:34, while Benton decisioned Matanzas sophomore Ethan Goodman, 6-1.

120
Championship: District 4 champion and NE fourth-ranked Bartram Trail junior Nicholas Vugman dominated the tournament in every round but one, including the finals, where he had a rematch with NE eighth-ranked Matanzas junior Josh Bower, shutting out Bower in an 11-0 major.
Semis: Vugman’s one close match in the tournament came in this round, as he needed double overtime to turn NW top-ranked Niceville senior Zachary Hartzog, the District 1 champion, by a 7-6 score. Bower assured his place at state with a fall in 3:03 over Choctaw junior Jerson Cabiao.
Third place: Hartzog’s only loss would be to Vugman in the semis, as he pinned Cabiao in a rematch of the District 1 final, with no time provided.
Blood round: Hartzog punched his states ticket with a 14-3 major over District 3 champion and NE seventh-ranked Orange Park sophomore Cameron Broughton, while Cabiao survived a wild match with NE ninth-ranked (126) Middleburg senior Austin Benton, 13-11.
Consi quarters: Broughton majored Tate sophomore Brandon Biello, 15-4, in the top half quarter, while Benton decisioned Columbia sophomore Ian McGuigan, 7-2.

126
Championship: District 2 champion and NE top-ranked Columbia senior Chace Curtis teched or pinned his way through the bracket, including in the finals, when he teched NE sixth-ranked Matanzas senior Stone White, the District 4 champion, by a 16-0 score.
Semis: Curtis assured his place at state with a second-period fall in 3:33 over NW second-ranked (120) Gulf Breeze sophomore Gabe Jacobs, the District 1 champion, while White advanced to the final with a 16-4 major over Choctaw senior Jacky Grissom.
Third place: Jacobs’ only loss in the tournament would be to Curtis, as he took third with a fall in 1:52 over NW fifth-ranked Lincoln junior Ikeon Myles.
Blood round: Jacobs punched his states ticket with a fall over NW second-ranked Pace senior Owen Moore in a rematch of the District 1 final, while Myles had to go into sudden victory time to turn back Grissom, 4-2, in the bottom half consi semi.
Consi quarters: Moore decisioned District 1 rival and Niceville senior Evan Mickey, 8-3, in the top half, while Myles shut out Ponte Vedra freshman Rett Maritato, 7-0.

132
Championship: District 2 champion and NE fourth-ranked Columbia senior Daniel Mann put together enough offense and defense to withstand the challenge of District 4 champion and NE second-ranked Matanzas junior Lawrence Russo, taking a 4-3 decision.
Semis: Russo assured his place at state with a second-period fall in 3:04 over NW top-ranked Tate senior Matthew Blalock, the District 1 champion, while Mann advanced to the final with a third-period fall in 5:26 over NE sixth-ranked Middleburg junior and District 3 champion Christopher Burch.
Third place: Blalock rallied to finish third with a 5-0 shutout decision over Burch.
Blood round: Blalock punched his states ticket with a fall in the top half of the consi semis over Creekside senior Max Patterson (fall time not posted), while Burch advanced with a fall in 4 minutes in the bottom half against NW fourth-ranked Niceville sophomore Keane Creager.
Consi quarters: Patterson had to go into sudden-victory time to pin Englewood junior Dairo Guerra, in 6:40, while Creager edged Gulf Breeze junior Michael Walls, a District 1 rival, by a 4-3 decision.

138
Championship: District 3 champion and NE sixth-ranked Ridgeview senior Saeid Ejmali won his third region title, pinning District 2 champion and NE seventh-ranked Columbia junior Matt Ross in 5:06.
Semis: Ejmali assured his place at state with a 12-5 win over NE T-10th Matanzas junior Ian Eckert, while Ross advanced to the final with a second-period fall in 3:53 over District 4 champion and NE fifth-ranked Nease junior Jacob Satterfield.
Third place: Eckert needed extra time, but would take a 9-7 sudden-victory decision over NW fourth-ranked Pace senior Cameron Bennett, the District 1 champion.
Blood round: Eckert punched his states ticket with a 7-5 win over NE eighth-ranked Middleburg junior Storm Mercado, while Bennett advanced by injury-default over Satterfield in the bottom half consi semi.
Consi quarters: Mercado decisioned Crestview senior Angel Ortega, 5-2, in the top-half quarter, while Bennett pinned NW fifth-ranked Choctaw junior Logan Myers, a District 1 rival (fall time not posted).

145
Championship: In a rematch of the District 4 finals, NE top-ranked Matanzas senior Tyrone Jones achieved the same outcome as in the previous week at districts, taking a 6-2 win over NE seventh-ranked Bartram Trail junior Luis Parrales.
Semis: Parrales assured his place at state with a 7-3 win over NW fifth-ranked Niceville junior Sam Williams, while Jones advanced to the final in a matchup of top-ranked Matmen competitors, downing District 2 champion and Lincoln junior Elliott Crum by a 12-7 decision.
Third place: NW third-ranked Pace sophomore Ethan Billhimer won by fall over Crum (fall time not posted in the results).
Blood round: Billhimer punched his states ticket with a third-period fall in 4:47 over Williams, a District 1 rival, while Crum also won by fall over NW second-ranked Choctaw junior Carlos Bogan, the District 1 champion (fall time not posted).
Consi quarters: Billhimer edged District 1 rival/semifinal opponent Calvin Malo, a Gulf Breeze junior, by a 6-5 count, while Bogan pinned Columbia senior Matt Raulerson in 54 seconds in the bottom half quarter.

152
Championship: In a rematch of the District 1 final, the outcome was the same on Saturday, as NW top-ranked Tate junior Nate Golmon, the district champ, took a 9-3 win over NW fourth-ranked Niceville senior Bailey Howes.
Semis: Golmon assured his place at state with a second-period fall in 3:38 over NE second-ranked Nease sophomore Tanner Hill, the District 4 champion, while Howes edged NE third-ranked Middleburg junior Bryce Williams, the District 3 champion, in a 5-4 decision.
Third place: Hill’s only loss would be to Golmon, as he came back to pin Pace junior Anthony Root in 2:01 in the medal round.
Blood round: Hill punched his states ticket with a 5-1 win over NW fifth-ranked Chiles senior Austin Nolan, the District 2 champion, while Root held off Williams, 8-6, in the bottom half consi semi.
Consi quarters: Nolan pinned Creekside senior Jacob Cooney in 3:02 in the top half quarter, while Root also won by fall in the bottom half, pinning St. Augustine senior Christian Rios in 2:50.

160
Championship: Another rematch of the District 1 final took place in this weight class, with the same outcome, as district champion and NW top-ranked Niceville senior Jack Johnson had bonus points in every round of the tournament, majoring Gulf Breeze senior Alex Jacobs, 14-3, in the final.
Semis: Johnson assured his place at state with a second-period fall in 2:55 over District 2 champion and NW fifth-ranked Leon junior Jaquenez Madison, while Jacobs advanced with an 8-6 decision over District 4 champion and NE fourth-ranked Creekside senior Billy Shaw.
Third place: Shaw came back behind a pair of tight decisions, edging District 3 champion and NE ninth-ranked Stanton senior Mitchell Mika, 4-3.
Blood round: Mika punched his states ticket with a 3-2 top half decision over Madison, while Shaw reprised the District 4 final with a 4-2 win over Matanzas sophomore Quenteen Robinson.
Consi quarters: Mika took a 9-6 win over Crestview senior Nathan Gunn, while Robinson edged District 4 rival and Bartram Trail senior Caleb Sutherland, 3-2.

170
Championship: District 2 champion and NW top-ranked Lincoln senior Justin Grant had bonus points in every round of the tournament, including the final, where he pinned NE fourth-ranked Terry Parker junior Landon Dains, the District 3 champion, in 1:30.
Semis: Dains assured his place at state with a semifinal 11-1 major over Columbia sophomore David Thompson, while Grant advanced with his only match that didn’t end in a fall, majoring NW second-ranked Pace junior John Gunther, 16-3.
Third place: Gunther’s only loss in the tournament would be to Grant, as he came back for third, needing extra time to turn back District 4 champion and NE third-ranked St. Augustine senior Tracey Beshara, 6-4, in overtime.
Blood round: Beshara punched his states ticket with a 14-1 major over Thompson, while Gunther decisioned District 1 champion and NW third-ranked Ft Walton Beach senior Nick Woodward, 9-5.
Consi quarters: In a matchup of District 4 rivals in the top half, Beshara teched Nease sophomore Nick Janssen, 16-1, while Woodward took the bottom half quarter with a 9-6 win over Leon junior Tony Davis.

182
Championship: District 4 champion and NE top-ranked Creekside senior Brandon Dickman also had bonus points in every round of the tournament, only having to go a full six minutes in the final, when he shut out District 1 champion and NW second-ranked Gulf Breeze senior Tannen Slack, 10-0.
Semis: Slack assured his place at state with a 7-3 win over NE second-ranked Columbia senior Zion James, while Dickman pinned District 2 champion and NW fourth-ranked Lincoln senior Jared Newhall (fall time not posted).
Third place: Newhall’s only loss would be to Dickman, as he came back for third with a 7-2 decision over James in a reprise of the District 2 final.
Blood round: James punched his states ticket with a fall in 2:22 over District 2 rival and Leon senior Mason Judd, while Newhall pushed his way in with a fall in 1:24 over Orange Park sophomore Jacob Moore, the District 3 champion.
Consi quarters: Judd pinned Bartram Trail sophomore Ralph Hamilton in 2:22, while Moore falled Nease senior Jarrod Case in 5:24.

195
Championship: District 3 champion and NE second-ranked Orange Park senior Reed Danielson won the title with a 6-1 win over District 1 champion and NW third-ranked (at 182) Ft Walton Beach senior Connor Cleveland.
Semis: Cleveland assured his place at state with a 14-3 major over NE eighth-ranked Bartram Trail senior Brooks Harp, while Danielson pushed his way in with an 8-1 win over Lincoln senior Gus Altenburg.
Third place: Harp rallied for third behind two pins, the second one for third over Altenburg (fall time not posted).
Blood round: Harp punched his states ticket with a fall in 5:26 over NW fourth-ranked Gulf Breeze senior Rocky O’Rouke, while Altenburg held off NE fourth-ranked Gainesville senior Corey Ryan, the District 2 champion, 8-7, in the bottom half consi semi.
Consi quarters: O’Rourke pinned District 4 champion and NE seventh-ranked Creekside junior Trey Chesser in 39 seconds, while Ryan decisioned Tate junior Azaya Purifoy, 6-2.

220
Championship: District 1 champion and NW top-ranked Crestview senior Coleman Young effected the same outcome as in the District 1 finals, coming out on top over NW second-ranked Gulf Breeze senior Jacob Tisdale, 10-8.
Semis: Young assured his place at state with a 6-2 win over Lincoln senior Reggie Toombs, the District 2 champion, while Tisdale decisioned District 4 champion and NE third-ranked Bartram Trail senior Kolton McDaniel, 5-3.
Third place: McDaniel came back for third with a 5-3 win over NW third-ranked Niceville senior Darrius Pena.
Blood round: Pena punched his states ticket with a fall in 4:53 over Toombs, while McDaniel had a rematch of the District 4 final in the bottom half consi semi, pinning NE sixth-ranked Nease sophomore Nick Thoresen in 4 minutes.
Consi quarters: Pena won by injury-default over District 3 champion and Ridgeview junior Tyler Huff, while Thoresen pinned Ed White junior Anthony Jones in 3:55 in the bottom half quarter.

285
Championship: District 4 champion and NE sixth-ranked Creekside junior Saul Storey pinned his way through the tournament, including in the finals, where he falled NW second-ranked Milton senior Connor Saint (fall time not posted).
Semis: Storey assured his place at state with a fall in 4:53 over Gulf Breeze senior Noah Young, the District 1 champion, while Saint pinned Gainesville senior Donnie Wilburn, the District 2 champion, in 3:54.
Third place: St Augustine junior Darius Stanley, who’d lost to Young in the first round, came all the way back to finish third, falling Wilburn in 4:18 in the medal round.
Blood round: Stanley punched his states ticket with a revenge fall over Young (who’d pinned him in 5:19 in round 1 on Friday) in just 17 seconds in the top half, while Wilburn falled NW third-ranked Crestview senior Xavier Molina (no fall time posted).
Consi quarters: Stanley advanced in the top half quarter with an injury-default win over NE 10th-ranked Bartram Trail senior Justin Thompson, while Molina won the bottom half quarter by pinning Lincoln junior JT Rivers in 1:45.

Please support our independent journalism by going here and donating to our website: https://www.gofundme.com/north-florida-matmen

North Florida Matmen staff report

OVIEDO — For the third consecutive season, Fleming Island rules the roost in 3A-Region 1.

The top-ranked Golden Eagles qualified nine wrestlers for next week’s state tournament at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, winning four weight-class titles to take the 3A-Region 1 traditional tournament Saturday at Hagerty HS.

Fleming Island outpointed the host Huskies, 219.5-156.5.

“It’s the third region title in a row, so we want to keep that up, but we gotta get better for next week,” Fleming Island coach PJ Cobbert said on site Saturday. “There’s the highs and the lows, but we can’t worry about brackets, we just have to wrestle.

“It should help (competing in 3A-Region 1), we’ll see. We hope so. We gotta win the matches we’re supposed to win and then we have to have some help along the way.”

Third-ranked Flagler Palm Coast held on to third place in the region, scoring 135.5 points, 23 ahead of 3A-Region 1 duals finalist Winter Springs and 26 ahead of fifth-place Apopka, a team the Bulldogs beat during January’s region duals series.

FPCHS had six state qualifiers, with a pair of region championships along the way.

Buchholz stayed in the top 10 Saturday, taking eighth with 58 points, and qualifying two wrestlers to states. Oakleaf finished in 12th place (42 points), with one champion/qualifier, while Fletcher was 13th (29 points, with one qualifier). Robert E. Lee was 18th, with 19 points and one qualifier.

First Coast tied for 27th, with 10 points, while Mandarin was 30th with eight, Atlantic Coast 33rd with five and Sandalwood 34th with four.

A summary of local competitors that survived to Saturday’s wrestling follows, along with a brief note on each champion in the field:

106
Championship: Hagerty junior Ryan Rowland dominated the bracket, save for one match (more on that in a bit), majoring Lake Howell senior Luis Pasarell, 17-7, in the finals.
Local outlook: Sixth-ranked Flagler Palm Coast freshman Trent Burke and top-ranked Fleming Island junior Louis Gagliardo, the District 1 champion, placed third and fourth, respectively. Both locals lost in the semis, with Gagliardo going double-overtime before falling to Rowland, 5-4. Burke lost by a 9-4 count to Pasarell. Both locals would win by fall in the blood round, as Gagliardo pinned University-Orange City’s Zion Gonzalez in 1:44, while Burke pinned Winter Springs’ Caleb Desroches for the second time in two days, this one in 3:44, to qualify out. Gagliardo then injury-defaulted to Burke in the medal round.

113
Championship: Top-ranked Fleming Island junior Briar Jackson, the District 1 champion, pinned his way through the bracket, with his fourth pin of the tournament coming in 2:55 in the finals over Freedom junior Christian Fields.
Local outlook: Jackson got to the finals with his longest match of the tournament, falling Lake Howell’s Angel Giraldo in 4:42 in the semifinal round. But he wouldn’t be alone in qualifying, as second-ranked Flagler Palm Coast junior John Johnson finished third in the tournament with two pins and a tech fall. Johnson teched First Coast’s Jason Schwartz in the consi quarters, then punched his ticket for states with a fall in 1:55 over Giraldo. He wrapped up Saturday with a 22-second fall in the medal round over Oviedo’s Gabe Rendon. Oakleaf’s Abdiert Escobar was eliminated from further competition in the consi quarters, taking an 11-5 loss to Rendon.

120
Championship: Second-ranked Oakleaf senior Ryan Rosano won his first region title to go with the District 1 title, shutting out third-ranked Fleming Island senior Albie Snedaker in the finals, 3-0.
Local outlook: Both Rosano and Snedaker took care of business in the finals with decision victories, as Rosano turned back Boone’s Jayden Bradshaw, 7-4, and Snedaker overcame Hagerty’s Dylan Kohn, 7-6. On the back side of the bracket, Fletcher senior James Knox was eliminated from further competition in the consi quarters, losing by fall to Winter Springs’ Allen Maxwell in 2:50.

126
Championship: Freedom senior Smaill Saint Pierre scored bonus points at every round of the tournament, including the finals, where he majored second-ranked Fleming Island senior Jacob Sandoval, the District 1 champion, 10-1.
Local outlook: Sandoval reached the finals Saturday morning, taking a 4-1 win over Timber Creek’s Corban Arana to assure himself of at least a runnerup berth at states. Mandarin junior Luke Hopkins would win his first match of the day in the consi quarters, with an 11-6 win over Seminole’s Ezekiel McEntire, but his bid for state came up one scoring move short, as he fell to Timber Creek’s eventual third-place finisher, Arana, 6-5, in the blood round. Flagler Palm Coast sophomore Drew Dance was elminated from further competition in the consi quarters, by fall in 3:01 to Boone’s Noel Soto, who would go on to place fourth.

132
Championship: In a rematch of Matmen top-ranked wrestlers, Flagler Palm Coast senior Avery Holder (1st at 138) repeated his District 1 title in taking an 8-3 decision victory over Fleming Island senior Jaquan English (1st at 132).
Local outlook: Both Holder and English won by fall in the semifinals to assure themselves of state places. Holder pinned Boone’s Andrew Fletcher in 1:48 in the semis, while English falled Winter Springs’ Matthew Phillips in 3:22. Buchholz junior DeAngelo Fletcher fell in the blood round and was eliminated from further competition. Fletcher pinned Oak Ridge’s JeanVoltaire Faustin in the consi quarters, in 2:56, but then lost by fall in the bottom half of the consi semis to Phillips, in 1:55.

138
Championship: Second-ranked (145) Flagler Palm Coast senior Michael Martins defied expectations in the title match against Hagerty junior Ethan Woods, doing everything needed to secure a 4-3 decision for the region title.
Local outlook: Martins advanced to the final and assured himself of a state berth with a 14-4 major in the semis over Oakleaf senior Ethan Gustilo. Martins was joined by District 1 champ and third-ranked Fleming Island sophomore Dalton Williams, who finished fourth. Williams had lost in the semis to Woods, 6-4, but was able to punch his ticket for states with a 9-7 blood-round win over Apopka’s Dwight Parker. Williams then fell in the medal round to Winter Springs’ JJ Contreras, 9-5. Gustilo’s bid to qualify for state came up just one scoring move short, in a 6-5 loss to Contreras in the bottom-half consi semi.

145
Championship: Hagerty senior Dylan Kohn had bonus points in every round of the tournament, falling Timber Creek senior Carlos Matos in 4:31 in the finals.
Local outlook: Fleming Island fourth-ranked junior Vince Hauser, the District 1 champ, was one scoring move short of states Saturday. Hauser fell to Kohn, 16-6, in the semifinals, and was the only wrestler in the tournament to go a full six minutes with Kohn. But he could not solve Oviedo’s Dominic Isola in the blood round, however, taking a 3-2 loss.

152
Championship: Hagerty sophomore Logan Perkins won the title with a takedown in overtime, overcoming fifth-ranked (160) Flagler Palm Coast junior Curtis Brock, 7-5, for the championship.
Local outlook: Brock, the District 1 champ, assured himself of a state appearance and at least a runnerup medal with a 6-4 semifinal win over Lyman’s Zion Trent. Fleming Island sophomore Luke Chop reached the semis also, where he lost to Perkins, 5-4. That would not be the only one-point loss on his day, as Chop would fall in the blood round to Apopka’s Roody Edouard, who would go on to finish fourth, 3-2.

160
Championship: Oviedo junior Wyatt Forsberg took home the championship, holding off sixth-ranked Buchholz senior Jordan Mobley, 6-4, in the final.
Local outlook: Mobley, the District 1 champion, assured himself of a state berth/runnerup medal with a 4-2 semifinal win over Olympia’s Muibdeen Akinyele. Fleming Island junior Trace Insalaco was one match short of states, going 1-1 on Saturday. Insalaco edged Winter Park’s Quentin Lee, 4-3, in the consi quarters, but then fell in the blood round, 10-7, to Akinyele.

170
Championship: Top-ranked Fleming Island senior Paul Detwiler, the District 1 champ, added a region title to his resume, pinning his way through the draw, with a fall in 1:30 over Timber Creek’s Brian Santiago in the finals.
Local outlook: Detwiler had the longest match of his tournament in his semifinal win over Hagerty’s Justin Segarra, but the outcome was the same, as Detwiler pinned Segarra in 3:55. Two local wrestlers would reach the blood round, both coming up just short in that round. Second-ranked Buchholz sophomore Armando Acosta won his consi quarter over Lake Mary’s Justin Degale-Stewart, 8-1, but then fell in the top half consi semi to Segarra, 3-1. Tenth-ranked Oakleaf senior Isaiah Graham also won in the consi quarters, 9-2, over Evans’ LaJon Glass, but then fell in the bottom half consi semi to Apopka’s Keyshon Talley, 7-2.

182
Championship: Apopka’s Kendrik Koller, after pinning his way to the final, was able to survive the final after going six minutes, outlasting Winter Springs’ Bobby Williams, 4-3.
Local outlook: After losing by fall in 3:44 in the semis to Williams, sixth-ranked Buchholz junior Lawrence-Smith Jackson, the District 1 champ, came back to finish third. Smith-Jackson majored Hagerty’s Ethan Lopez, 12-4, in the blood round to punch his ticket to states, then came back with a fall in the medal round over third-ranked Flagler Palm Coast senior Wilbur Thomas. Thomas, who’d lost by fall in the semis to Koller in 2:52, assured his space at states with a 7-4 blood-round win over fifth-ranked Fleming Island junior Anthony Breeden. Breeden had put himself into the final six with a 5-3 win in the consi quarters over Oviedo’s Eli Slage.

195
Championship: Winter Springs’ Jessiah Contreras needed to survive overtime to take his title, taking a 4-2 win over Deland’s Raymond Haverty in sudden victory for the victory.
Local outlook: Tenth-ranked Atlantic Coast senior Jamari Broussard was one scoring move away from states. After a 13-2 major in the consi quarters over Oak Ridge’s Kevin Perez, Broussard came up just short against Hagerty’s Matthew Kaplan in the blood round, falling by a 2-1 count. Fleming Island senior Jalyn Robinson, the District 1 champ, lost by fall in the consi quarters and was eliminated from further competition, in 3:47 to eventual third-place finisher Matthew Simms of Apopka.

220
Championship: Top-ranked Fleming Island senior Ryan Smenda, like Detwiler before him, pinned his way through the bracket, needing just 45 seconds in the finals to fall Lake Mary’s Will Litsey.
Local outlook: Smenda, the District 1 champ, opened his Saturday with a pin in the semifinals, falling Apopka’s Michael Handy in 3:55. T-10th Robert E. Lee senior Leo White joined Smenda on the podium, finishing third in the weight class. White lost in the semifinals to Litsey, 10-3, but then wasn’t scored upon in two matches on the back side. White shut out University-Orlando’s Edmond Wals, 5-0, to punch his ticket for states, then stopped Apopka’s Michael Handy, 6-1, in the medal round. Second-ranked Flagler Palm Coast junior Tyler Irigoyen was one match short of states. Irigoyen won his first match by fall, pinning Freedom’s Patchiney Prophete in 4:11, but then fell to Handy, 8-2, in the top half consi semi.

285
Championship: Second-ranked Fleming Island senior Jose Concepcion brought the Golden Eagles their fourth bracket, needing overtime to overcome fifth-ranked Fletcher junior Stanley Hollenbach, 4-2, in the second all-area final.
Local outlook: Both Concepcion, the District 1 title, and Hollenbach won in the semifinals. Concepcion overcame Freedom’s Darrell Lowe, 3-1, in the top-half semi, while Hollenbach pinned Lake Mary’s Ben Moxley in 1:26. Buchholz senior Aaron Menden was one match short of states. Menden opened his day Saturday with a 5-1 win over Oak Ridge’s Keon Bush, but couldn’t find offense in the top half of the blood round against Lowe, falling by a 7-0 count.

Special thanks to the Orlando Sentinel’s Brant Parsons, who provided additional reporting integral to this recap’s content.

Please support our independent journalism by going here and donating to our website: https://www.gofundme.com/north-florida-matmen

Check them out on our state results page for 2018.

Please support our independent journalism by going here and donating to our website: https://www.gofundme.com/north-florida-matmen