Hey guys!
The work continues. We are bringing back, for its sixth year, #TheSeason. We didn’t do these first year, but have ever since. It’s something nobody else does. We compile all season records and write a wrapup for each team.
We are into the homestretch of our third round of random selections from the 11 districts, plus our independent teams. Our 32nd team overall and third team out of 1A-District 1 is South Walton.
SOUTH WALTON
You can see everything I have on the Seahawks in 2019-20 here –> SOUTH WALTON
Win/loss record: 5-7 in dual meets reported to Matmen. Please review the attached document for a summary of the Seahawks’ performance in IBT events.
Season in a nutshell: South Walton began the year by hosting its seventh annual Border Wars two-day tournament on December 6-7, placing T-16th out of 20 teams. After a midweek dual win on the 12th, the Seahawks placed 25th out of 28 teams at Chiles’ Capital City Classic on the 13th and 14th. The team has often made trips to Louisiana over the holidays, and this past season was no exception, as South Walton traveled to New Orleans for the Trey Culotta Invitational, a two-day roundrobin/IBT, on the 20th and 21st, where it was 24th out of 25 teams. After the holidays, the Seahawks traveled over to Lake City for Columbia’s two-day Tiger Duals on January 3rd and 4th, where they were 2-5 over the course of the weekend. South Walton was 2-1 at the 1A-District 1 dual team tournament on the 9th, taking second and qualifying for Region 1 competition on the 16th, where the Seahawks fell in the quarters. In between those Florida duals rounds, they traveled to Tennessee for the Soddy Daisy Invitational, finishing 12th out of 12 teams on the 11th. The Seahawks then were 17th out of 22 teams at district rival Wewahitchka’s two-day Gator Brawl on the 17th and 18th, and 9th out of 18 teams at the inaugural George Mulligan Invitational, hosted by district rival Bay, on the 24th and 25th. South Walton then wrapped up the regular season by taking 14th out of 20 teams at Wakulla’s two-day IBT on January 31-February 1. The Seahawks duplicated their runnerup District 1 showing in traditional format, and placed 16th out of 30 teams at Region 1, with one state qualifier; South Walton was T-56th at states. The Seahawks will lose just one senior to graduation this year; South Walton can call upon as many as 15 wrestlers with post-season or significant regular-season experience, and all of them will have at least two more years of eligibility. With the coaching staff they have, the Seahawks will be a team to watch over the next couple of seasons.
Note: Records are as compiled by Matmen.
Key returners (15+ matches this past season) for 2020-21 (with year in school as they’ll be next year): Brett Canut (junior, 7-10 at 106, district 4th, 0-2 at regions); CJ Inman (sophomore, 7-27 at 113, district runnerup, 1-2 at regions); Randall Yates (sophomore, 9-35 at 126, district 4th, 0-2 at regions); Canyon Dart (junior, 31-24 at 132, district champ, region 4th, 0-2 at states); Ryan Kurfirst (junior, 20-29 at 138, district 4th, 0-2 at regions); Shane Lane (junior, 6-17 at 138/145, did not compete in post-season traditionals); Ashton Nunes (sophomore, 13-23 at 145, district 3rd, 0-2 at regions); John Lopez (junior, 22-27 at 152, district runnerup, 1-2 at regions); Judah McCoy (sophomore, 6-9 at 152, did not compete in post-season traditionals); Seth Marshall (sophomore, 7-35 at 160, 1 match from regions); Chase Maas (sophomore, 6-14 at 170, district 3rd, 1-2 at regions); Payton Ubben (sophomore, 5-14 at 182/195, did not compete in post-season traditionals); Noah Gabbard (junior, 7-13 at 195, district runnerup, 0-2 at regions); Nick Lee (sophomore, 18-23 at 220, district champ, 0-2 at regions); Andrew Thompson (sophomore, 4-27 at 285, district 4th, 0-2 at regions).
Graduation losses (15+ matches this past season or post-season experience) from this year’s team: Dylan Garner (26-25 at 182, district champ, 2-2 at regions).
2019-20 MVP: After transferring from Ft Walton Beach at the conclusion of his freshman year, sophomore Canyon Dart made the most of his new opportunity with the Seahawks, leading the team in victories (31) and reaching the 1A state tournament. Dart had a solid 6-4 tournament at Border Wars and was 2-2 at Capital City. He max-pointed through the district duals tournament and was 7-3 at Gator Brawl, placing seventh, and was eighth at George Mulligan. His best regular-season tournament finish was a fifth at Wakulla, but he was just peaking at the right time, as he followed that Wakulla tournament finish up with a district title at 132 and a fourth at Region 1, with losses at states to a Lake Highland wrestler and a senior in the consis. Given his path this year and coaching behind him, it would not surprise to see Dart challenge for a podium spot next year.
2020-21 captain: It’s not easy for a freshman upper weight to compete at 220; it’s also not easy for freshman 220s to win district titles, but Nick Lee was able to deal with those difficulties and accomplish that task in 2019-20. Lee was 4-4 with four pins at Border Wars and put together a solid 6-3 record at Gator Brawl, placing sixth at that tournament. Even in tournaments where he struggled, like Wakulla, Lee had wins that showed his promise that will be unfurled over the next three years, where he took a win over an eventual state qualifier. He followed that up by bonus-pointing through the District 1 tournament, avenging three earlier losses with his victory in the final. We will see Lee at states before long, perhaps as early as next year.
Zander Laurin Warrior: As we noted in the previous paragraph, it’s not easy for freshman upper weights, and such was the case for the Seahawks’ Andrew Thompson at 285. Tompson lost his first 16 matches, all by fall, before getting his hand raised three times in four matches, including a 2-1 record at the area duals tournament. Thompson then lost his next seven matches by fall, including his first one at the district tournament, sending him into the consis. Instead of just playing out the string, though, Thompson extended his season by one more week, earning his second pin of the year in the district’s version of the blood round, allowing him to qualify out. For persevering in the face of adversity, Andrew Thompson is the Zander Laurin Warrior for South Walton.
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Season in a nutshell: After competing at Weeki Wachee for the first weekend of the season (December 6-7), the Wolfpack next went to Hernando for the two-day Kiwanis Invitational, where West Port was 25th out of 33 teams. The team split paths on the third weekend of December, with the Wolfpack boys going to Springstead for the Corey Hill Memorial on the 20th and 21st, placing 13th out of 19 teams. West Port sent a girls contingent to Matanzas’ Lady Pirate Classic on the 21st. After the holidays, West Port started its January schedule with a midweek dual on the 8th and the 3A-District 2 dual team tournament, going 0-2 on the 9th. The Wolfpack girls went to Orlando on the 11th to compete at Dr Phillips’ Lady Panther Invitational, finishing 19th out of 47 teams. After competing at the Fivay Duals on the 17th and 18th, West Port had a midweek dual on the 23rd. The next tournament for the Wolfpack was the MCIAC tournament on February 5, where they were 1-2 in duals. That weekend, West Port made the short hop from Ocala over to Belleview for the two-day Diamondback Duals, finishing the weekend with a 4-4 tournament record. With one state champion, the Wolfpack girls finished 13th out of 117 teams at the girls’ state meet at Dr Phillips, staged on the 14th and 15th. West Port was fifth at the 3A-District 2 traditional tournament and finished T-23rd at Region 1, with no state qualifiers. While the Wolfpack will lose four post-season starters from this year’s roster, West Port can call upon as many as 14 key starters (either post-season or regular season) for the 2020-21 year.
Season in a nutshell: Englewood had two tournaments the first week, starting out at region (and former district) rival Orange Park’s Raider 8-Way on December 4, finishing 3-2 as a team. That weekend, at current district rival Terry Parker’s Arlington Optimist Invitational, the Rams were fifth out of 12 teams. They went to Oakleaf for the Friday Knight Lights on December 13, finishing 4-1 and placing fifth in that eight-team duals tournament. After the holidays, Englewood kicked off competition with the 2A-District 3 dual team tournament on January 7, splitting a pair of duals and effectively placing fourth as a team. Next was another trip to Parker, its third of the season, for the USMC Duals, in which the Rams were 5-3 for the weekend and placed fourth in the event. After splitting a pair of midweek duals on the 22nd, Englewood went back to Parker for the Parker Duals on the 24th and 25th. This time, the Rams were 3-5, but they’d rally to take fourth out of 15 teams at the Gateway Conference meet at Fletcher on January 31-February 1. Both of Englewood’s remaining two events were at home, with the team going 4-1 at the Rams Classic on February 7. The Rams then swept a midweek quad meet to wrap up the regular season on the 12th. Englewood was sixth at the 2A-District 3 meet and placed 25th at Region 1, with no state qualifiers. While the Rams will lose three senior wrestlers to graduation in the next few weeks, Englewood can call upon, next season, as many as 11 key starters that had either 15+ regular-season starts or post-season appearances this past year.
Season in a nutshell: This was the inaugural competition season for the Tigers. Union began the season just before the Christmas holiday, competing at the Yulee Duals, where the Tigers were 4-5 on December 20-21. Union then was 3-2 at Gainesville’s Category 5 Duals on the 28th. The Tigers started January with a trip to Fleming Island’s Keystone Memorial tournament, with a 1-4 record in the duals competition on the 3rd and a 17th-place finish in the IBT competition on the 4th. After nearly two weeks off the mat, the Tigers next competed in a midweek dual on the 17th before traveling to Citrus for the one-day Ed Kilpatrick, Union’s last IBT of the year, on the 18th. There, the Tigers were 18th out of 19 teams. The following week, Union was 1-4 at the Orange Park Duals on the 22nd, but then won a midweek dual on the 24th. Next on the docket was Belleview’s Diamondback Duals on February 7-8, where Union was 3-5 on the weekend. After a midweek dual loss on the 11th, the Tigers concluded their season with a 2-3 performance at the TD Talbott Legion Duals tournament at Villages on the 15th. While Union will lose three seniors to graduation, the Tigers can call upon, next season, as many as 12 starters or regular performers that had at least 15 matches in the lineup this past year.
Season in a nutshell: Bartram started the season with a 5-0 night at Orange Park’s Raider 8-Way on December 4; three days later, the Bears were 3-2 at the Matanzas Duals and placed third in the one-day event. Bartram stayed in duals mode for its next event, the Friday Knight Lights at Oakleaf on the 13th, and the Bears were 3-2 and finished second there. Next was a trip up to Nassau County for the two-day Yulee Duals on the 20th and 21st; Bartram was 5-2 and placed fifth in that 20-plus-team event. First up in January was the unscored St Johns County roundrobin tournament on the 4th, where the Bears won seven individual titles. On the 8th, Bartram competed in the 3A-District 1 duals tournament, finishing with a 3-1 record and third-place team finish. After a midweek dual win on the 15th, the next tournament was the Parker Duals on the 24th and 25th, in which Bartram was 9-0 (and with an average margin of victory of 53.4 points per dual). After a midweek dual win on the 29th, the Bears had two mid-pack Rotary IBT finishes, with a 17th (out of 33 teams) at the Flagler Rotary on January 31-February 1 and a 15th (again 33 teams) at the Clay Rotary on February 7-8. Three Bartram girls made the trip to the girls’ state tournament at Dr Phillips, and finished T-59th out of 117 teams. The Bears then finished fourth at the 3A-District 1 traditional tournament and 15th (out of 30) at Region 1, with one state qualifier, taking a T-52nd finish at Silver Spurs Arena. While the Bears will graduate five key seniors (four with post-season experience this past year), Bartram Trail can call upon as many as 14 possible returners with either post-season or significant regular-season starting experience, and the Bears had a number of other kids that saw starting action at one time or another.
Season in a nutshell: A fledgling program in 2019-20, Lake Weir began its season on December 7, taking the road at University (Orange City)’s Clash of the Titans one-day IBT, where it had its largest team of the season. The Hurricanes finished T-15th at that event, and then didn’t compete again in a varsity event until January 18th, when they were 19th at Citrus’ Ed Kilpatrick one-day IBT. The following weekend, Lake Weir was 17th at DeLand’s one-day Bulldogs IBT, on January 25. The Hurricanes took their shot at dual competition, with just two kids left in the lineup, for the Marion County duals tournament, a midweek event in which Lake Weir was 0-3. The Hurricanes then placed sixth in the 1A-District 5 traditional tournament and were T-28th, ahead of two other teams, at the Region 2 event at Palm Bay.
Season in a nutshell: Florida High focused mainly on IBTs/roundrobin events in the 2019-20 season, starting with its own, the Cam Brown Seminole Classic on December 6-7, where the Seminoles were eighth out of 12 teams on a weekend where several eventual starters were competing in the state football finals that weekend. Next was the short hop crosstown to Chiles for the Capital City Classic, a straight IBT on the 13th and 14th, where Florida High was 11th out of 28 teams. The team then made its first road trip of the season, heading up to Valdosta GA for the Allstate Wildcat Invitational two-day IBT on the 20th and 21st, where the Seminoles were 19th out of 25 teams. They finished December with their annual trip to Kissimmee and the Knockout Christmas Classic, where Florida High finished T-29th out of 40 teams. January began with the 1A-District 2 dual team tournament on the 9th, where Florida High fell in the semifinal round. That weekend, the Seminoles went to Yulee, taking fourth out of 16 teams at the two-day IBT-formatted Joe Bees Memorial Battle of the Border on the 10th and 11th. Two weekends later, Florida High went to Bay’s inaugural George Mulligan Invitational, taking sixth out of 18 teams in that two-day IBT, and then finished its tournament regular-season slate by finishing fifth out of 20 teams at Wakulla’s two-day tournament. The regular season ended for the Seminoles with a split of midweek duals against in-town opponents on February 13. Florida High finished third at the District 2 traditional tournament, and finished sixth at Region 1, with four state qualifiers. The Seminoles then finished T-18th at Kissimmee, with two medalists.
Season in a nutshell: Another very young team, the Diamondbacks opened in dual competition at Weeki Wachee, where they finished 5-3 on the weekend of December 6-7. The following weekend, at Hernando’s, 33-team, two-day Kiwanis Invitational IBT on the 13th and 14th, Belleview was 31st. That would be the Diamondbacks’ last competition of 2019; they’d open January with a trip up to Lake City and Columbia’s two-day Tiger Duals, where they finished 4-3 in varsity competition on the 3rd & 4th. The following Saturday, at the 2A-District 4 dual team tournament, Belleview was 1-2 on the day. On the 18th, the Diamondbacks visited nearby Inverness for Citrus’ one-day IBT, the Ed Kilpatrick Invitational, finishing 13th out of 19 teams. From there, it was all duals the rest of the season for Belleview, beginning on the 25th at district rival Seabreeze’s Ray Hollingsworth Duals, where it was 2-3 on the day. After a midweek dual loss on the 29th, the Diamondbacks next went to Dade City for the one-day Pasco Duals on February 1, where they were 3-2 as a team. Belleview then placed second at the MCIAC tournament on the 5th, with a 2-1 duals record in that four-team event. It then hosted the Diamondback Duals on the 7th-8th; on that weekend, the hosts were 7-1 as a team and placed second. Belleview was sixth at the 2A-District 4 traditional tournament and placed 24th at Region 1 at Chiles, with no state qualifiers. The team will graduate just one senior with significant match time this year, but might be able to call upon as many as 15 returners next year with either post-season starts or significant regular-season time, plus a couple more that just fell short of the matches needed for inclusion. And most of those returners have at least two more years of eligibility remaining.
North Florida Matmen 