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 our fifth round of random selections from the 11 districts. Our second team up is out of 1A-District 5, the fifth from the district and 48th team overall, is Pedro Menendez.
PEDRO MENENDEZ
You can see everything I have on the Falcons in 2019-20 here –> PEDRO MENENDEZ
Win/loss record: 12-17 in dual meets reported to Matmen. Please review the attached document for a summary of the Falcons’ performance in IBT events. All records were as compiled by Matmen.
Season in a nutshell: Pedro Menendez began the season with a trip to conference rival Orange Park’s midweek Raider 8-Way on December 4, with a 3-2 record that night. The Falcons stayed in duals mode two weeks later, this time for the St Johns River Conference duals tournament at Matanzas on the 18th, finshing with a 1-4 record there. After the holidays, Menendez competed in the St Johns County Championships, a one-day scramble on January 4 in which no team scores were kept. Next was the 1A-District 5 dual team tournament on the 7th, in which the Falcons were 3-1 and advanced to Region 2 for the first time in school history. Next was a weekend trip to Terry Parker for the USMC Duals on January 10-11, where the Falcons were 4-3 on the weekend. After a quarterfinal loss in the Region 2 duals tournament on the 16th, Menendez had a midweek dual loss on the 21st, then went back to Orange Park the very next day for the Orange Park Duals midweek event, where it was 1-4 on the night. Another midweek dual loss on the 23rd wrapped up the Falcons’ duals season; Pedro Menendez then placed 23rd out of 33 teams at the Flagler Rotary on January 31-February 1 and T-27th at the Clay Rotary on February 7-8. The Falcons were third at the 1A-District 5 traditional tournament, and qualified one wrestler out of Region 2, where they were 17th out of 31 teams. At states, behind one medal-winning effort, Pedro Menendez was 28th out of 66 teams. The Falcons graduated two key post-season starters (with two or three more 12th graders that were just short of our matches requirement, but were names with which we were familiar), but Pedro Menendez could call upon as many as 10 returners in 2020-21.
Key returners (15+ matches this past season) for 2020-21 (with year in school as they’ll be next year): Joseph Lepera (sophomore, 3-12 at 120, 1 match from regions); Gavin Rosario (junior, 12-15 at 126, district runnerup, 1-2 at regions); Logan Meehan (junior, 17-20 at 132, district 4th, 0-1 at regions-injured); Lukas Allen (sophomore, 7-8 at 138/145, did not compete in post-season traditionals); Jose Ruiz (senior, 12-17 at 145, district runnerup, 0-2 at regions); Nathan Luckadoo (senior, 16-12 at 152, district runnerup, 0-2 at regions); Jared Howard (sophomore, 9-24 at 160, district 4th, 0-2 at regions); Connor Spossey (senior, 44-7 at 170, district champ, region runnerup, state 5th); Dane Litzinger (senior, 17-16 at 182, district runnerup, 0-2 at regions); Jon London (sophomore, 8-14 at 285, did not compete in post-season traditionals).
Graduation losses (15+ matches this past season or post-season experience) from this year’s team: Alex Binkiewicz (8-17 at 138, district 4th, 0-2 at regions); Logan Parham (17-17 at 195, district runnerup, 0-2 at regions).
2019-20 MVP: Rising senior Connor Spossey had had two good seasons already for the Falcons in 2017-18 and 2018-19, but made himself into a rising statewide presence in his junior year. His first event was at St Johns River Conference; after an early loss to a fellow Matmen MVP, Spossey would win his next 14 matches, a streak that would bring him the inaugural County title at 170 and would last into USMC Duals midway through January. After his second loss — also to a fellow Matmen MVP — Spossey won 13 straight, with a 5-0 night at Orange Park Duals. After a 4-2 weekend and one match short of placing at Flagler, Spossey ran the table at Clay Rotary, a tournament that touched off a third double-digit streak of wins and got him to the Region 2 final, where he lost only to the eventual state champion. In taking fifth at states, Spossey was 4-2 on the weekend, with a quarterfinal loss to the eventual runnerup (and 2019 state champ) and three convincing consi-side wins on the back to earn a medal. He should be in line for a second medal in 2021, and could be a candidate for Saturday night.
2020-21 captain: While Spossey is certainly the unquestioned team leader and should be again in 2020-21, we select a second wrestler for this space, and we’re tabbing rising senior Dane Litzinger for the job. Litzinger had some solid tournaments up a weight or two from his finishing weight of 182, going 4-1 at Orange Park in December and 3-1 at area duals, competing at either 195 or 220. For the past couple of seasons, Litzinger has been a model of consistency for the Falcons, and that consistency will serve Pedro Menendez’s younger wrestlers well in 2020-21. If he can find the right weight, he could be in the mix for states in March.
Zander Laurin Warrior: While a lot of the middleweights in the Falcon lineup shared time with at least one if not two others, rising sophomore Jared Howard grew into the regular starter’s role at 160. His freshman season took the tack of a lot of freshmen as high up as 160, as he did not pick up a single contested win other than in the consis at Flagler, and he did not compete in the second day there. Every loss that Howard sustained was by fall, including a run of eight straight that started at Raider 8-Way and continued until County, and six more between Parker and Orange Park in January. But, even though, there were more losses for Howard than any other Menendez wrestler, he continued to suit up and try to score points, with attempts at Flagler, Clay and districts, in a run of matches that saw Howard win just one of his last eight. For battling through on-the-mat adversity, Jared Howard is the Zander Laurin Warrior for Pedro Menendez.
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Season in a nutshell: Paxon began the season at Gateway Conference rival Terry Parker’s two-day Arlington Optimist Invitational, where the Golden Eagles placed 10th out of 12 teams on December 6-7. After a midweek tri-meet saw them open their dual season on the 11th with a pair of losses, the Eagles then went to district rival Fernandina Beach’s inaugural Dual in the Dunes tournament on the 14th, where Paxon compiled a 1-4 record and placed ninth. It stayed in district the following weekend for the Yulee Duals on the 20th-21st, but couldn’t find a win in eight duals there. After the holidays, the Golden Eagles were back in action at Terry Parker for the USMC Duals on January 10-11, where Paxon was 0-7 and placed 14th. It had a midweek dual win on the 16th and split a pair of midweek duals on the 22nd before going back to Parker for the Parker Duals on the 24th and 25th, where the Golden Eagles finished 0-9. They went to Fletcher for the Gateway traditional tournament on January 31 and February 1, placing 12th out of 15 teams. Paxon then completed the regular season with a midweek quad, going 0-3. The Golden Eagles then finished eighth at the 1A-District 3 traditional tournament, and finished T-29th at Region 1, with no state qualifiers. Paxon graduated just one key post-season starter from its 2019-20 team, but the Golden Eagles could call upon as many as nine wrestlers with either post-season or key regular-season experience in 2020-21.
Season in a nutshell: Bozeman began the season with a trip to district rival South Walton’s Border Wars 7, where the Bucks were 20th. Bozeman’s only other event in December was a midweek quad on the 12th, where the Bucks were 0-3. After the holidays, they traveled to former district rival Mosley, the physical venue for The Bash, in which the Bucks were 2-3 and placed ninth in duals on January 3, then finished 10th in IBT competition on the 4th. After a midweek appearance at the 1A-District 1 dual team tournament on the 9th, Bozeman was next up at district rival Wewahitchka’s two-day roundrobin, the Gator Brawl, in which the Bucks were 20th on the 17th and 18th. Bozeman then had its final regular-season IBT at district rival Bay on the 24th and 25th, placing 18th at the inaugural George Mulligan Invitational. After nearly two full weeks off the competitive mats, the Bucks were 3-2 and placed seventh at Chiles’ one-day Timberwolf Duals on February 8. Bozeman wrapped up the regular season with a midweek dual loss on the 13th. The Bucks then were sixth at the 1A-District 1 traditional tournament, and then were T-20th at Region 1 at Wakulla, with no state qualifiers.
Season in a nutshell: Mosley began the year with a trip to Tallahassee for the two-day Cam Brown Seminole Classic at Florida High on December 6-7, finishing 5th out of 12 teams overall. The Dolphins went back to Tallahassee, this time Chiles, for the two-day Capital City Classic IBT, where they were 14th out of 28 teams, their lowest IBT finish until states, on December 13-14. Mosley then had its first duals of the season on December 20-21, going to Hagerty for the two-day Johnny Rouse Duals, where they placed 19th with a 2-6 weekend record. The Dolphins wrapped up December at region/area rival Pace’s one-day IBT, the Pace Invitational, on the 28th. No team scores were transmitted from that tournament. Mosley didn’t take much holiday time, serving as physical venue for The Bash two-day tournament on January 3-4. The Dolphins were 3-1 and placed fifth in duals on the Friday, then were fifth out of 12 teams in Saturday’s IBT round. The Dolphins then had tournaments in each of the remaining full January weekends, starting with the trek to Yulee for its Joe Bees Memorial Battle of the Border, where they were third out of 16 teams on January 10-11. Next was a shorter hop to former district rival Wewahitchka’s two-day Gator Brawl, where Mosley was fifth out of 22 teams on the 17th-18th, and then it was over to former district rival Bay’s two-day inaugural George Mulligan Memorial, where the Dolphins were second (tops among Florida teams) out of 18 teams on the 24th-25th. After a week away, Mosley then traveled to former region rival Clay’s two-day Rotary IBT, finishing ninth out of 33 teams. The Dolphins were third at the 2A-District 2 tournament and moved three wrestlers out of Region 1 to states. At the Silver Spurs Arena, Mosley was T-41st out of 77 teams. The Dolphins will graduate four key seniors from this year’s team, three of them post-season starters and two of those three state qualifiers, but Mosley will be able to call upon as many as 12 key post-season or regular-season starters in 2020-21.
Season in a nutshell: Atlantic opened the season with a trip to Bayside for its two-day Barbara Pill Memorial, with duals on December 6 and a fifth-place showing (out of 12 teams) in IBT competition on the 7th. After a midweek dual win on the 10th, the Sharks next went back to the Space Coast area, this time for Space Coast’s Vipers Invitational, in which they were fourth out of nine teams. A midweek dual win on the 17th closed out December. Atlantic kicked off January with the 1A-District 5 dual team tournament on the 7th, in which the Sharks ran the table to win the title with a 4-0 record. After a midweek dual win over a conference rival on the 8th, Atlantic next competed in Region 2 duals, reaching the semifinals. The Sharks then had nine days off the competitive mats before going to conference rival DeLand’s one-day Bulldogs IBT on the 25th, where they finished second out of 17 teams. That tournament kicked off a string of one-day IBTs on the Atlantic schedule, as the Sharks were fifth at Timber Creek’s Wolfpack Invitational on February 1 and took second at the 5 Star Conference meet on the 8th, with midweek duals on the 29th (or 30th; sources are a bit unclear), February 5 and 11. Atlantic wrapped up the regular season with a midweek dual win on the 12th. The Sharks won the District 5 double with their traditional title, and sent two wrestlers to states with their T-5th finish at Region 2. At the Silver Spurs Arena, Atlantic was T-48th as a team. Although the Sharks do lose four key seniors from this past year’s team, Atlantic can call upon as many as eight key returners (six of them 2020 district champions) in 2020-21, plus the Sharks had a couple of kids who fell just short of 15 reported matches.
Season in a nutshell: After a midweek dual loss opened the season on December 4th, Episcopal traveled to region rival Bishop Snyder for its one-day North Florida Duals on the 7th, taking a 2-3 duals record. After nearly two weeks off the competitive mats, Episcopal next went to district rival Yulee for its two-day Yulee Duals tournament on the 20th and 21st, compiling a 3-4 weekend record. After the holidays, Episcopal hosted its annual Rob Bierbaum Invitational on January 4, winning one of three duals there. Two days later, the Eagles split a pair of duals in placing third in the 1A-District 3 tournament, and the following weekend saw Episcopal compete at city rival Terry Parker’s USMC Duals two-day tournament on the 10th and 11th, where it compiled a 6-2 weekend record and placed fifth as a team. After a midweek duals loss on the 14th, the Trojans then went to Tallahassee for Lincoln’s one-day Trojan Invitational, which also was duals in format for this year. Episcopal was 3-2 and placed fifth in that event. After a midweek dual loss on the 29th, the Eagles then wrapped up the regular season with two Rotary IBTs, placing 25th at the Flagler Rotary on February 1 and finishing 24th at the Clay Rotary on the 7th and 8th. Episcopal finished fifth at the 1A-District 3 traditional tournament, and placed 14th at the Region 1 event at Wakulla, with no state qualifiers. Although the Eagles will lose two post-season starting seniors from this past year’s team, Episcopal can call upon as many as 10 key returners from 2019-20 next year, and the Eagles had a couple more kids that were just short on matches.
Season in a nutshell: Ridgeview made a point of emphasis in scheduling events with lots of mat time for just a few wrestlers, as a team both loaded with experience and very young at the same time attempted to mesh purposes. The Panthers opened by hosting their own two-day duals tournament on December 6-7, the Panther Prowl, in which Ridgeview was 4-3 and placed fifth as a group. Next was the first of three out-of-state trips, first to the Panthers’ traditional spot of Auburn AL for the Swede Umbach Invitational on the 13th-14th, in which Ridgeview placed 15th out of 23 teams. The Panthers next went to north Georgia for Coahulla Creek’s Clash at the Creek duals tournament on the 20th and 21st, with a short-handed group coming away empty-handed in eight duals. After the holidays, Ridgeview then went back to Alabama, this time for the the Scott Rohrer Memorial at Hoover, on January 3-4, where the Panthers were 21st out of 29 teams. After a two-week break, Ridgeview next went to new region rival Wewahitchka for the two-day Gator Brawl on the 17th-18th, where the Panthers were 10th out of 22 teams. From there, they focused on duals events until the traditional post-season, with a 1-4 performance at the Orange Park Duals, a one-day midweek event on the 22nd, and a 5-4 weekend at Parker Duals on the 24th and 25th. Ridgeview kicked off February with a trip to former district rival Englewood and its inaugural Rams Classic on the 7th, with a 1-4 night, and then wrapped the regular season with a midweek split of duals in Tallahassee on the 13th. The Panthers took third in the 1A-District 4 traditional tournament, and placed 11th out of 30 teams at Region 1 at Wakulla, with one state qualifier. At the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Ridgeview finished 24th at 1A state, with one medalist. The Panthers had three seniors that finished the season and went on to graduate, but Ridgeview can call upon as many as eight key returners in 2020-21, plus it had a few other kids that made early appearances where they fell short of a 15-match level.
Season in a nutshell: First Baptist Christian started the season on the road, with a trip to Master’s Academy for its two-day IBT, the Battle for the Blacktop, on December 6-7, placing 14th out of 16 teams. The only other December date on the Crusader calendar was a midweek dual loss on the 17th. After the holidays, FBCA went up to Fleming Island for the two-day Keystone Memorial tournament on January 3-4, finishing 2-3 in duals action on the Friday and 18th out of 20 teams in the IBT portion on the Saturday. The Crusaders then had two weeks off before making their longest trip of the year, to Wewahitchka for the two-day Gator Brawl on the 17th and 18th, as First Baptist Christian placed 15th out of 22 teams. After splitting a pair of midweek duals on the 21st, the Crusaders then made the shorter hop to Daytona Beach for Seabreeze’s one-day Ray Hollingsworth Duals on the 25th, finishing 1-4 and fifth place as a team in the six-team event. That wrapped up FBCA’s duals schedule; from there, the Crusaders had two IBTs, finishing 27th out of 33 teams at the Flagler Rotary on January 31-February 1 and then taking 32nd out of 33 teams at the Clay Rotary on February 7-8.
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