By MATMEN, Monday, 6:10 p.m. EDITED 11:35 PM.
KISSIMMEE — There are no team scores or trophy to contend for in the Danny Byron Invitational. Just very large championship hammers.
And, as well, there’s a chance to establish the early pecking order in the state.
Saturday, three Fleming Island wrestlers went home from Osceola HS with those hammers, signifying their position as pacesetters not just in the area, but statewide.
Sophomore Jayce Paridon (2nd in 2A-126) picked up his third Danny Byron title on Saturday, pinning his way through Friday’s bracket with falls over Palmetto Ridge, Camden County (GA) and over Doral Academy’s Julian Montero (4th-126-3A) in 3:26. On Saturday, in the Gold flight, Paridon added four more pins (including a second one in 2:49 over Montero as well as over 11th-120-3A Nathaniel Williams of South Dade), but it was Paridon’s 7-0 decision over Jensen Beach senior Ryan Mooney (2nd-126-1A) that was the effective championship, in round 4.
The Golden Eagles added first-time championship wins from junior Matthew Newman (8th in 2A-106) and senior Jhoel Robinson (2nd in 2A-195). Newman had two wins on Friday, pinning Palmetto Ridge and decisioning eventual 3rd-place teammate Jordan Mukaddam by a 3-2 count. On Saturday, Newman pinned his way thorugh the day, with five falls in all, including a fall over Mukaddam, over South Dade’s Bryan Morales (8th-3A-106, in 1:23) and in the effective championship match (3:17) in round 4 over Jensen Beach’s Ben Norris (14th-1A-106).
Robinson, who missed the Golden Eagles’ final preseason tuneup at Camden County the previous weekend, suffered few if any ill effects from that, bonus-pointing through Friday with a 13-0 major and pins over Palmetto Ridge and over Southwest Miami’s Jonathan Fraga (7th-3A-220). On Saturday, Robinson collected two pins, an injury-default and two decisions, with a fall over Miami Palmetto’s Alex Geffrard (2:59) (16th-3A-220) and a 3-0 win over Fraga in round 3 to grab Fleming’s third hammer of the day.
Two 3A area wrestlers brought back title hammers to District 3, as Hagerty’s Nikolas Blake (3rd at 3A-132) took the championship at 132 and Timber Creek’s Peter Nesheiwat (8th at 3A-285) won at heavy after defeating ranked opponents six times during the weekend.
On Friday, Blake had a pair of pins over Lake Gibson wrestlers, including a third-period fall (5:44) over the Braves’ Gaetano Tedesco (9th-2A-132). On Saturday, Blake opened with a 6-2 win over Tedesco, max-pointing through the rest of the day, including pins over two Camden County (GA) wrestlers and a third (1:26) over South Dade’s Tyree Graham, the effective championship match of the weight class.
Neisheiwat pinned his way into the final of Friday’s bracket, with pins over South Dade’s Marcelo Rosario (4th-3A-285, fall time 5:14) and over Wellington, then held down district and region rival Liam Glassmeyer of Winter Park (8th-3A-220), 1-0, in the final. On Saturday, Nesheiwat powered through to five decision victories, opening with a 3-2 ultimate-tiebreaker win over Fleming’s Ethan Hoffstetter (2nd-2A-285), then an overtime 4-2 decision over Osceola’s Elijah Vansickle (6th-3A-285), a second 1-0 win over Glassmeyer and a 7-4 win over DeLand’s MJ Smokes (5th-3A-285). The win over Vansickle, in round 2, served as the effective championship match.
The Golden Eagles and Buchholz both picked up a pair of runnerup efforts on the day, with Laird Duhaylungsod (120) and Ronan Bozeman (170) earning seconds for Fleming and Cavarius Liddie (138) and Kason Nichols (195) both second for the Bobcats.
Duhaylungsod (2nd at 2A-120) had two pins on Friday at 120; after a 5-2 loss to eventual champ Luis Acevedo (2nd-3A-120) of South Dade in the first round Saturday, he recorded three decisions and a major, with ranked wins over DeLand’s Phoenix Krauth (16th-3A-120, 8-1), SW Miami’s Ryan Cominsky (5th-3A-120, 8-1) and Osceola’s Evan Martinez (3rd-3A-120, 5-3). Meanwhile, Bozeman (5th at 2A-170) was second in his bracket on Friday, taking a 6-5 loss to Doral Academy’s Albert Manzini (3rd-3A-170). On Saturday, Bozeman avenged that loss with a 10-5 win over Manzini, but then fell by a 9-2 count to top-ranked 3A-160 Gunner Holland of Osceola and by 3-2 decision to Hagerty’s Kamdon Harrison (3rd-3A-160) before rallying for two wins, including a 6-4 win over South Dade’s Lawrence Rosario (6th-3A-170).
Liddie (2nd at 3A-132) was 3-0 on Friday, with wins over two Camden wrestlers and the third a third-period TF over Wellington’s Mario Trigazis (10th-3A-138). On Saturday, Liddie lost only to SW Miami’s Danny Martinez (1st-3A-132) by fall in 3:31 in round 4 of the Gold flight, the effective championship match; he took a second win (6-2) over Trigazis, with a second-period TF over DeLand’s Kellen Chapman (10th-3A-132) and fall (3:11) over Jensen Beach’s Mikel Pierce-Walker (5th-1A-138). As for Nichols (7th in 3A-182) on Friday, he had a pin and major before falling to 3A state’s top-ranked 195, South Dade’s Ansel Cervantes, 5-2. The pair rematched in round 3 of Saturday’s Gold flight, with Cervantes winning 8-5. Nichols otherwise had two pins (including a fall in 3:19 over 4th-ranked 1A’s Nate Sopotnick of Jensen Beach), a third win by injury default, and a 5-2 win over Fleming’s Walter Poe.
Jordan Mukaddam and Glassmeyer both took thirds at their respective weights, with fourths secured by Winter Park’s Joey Parker (152), Fleming’s Poe (195) and by DeLand’s Krauth (120), Gavin Rodriguez-Cayro (182) and Smokes.
Also reaching the Gold flight Saturday — no easy feat for any who do it — were Timber Creek’s Andrew Wittenberg (5th at 152), Fleming Island’s Christopher Chop (5th at 160) and Hoffstetter (5th at 285), Hagerty’s Kamdon Harrison (5th at 170), DeLand’s Chapman (6th at 138), Timber Creek’s Micah Wittenberg (6th at 160) and Hagerty’s Hunter Tate (6th at 195).
Results from the two-day event can be found HERE.
North Florida Matmen 