MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL — North Bay Haven made the short trip across the Alabama state line and then a right turn north to the Birmingham suburbs, competing last weekend at the Spartan Invitational.
The Buccaneers ended Saturday afternoon with a ninth-place team showing in the 20-team tournament, scoring 81 points as a team. Host Mountain Brook held off Scottsboro and another Florida 1A squad, Palm Bay, for the title, with 219 points to Scottsboro’s 206 and the Pirates’ 203.5.
Top showing for North Bay Haven was the runnerup effort from David Mercado (3rd at 1A-195).
Mercado, the top seed at 195, had a bye into the quarters, where he picked up a first-period pin over Chelsea (AL). On Saturday, Mercado added a second 1st-period fall over a host wrestler, setting up a match between him and 2nd-seed Seth Branham of Pelham, who entered the tournament unbeaten.
Branham got a takedown 38 seconds into the first period and made that one scoring move stand up the rest of the way, taking a 3-2 win over Mercado.
After a round-of-16 loss by decision, the Buccaneers’ Logan McAlister pinned his way back to the podium, with four falls prior to a 3-2 win over Villa Rica (GA) to claim third.
Bear Siegal (145) and Julian Hernandez (170) both reached the quarterfinals of their brackets, and Caleb Fuster (132) was two matches short of placing.
Palm Bay had five champions in the event, with Roman Maldonado (132), Ronald Theilacker (138), Nathan Furman (160), Brycen Turner (170) and Christopher Brunson (220), with an additional two placers.
North Bay Haven will next compete in Thursday’s 1A-District 1 duals tournament at Bay.
Results from this tournament can be found HERE.
North Florida Matmen 