By MATMEN, Thursday, 6 p.m.
1A-Region 1 IBT
When & where: At Wewahitchka, with Friday start times 10 a.m. (weighin) & noon (wrestle) and Saturday start times 8 a.m. (weighin) & 10 a.m. (wrestle) (all times Central).
Defending team champion: No defending team champion; last year’s team champion, Clay, was reclassified to 2A.
Returning individual champions: Topher Pearson (Suwannee); Jay Brown (Liberty County); Brody Boehm (Suwannee); Mikade Harvey (Palatka); Roberto Cuartero (Bishop Kenny); Enzo Gamba (Fernandina Beach, won in 2021 also); David Mercado (North Bay Haven);
Synopsis: With Clay having moved to 2A, Suwannee was the first team to move into the power breach, but the Bulldogs needed every possible point they could to hold off Florida High at districts last week, and the Seminoles have major hammers in play that, if Suwannee falters at a weight or two, Florida High would step forward. Looking for some additional challengers? There are several, with Wakulla right within the Bulldogs’ and Seminoles’ district, along with Yulee or Episcopal out of District 3. Teams like Bay, North Bay Haven, Fernandina Beach, Bishop Kenny, Baker County and Union County all have some solid depth. This has meant a significant upgrade of depth — and thus a more-competitive tournament field — than we may have seen in recently-previous seasons.
Matmen’s state-qualifier predictions (sure to be wrong) — The finals and third-place predictions are self-explanatory. Dark horses are wrestlers that will be very strong state-qualifier candidates based on how the bracket looks for them. Wrestlers who could make a deep run are those I’m seeing will make life difficult for opponents upon their path. Under-the-radar wrestlers are those whom I’ve seen as intriguing, maybe not necessarily for this year’s tournament, but somebody I want to keep closer tabs on, hopefully, for next year.
106
Predictions — Final: Eli Jolicoeur (Suwannee, 5th) v Jasper Croom (Florida High, 1st); 3rd place: Connor Brown (Wakulla, 7th) v Nathan Lyttle (South Walton, 15th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Aidan Hubbell (Tocoi Creek).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Dylan Malott (Rutherford, 20th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Taylor Martinez (Wolfson, 17th).
Wrestler under the radar: Thomas Pluhar (Rocky Bayou Christian).
Best round-1 match: Malott v Oliver Hayden (Beachside).
113
Predictions — Final: Derrick Williams (Bay, 1st) v Justin Contreras (Suwannee, 5th); 3rd place: Jareb Lauramore (Baker County, 11th) v Anthony Fondo (Wakulla, 15th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Matthew Braddock (St Johns Country Day, 13th).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Josh Harris (Yulee).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: DJ Richardson (Florida High, 15th).
Wrestler under the radar: Crew Richter (Fernandina Beach).
Best round-1 match: Braddock v Richardson.
120
Predictions — Final: Topher Pearson (Suwannee, 7th) v Jay Brown (Liberty County, 6th); 3rd place: Kyle Brown (Paxon, 17th) v David Drake (Bay, 8th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Turner Glenn (Episcopal, 18th).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Jake Parker (Wewahitchka, 9th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Jacob Harless (Bishop Kenny, 16th).
Wrestler under the radar: Ethan Hancock (Union County).
Best round-1 match: Pearson v Glenn.
126
Predictions — Final: Blayden Tharpe (West Nassau, 8th) v Brody Boehm (Suwannee, 3rd); 3rd place: Caden Kubatzke (Fernandina Beach, 11th) v Scott Busey (Episcopal, 14th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): David Culley (Wakulla).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Leonardo Sanchez (Bay).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Hunter Stanley (Florida High).
Wrestler under the radar: Elias Spurlin (Stanton, 20th).
Best round-1 match: Sanchez v Busey.
132
Predictions — Final: Gibson Moore (South Walton, 16th) v Cael Kubatzke (Fernandina Beach, 10th); 3rd place: Troy Carroll (Florida High, 13th) v Ian Halfacre (Union County, 17th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Ishmael Foster (Palatka).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Caleb Orr (Wakulla, 14th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Nicholas Pressley (Episcopal).
Wrestler under the radar: Willie Sims (Tocoi Creek).
Best round-1 match: Pressley v Foster.
138
Predictions — Final: Austin Adamson (Yulee, 11th) v Mikade Harvey (Palatka, 2nd); 3rd place: Mark Coniker (Tocoi Creek, 19th) v Brady Jackson (Wakulla, 12th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Ayden Kirby (Suwannee, 16th).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Cohen Chesser (Episcopal, 20th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Elijah Stillgess (Bay, 15th).
Wrestler under the radar: Christopher Hampton (Bishop Kenny).
Best round-1 match: Ethan Shea (Union County) v Kirby.
145
Predictions — Final: Jae T Thaxton (Wakulla, 7th) v Marshall White (Suwannee, 12th); 3rd place: Bear Siegal (North Bay Haven, 9th) v Romero Black (Rutherford, 11th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Jack Raynor (Bishop Kenny, 18th).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Cole Misciagna (Fernandina Beach, 13th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Grady Smith (Beachside, 17th).
Wrestler under the radar: Aiden Melson (West Nassau).
Best round-1 match: Smith v Baylor Maurer (Episcopal).
152
Predictions — Final: Nicholas Roeder (Florida High, 18th) v Roberto Cuartero (Bishop Kenny, 2nd); 3rd place: Nate Jacobs (Wakulla) v Austin McKinney (Suwannee, 4th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Shaun Sandidge (Bay).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Ajani Zahira (FSDB).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Chance Wolffe (Episcopal).
Wrestler under the radar: Keith Ratliff (Baker County).
Best round-1 match: Jacobs v Wolffe.
160
Predictions — Final: Conner Roberts (Wewahitchka, 8th) v Enzo Gamba (Fernandina Beach, 2nd); 3rd place: Rasean Rayam (Baker County, 13th) v Austin Howard (Suwannee, 3rd).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Dean Wright (Florida High, 10th).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Keaton Schirmer (Rutherford).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: John Fernandez (Episcopal, 7th).
Wrestler under the radar: Kaden Shaw (South Walton).
Best round-1 match: Makai Mitchell (Beachside) v Schirmer.
170
Predictions — Final: Dylan Johns (Yulee, 6th) v Dustin Wood (Suwannee, 13th); 3rd place: Brennan Doherty (Episcopal, 14th) v Cannon Wimpey (Baker County).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Luke Ghannam (Bishop Kenny).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Anthony Fancher (Fernandina Beach).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Colin Hadlock (Union County).
Wrestler under the radar: Jordan Haigler (Florida High).
Best round-1 match: Hadlock v Haigler.
182
Predictions — Final: Nolan McKelvy (West Nassau, 6th) v Xander Hawkes (Florida High, 4th); 3rd place: Collin Hearn (Bishop Kenny, 7th) v Christopher Aud (Yulee, 12th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Bryson Schirmer (Rutherford, 20th).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Eddie Craig (Beachside, 9th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Alexander Cortese (Union County, 14th).
Wrestler under the radar: Benjamin Lewis (Suwannee).
Best round-1 match: Cortese v. Marquis Rhodes (Marianna).
195
Predictions — Final: Christian McGarity (Episcopal, 8th) v Alex Smith (Yulee, 2nd); 3rd place: Gauge Housely (Fernandina Beach, 19th) v Danny Thornton (Union County, 18th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Cody Johnson (South Walton).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Jhalill Richardson (Raines).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Nias Dorsey (Florida High).
Wrestler under the radar: Taylor Davenport (Baldwin).
Best round-1 match: Housely v Davenport.
220
Predictions — Final: David Mercado (North Bay Haven, 2nd) v Kohl Pippin (Wakulla, 13th); 3rd place: Collin Bishop (Florida High, 13th) v Jason Callahan (Tocoi Creek).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Steven Raab (Keystone Heights).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Cayden Ricks (Yulee, 18th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Peyton White (Fernandina Beach).
Wrestler under the radar: D’Cari Wilson (Raines).
Best round-1 match: White v Raab.
285
Predictions — Final: Carlos Sanchez (South Walton) v Braylen Ricks (Yulee, 4th); 3rd place: Gregory Townsend (Raines, 12th) v Adleigh Caquimbo (Wakulla).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Scout Harr (Liberty County).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Ben Clark (Palatka).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Lewis Adams (Freeport).
Wrestler under the radar: William Schuster (Fernandina Beach).
Best round-1 match: Harr v Schuster.
Rankings from https://www.kabrawrestling.com/rankings/class-1a
North Florida Matmen 