By MATMEN, Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
2A-Region 1 IBT
When & where: At Chiles (physical location), with both Chiles & Lincoln serving as co-hosts. Friday start times 12 p.m. (weighin) & 2 p.m. (wrestle), Saturday start times 8 a.m. (weighin) & 10 a.m. (wrestle).
Defending team champion: Fleming Island.
Returning individual champions: Shane Duhaylungsod (Fleming Island), Jayce Paridon (Fleming Island, won 1A-Region 1 title in 2021), Laird Duhaylungsod (Fleming Island), Kaden Schaefer (Fleming Island), Matthew Kotler (Fleming Island), Jhoel Robinson (Fleming Island), Dominic Martin (Clay, won 1A-Region 1 title), Ethan Hoffstetter (Fleming Island, won 3A-Region 1 title in 2021).
Synopsis: Hmmm. Can anybody slow down Fleming Island? Not sure this is the week for that. The Golden Eagles will enter as a heavy favorite. I haven’t seen anything to stop that. What I am curious about is who will challenge one another for top-3 positions. From Fleming’s own district, Clay should be there. Oakleaf has a decent chance for that kind of finish out of District 3. Lincoln, Ft Walton Beach, Gulf Breeze and Chiles all have good chances, with Pace, Ridgeview and Middleburg longer shots — but not impossible chances — to reach that level.
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: Matthew Newman (Fleming Island, 5th) v Jacob Bucci (Clay, 6th); 3rd place: Joe Tucker (Lincoln, 10th) v Timothy McLean (Matanzas, 8th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Garrett Ferguson (Gulf Breeze, 9th).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Jason Barrett (Ridgeview, 18th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Isaac Vosburgh (Ft Walton Beach).
Wrestler under the radar: Connor Barnes (Oakleaf).
Best round-1 match: Jason Marsala (Chiles) v Jacob Jackson (Westside).
113
Predictions — Final: Shane Duhaylungsod (Fleming Island, 7th) v Kaden Golder (Matanzas, 4th); 3rd place: Drew Holmquist (Clay) v Vaniel Caceres (Lincoln, 10th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Aiden Macken (Gulf Breeze, 9th).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Brenner Logan (St Augustine).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Santiago Mayic (Ft Walton Beach).
Wrestler under the radar: James Oliver (Arnold).
Best round-1 match: Holmquist v Oliver.
120
Predictions — Final: Coby Shields (Gulf Breeze, 11th) v Grady Woodard (Middleburg, 18th); 3rd place: Jashawn Washington (Lincoln, 13th) v Sam Tolomeo (Chiles, 19th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Ion Hortinela (Oakleaf).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Zak Vosburgh (Ft Walton Beach).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Vonte Burke (Clay).
Wrestler under the radar: Spencer Timm (New Smyrna Beach).
Best round-1 match: Timm v Collver Hipp (Niceville).
126
Predictions — Final: Brady Glavin (Clay, 11th) vs Laird Duhaylungsod (Fleming Island, 6th); 3rd place: Landon Burbidge (Ft Walton Beach) v Alexander Mendez (Pace).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Sebastian Bonochea (Oakleaf, 10th).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Zakary Jurado (Lincoln, 20th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Ethan Jackson (Chiles).
Wrestler under the radar: Dylan Johns (Middleburg).
Best round-1 match: Jackson v Merrick Miller (New Smyrna Beach).
132
Predictions — Final: Jonathan Bruner (New Smyrna Beach, 12th) v Jayce Paridon (Fleming Island, 1st); 3rd place: Jacob Johnston (Chiles) v Wyatt Leduc (Middleburg, 4th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Kaiden Tibbetts (Ridgeview).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Nathan Weber (Gulf Breeze, 18th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Jayden Thomas (Columbia).
Wrestler under the radar: Keon Barrientos (Oakleaf, 20th).
Best round-1 match: Tibbetts v Bruner.
138
Predictions — Final: Maeson Otwell (Pace, 9th) v Garrett Marschka (Chiles, 4th); 3rd place: Ethan Pinto (Niceville, 15th) v Joe Forte (Middleburg).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Zaire Fernanders-Jackson (Lincoln).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Caleb Pope (Oakleaf).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Christian Garcia (Ridgeview).
Wrestler under the radar: Michael Mancuso (Gulf Breeze, 14th).
Best round-1 match: Pinto v Forte.
145
Predictions — Final: Steven Banfield (Ft Walton Beach, 13th) v Kaden Schaefer (Fleming Island, 2nd); 3rd place: Cooper Hill (Chiles) v Logan Moore (Middleburg, 8th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Gha-is Cooper (Westside, 20th).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): JJ Martinez (Niceville).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Ben Helton (Terry Parker).
Wrestler under the radar: Vincent Crump (Lincoln).
Best round-1 match: Helton v Archer Bosick (Pedro Menendez).
152
Predictions — Final: Matthew Kotler (Fleming Island, 7th) v Connor Edwards (Lincoln, 5th); 3rd place: Matthew Sinclair (Ft Walton Beach, 20th) v Dylan Parkinson (Matanzas, 16th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Landon Jacobs (Mosley).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Nathan Williams (Westside, 10th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Scott Greenwald (Chiles).
Wrestler under the radar: Tayshawn Tate (Clay).
Best round-1 match: Jacobs v Jerimiah Baker (Oakleaf).
160
Predictions — Final: Christopher Chop (Fleming Island, 4th) v Landon Wright (Matanzas); 3rd place: Jordan Baxter (Pace, 10th) v Alexander Davidson (Ft Walton Beach, 12th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Roman Polinsky (Oakleaf).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Benny Lewis (Ed White, 17th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Luke Pickels (Chiles).
Wrestler under the radar: Andrew Yeats (Mosley).
Best round-1 match: Wright v Davidson.
170
Predictions — Final: Dominic Martin (Clay, 11th) v Ronan Bozeman (Fleming Island, 6th); 3rd place: Malachi Lewis (Niceville) v Ty Morgan (Pace, 7th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Anthony Kearney (Riverside).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Lance Sanders (Crestview).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Mason Crowder (Lincoln).
Wrestler under the radar: Talan Babin (Ponte Vedra).
Best round-1 match: Sanders v Babin.
182
Predictions — Final: Sawyer VanRider (New Smyrna Beach, 12th) v Joshua Sandoval (Fleming Island, 3rd); 3rd place: Connor Roberts (Ft Walton Beach, 14th) v Isaac Waters (Pace, 7th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): John Mengel (Mosley).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Cody Elliott (Chiles, 16th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Eric McLaughlin (Belleview, 13th).
Wrestler under the radar: Santana Harris (Leon).
Best round-1 match: McLaughlin v Elliott.
195
Predictions — Final: Jakob Nowak (Lincoln, 3rd) v Isaiah Shevchook (Oakleaf, 4th); 3rd place: Darius Brundidge (Ft Walton Beach, 14th) v Dillon Elliott (Chiles, 5th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Jordan Jackson (Ed White).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Walter Poe (Fleming Island, 9th).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Derek King (New Smyrna Beach, 15th).
Wrestler under the radar: Marshall Dixon (Mosley).
Best round-1 match: Elijah Williams (Westside) v Aaron Stacey (Clay).
220
Predictions — Final: Dylon York (New Smyrna Beach, 5th) v Jhoel Robinson (Fleming Island, 1st); 3rd place: Kedtric Wilbourn (Clay, 6th) v Thomas Jones (Riverside, 4th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Raymond Goforth (Ridgeview).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Andre Trice (Mosley).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Tyler Green (Milton).
Wrestler under the radar: Kendrick Scott (Lincoln).
Best round-1 match: Goforth v Wilbourn.
285
Predictions — Final: Ethan Hoffstetter (Fleming Island, 16th) v Tucker Cody (Middleburg, 18th); 3rd place: Alex Benitez (Ed White) v Ryder Luck (Lincoln, 17th).
Dark horse (top half of bracket): Keith Forbes (Englewood).
Dark horse (bottom half of bracket): Will Kelly (Clay).
Don’t be surprised if this wrestler makes a deep run: Asa Adams (Niceville).
Wrestler under the radar: London Taylor (Gulf Breeze).
Best round-1 match: Kelly v Adams.
Rankings from https://www.kabrawrestling.com/rankings/class-2a
North Florida Matmen 