A Fan's Guide to the Florida 3A State Tournament
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Welcome to the Fan’s Guide for the Florida 3A State Tournament
So what is a Fan’s Guide?
The Fan’s Guide is a look at the tournament as a whole and each individual weight class … from a fan’s perspective. But it is not a prediction of who will win or who will make the podium. In fact, a Fan’s Guide is a little different. It is a look at a few individual pieces from each bracket … they include:
Favorite: the wrestler that enters the tournament as a region champ and has the best shot to claim the top step.
Contenders: a wrestler that finishes 1st or 2nd at regions has a decent chance to make the podium.
Darkhorse: a wrestler that might be off the radar, but could make a run for the top step.
Bracketbuster: a wrestler that finished 3rd or 4th in their section, but could make a run for a spot high on the podium.
Isn’t that kind of a prediction?
Yes and no. I do identify the favorite, but beyond that I have no idea of who will march through the bracket and claim a title (don’t get me wrong - I’ve watched a lot of wrestling this season so I have an idea of what will happen). I could give you an educated guess about a possible finals match and who will make the podium, but in the world of high school wrestling that is dangerous territory. Few wrestlers (if any) are unbeatable … but we do have past results and past accomplishments on which to make a guess or two. In reality, I am as much of a fan as any of you and like to talk wrestling. I hope each athlete goes out and performs to her ability and we, as fans, get an opportunity to watch some great wrestling.
Remember the sole purpose of the website, twitter, instagram, fan’s guides, pictures, etc. is to promote the sport in the Southeast. Have a great time this weekend, enjoy the wrestling, and best of luck to everyone competing.
Brant Parsons at Kabrawrestling follows the action all season and any reference to rankings below are to those that he has published.
NOTE: ALL INFORMATION BELOW IS ASSUMING THAT THE INFORMATION INPUTTED INTO TRACKWRESTLING EITHER BY THE EVENT DIRECTOR OR THE COACHES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON IS CORRECT.
A Look Back to 2023
Team Race:
We will delve into some detail here that you may (or may not) find interesting. As a former coach, this is where I liked to understand our path to a title and what we needed from each qualifier. If you are a parent and are solely focused on your son or daughter’s individual success then this part might not be interesting. If you are interested in the path to a team title then you may find the way we break it down to be interesting. Getting the most from each of your qualifiers is huge and can be the difference between a title an finishing 2nd, 3rd, etc.
South Dade rolled to the state title a year ago. It is a rare feat for any team in Florida to put all 14 on the podium, but that is what they did. 4 Champs and 10 Placers wins 99% of the time. Southwest and Osceola was a dogfight for the #2 spot, but ultimately Southwest needed to put all 7 of their qualifiers on the podium and they did just that. Expect a similar scenario this season … qualifiers means opportunities. Placers means points and than is what each team will look to do in Kissimmee this weekend. Keep this in mind as you read the rest of the Fan’s Guide.
Region Success Predicts State Success
Nothing is given, everything is earned … but there is a strong correlation between how well someone does at their regional tournament and their success in Kissimmee. Ultimately team (and individual) success begins at regions (and honestly long before that). There is a direct relationship between being a Region Champ and eventually making the state podium. Keep that in mind when looking at our favorites, contenders, etc. further down the Guide.
Twelve of the 14 State Champs won their region the week before. 44 of the 56 Region Champs (78.6%) ended up on the podium and the percent went down from there. Two Region Runners-up (Adrain Ochoa and Franklyn Ordonez of Southwest Miami) ended up with a state title and 32 of the 56 (57.1%) ended up on the podium. Two 3’s made the finals … what we might call our bracketbusters. Alexander Soto of Riverdale was 3rd at 152 from Region 2 and Christian Vazquez of Doral Academy was 3rd at 113 from Region 4 and both made a run to the finals.
Region Champ vs. Region Champ occurred in 8 of the 14 finals matches … so the odds are that the finals will feature Region Champs when all is said and done. Four of the other 6 finals were a rematch of the Region finals (most Region 4 vs. Region 4, but not all). Lastly, just 10 of the 56 (17.9%) wrestlers that finished 4th in their region made the state podium … so it is unusual for someone from the #4 spot to make a run, but it does happen (3 took 5th … Roderick Brown of George Jenkins at 106, Guillermo Jaramillo of South Dade at 113, and Matthew Alemany of Ferguson at 160). Last year doesn’t necessarily portend to what will happen this year, but keep it in mind because the odds are much more favorable to make the state podium if you finish higher at regions.
Path to a team title - Winning the battle of relative value
South Dade won the 3A title a year ago going away and with little competition. That said, it is still important to understand the best path to a team title and how to win the battle of relative value. First, what is relative value? The simplest way to look at it is this … we already know that winning a region title puts you in the best position to win a state title (as evidenced by the table above). But not all State Champs earn the same number of points and certainly not all Region Champs earn the same number of points at the state tournament … so we make a comparison of the typical region champ and the average number of points they score and compare it to the actual number of points scored by individuals on the top teams. Being above the average gives you an advantage - being below the average means you are not getting the number of points you would expect to get based on your region place.
The first thing we look at is … what is the average number of points scored by a Region Champ in 3A (we could break this down into the average number of points by the 106 lb. Region Champs, etc. but let’s stick with the macro picture for this explanation). Whatever the value is - that is what we refer to as the expected value … we would like to exceed that number.
As you can see, a Region Champ scored (on average) 15.43 points at last year’s state tournament in 3A (this is taking the average number of points scored by every region champ regardless of weight class, but within 3A). And because there is a correlation between region place and state place (and points) then the values decrease as we move from 1st to 2nd, etc. A closer look at the top 10 teams in 3A gives an glimpse into the teams that exceeded the expectation for their team or not. Black blocks withint the table cover cells from weights at particular schools where there was no state qualifier.
NOTE: The color corresponds to their region place and the relative position points are already calculated based on the above expected points.
NOTE: The last column entitled “value” is the value per qualifier … the higher the number the more the team as a whole outperformed their expected points.
So what does it mean? Well looking above it shows that 13 of 14 South Dade wrestlers performed above the expected value (just their 106 did not). So on top of having more qualifiers - those qualifiers did as expected or better and that’s why South Dade won by more than 100 points. Southwest Miami and Osceola each brought 7 to the state tournament, but Southwest had all 7 perform as expected or better based on their region placement … Osceola had 5 of the 7 with their 126 and 195 not scoring as many points as expected. That is the difference between 2nd and 3rd. Keep that in mind as we follow the team race this weekend.
Team Notes
The table below is a list of every qualifier by school, along with their place at regions. So we could talk about a number of different teams, but in reality there are just a handful that have enough to really make a run for a team title. They are discussed below the table.
With 9 region champs and 13 total qualifiers … South Dade is positioned to claim another 3A title this weekend. Honestly it will be difficult for anyone to catch them … they are excellent and they are starting with a 3 or 4 wrestler advantage on the pack chasing them. A few questions still remain though that are interesting. First, with 9 region champs, how many South Dade wrestlers will claim a title? Last year they had 4 - will they pass that this weekend? Second, the battle for second should be one to watch. Osceola comes in with 10 qualifiers, Southwest Miami, Palmetto Ridge, and Wellington each have 9 and Timber Creek has 8. No one has conceded the title to South Dade, but each of these teams and coaches want to finish as high as they can - if it isn’t first, then each is looking for second. Palmetto Ridge put 9 in the Region finals and are in a great spot. Osceola, Southwest Miami, Wellington, and Timber Creek have their hammers as well, but will need their wrestlers that finished 3rd and 4th last weekend to win matches and make a run for the podium. The difference between making the podium and not (from a team point perspective) is huge and just a few climbing onto the podium could be the difference between 2nd and 5th.
Schedule
106 lbs.
The Field:
Hunter Jessee (Hagerty) - Region 1 Champ
Erik Perez (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) - Region 2 Champ
Nathan Lyttle (Harmony) - Region 3 Champ
Bryan Morales (South Dade) - Region 4 Champ
Mohammad Davtalabsabet (Timber Creek) - Region 1 2nd
Brendon Clark (Sumner Hs) - Region 2 2nd
Xavier Santiago (Freedom) - Region 3 2nd
Rocco Ruiz (Doral Academy) - Region 4 2nd
Gabriel Ramos (Buchholz) - Region 1 3rd
Roderick Brown (George Jenkins) - Region 2 3rd
Michael Palma (Lake Nona) - Region 3 3rd
Damel Martinez (Miami Southridge Hs) - Region 4 3rd
Matthew Pishotta (West Port) - Region 1 4th
Angel Rua (George M. Steinbrenner) - Region 2 4th
Chris Schnobrick (Olympic Heights) - Region 3 4th
Rocco Duygulu (Douglas) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Bryan Morales (South Dade)
Contenders:
Nathan Lyttle (Harmony)
Erik Perez (Palmetto Ridge H.S.)
Rocco Ruiz (Doral Academy)
Hunter Jessee (Hagerty)
Darkhorse: Brendon Clark (Sumner Hs)
Bracketbuster: Roderick Brown (George Jenkins)
Things to know:
Two returning State Placers in the field … Bryan Morales was 8th last year and claimed the Region 4 title with wins over Duygulu and Ruiz. He is the favorite, but this weight could be wide open. He has some solid wins on the season (pinned Jessee at Danny Byron and Ruiz last weekend), but he has also lost a few - the last to Solomon Peterson of Heritage in early January (but I don’t believee he’s lost to anyone in this field).
Nathan Lyttle won region 3 with a tech fall of Santiago in the finals … but he had to grind out a 6-2 decision win over Schnobrick in the semis. He needs to be ready right off the scale as he draws returning SQ Duygulu in the opening round.
Morales and Lyttle share the bottom side with the highest returning State Placer in Roderick Brown of George Jenkins who was 5th last year (Brown lost to Perez n the Region 2 semis 8-5).
Erik Perez and Hunter Jessee are the two Region Champs up top. Perez shares the quarter with Region 4 Runner-up Rocco Ruiz. As far as I can tell Perez and Ruiz have not crossed paths yet this season. Jessee is 44-5 on the season pinned his way to the Region 1 title and wasn’t challenged last week.
113 lbs.
The Field:
Josh Sabbia (Oviedo) - Region 1 Champ
Adaias Ortiz (Osceola (Kissimmee)) - Region 2 Champ
Cameron Gibson (Wellington Community Hs) - Region 3 Champ
Christian Vazquez (Doral Academy) - Region 4 Champ
Tiago Neves (Timber Creek) - Region 1 2nd
William McGowan (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) - Region 2 2nd
Jorge Bravo (Palm Beach Gardens) - Region 3 2nd
Lajuan Ingraham (Miami Beach Senior) - Region 4 2nd
Santiago Carrion (Creekside) - Region 1 3rd
Leonardo Perdomo (Bloomingdale Sr) - Region 2 3rd
Alex Schnobrick (Olympic Heights) - Region 3 3rd
Antonio Morales (Southwest Miami) - Region 4 3rd
Aiden Hubbell (Tocoi Creek) - Region 1 4th
Lochlyn Harris (North Port H.S.) - Region 2 4th
Nicolas Degrossi (Park Vista Community) - Region 3 4th
Alexander Laguardia (Miami Southridge Hs) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Christian Vazquez (Doral Academy)
Contenders:
Adaias Ortiz (Osceola (Kissimmee))
Cameron Gibson (Wellington Community Hs)
Josh Sabbia (Oviedo)
Jorge Bravo (Palm Beach Gardens)
Darkhorse: Alex Schnobrick (Olympic Heights)
Bracketbuster: Antonio Morales (Southwest Miami)
Things to know:
Doral Academy’s Christian Vazquez has been everywhere on the podium except the top step. He has wrestled outstanding this season - having beat Ortiz in the Knockout finals with his only loss coming to Jaramillo of South Dade early in the season. Will this be the year Vazquez breaks through for the title?
Osceola’s Adaias Ortiz is ranked #2 by Kabra and has had a great freshman season. He is 44-7, but took most of those losses to hammers from out of state. He dominated Region 2, but must focus on those in front of him before looking for a rematch vs. Vazquez in the finals.
Ortiz shares the bottom side with returning State Placer Cameron Gibson (3rd at 106 in 2023). Gibson won Region 3 with a tough 3-2 decision over Jorge Bravo.
Bravo (a returning SQ at this weight) and our darkhorse, Alex Schnobrick (returning SQ at 106) share the top side with Vazquez and Region 1 Champ Josh Sabbia, also a returning SQ at 113. Sabbia did not give up a point on his way to the region 1 title.
120 lbs.
The Field:
Marlo Clark (Timber Creek) - Region 1 Champ
Kase Hopper (Venice) - Region 2 Champ
Alex Giglietti (Viera) - Region 3 Champ
Luis Acevedo (South Dade) - Region 4 Champ
Damonyai White (Lake Mary) - Region 1 2nd
Zachary Berry (Palm Harbor University) - Region 2 2nd
Dionsyus Browne (Colonial) - Region 3 2nd
Fredrick Mitchum (Miami Southridge Hs) - Region 4 2nd
Kyle Brown (Sandalwood) - Region 1 3rd
Talyn Fisk (Osceola (Kissimmee)) - Region 2 3rd
Corbin Fjalstad (Martin County) - Region 3 3rd
David Leiva (Douglas) - Region 4 3rd
Gabriel Brown (Buchholz) - Region 1 4th
Jarold Cervantes (Plant City) - Region 2 4th
Mark Bonfante (Wellington Community Hs) - Region 3 4th
Angel Delgado (Southwest Miami) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Luis Acevedo (South Dade)
Contenders:
Fredrick Mitchum (Miami Southridge Hs)
Alex Giglietti (Viera)
Kase Hopper (Venice)
Marlo Clark (Timber Creek)
Darkhorse: Damonyai White (Lake Mary)
Bracketbuster: David Leiva (Douglas)
Things to know:
The headline is 2023 State Champ Luis Acevedo looks to repeat at 120 … he beat Mitchum at last weekend’s Region 4 tournament, is ranked #1 by Kabra and comes in 27-2 on the season with his two losses coming at the Knockout to Georgia State Champ Roman Belardo and Lake Gibson’s Elijah Lowe.
Acevedo shares the bottom side with Region 3 Champ Alex Giglietti of Viera. Gigletti, ranked #4 by Kabra, is a returning SQ and comes in 54-6 on the season. He draws returning State Placer Angel Delgado of SW Miami in the opening round. Delgado was 7th at 126 in 2023.
Also on the bottom side is our darkhorse Damonyai White of Lake Mary who took 2nd to Marlo Clark in region 1.
On the top side we have Region Champs Marlo Clark and Kase Hopper. Both were 7th a year ago - Clark at 113, Hopper at 106. Clark shares the top quarters with Region 3 runner-up Dionsyus Browne and a tough David Leiva of Douglas. Hopper shares the 2nd quarter with Kabra’s #2 ranked 120 lber and returning State Placer (4th at 113) Fredrick Mitchum as well as returning SQ Corbin Fjalstad of Martin County.
126 lbs.
The Field:
Dario Duany (Lake Brantley Hs) - Region 1 Champ
Christopher Dinsdale (Dr. Lennard Sr) - Region 2 Champ
Jesten Conty (Freedom) - Region 3 Champ
Gabriel Tellez (Southwest Miami) - Region 4 Champ
Raymond Cavey (West Orange) - Region 1 2nd
Jordan Blomberg (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) - Region 2 2nd
Luke Agcaoili (Viera) - Region 3 2nd
Nathaniel Williams (South Dade) - Region 4 2nd
Robert Twilley (Flagler Palm Coast) - Region 1 3rd
Yosef Walsh (Palm Harbor University) - Region 2 3rd
Gabriel Nascimento (Harmony) - Region 3 3rd
Diego Imbert (Coral Gables) - Region 4 3rd
Keegan Clark (Timber Creek) - Region 1 4th
Aiden Debrun (Venice) - Region 2 4th
Kyle Leaich (Treasure Coast) - Region 3 4th
David Yagerman (Nova) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Gabriel Tellez (Southwest Miami)
Contenders:
Nathaniel Williams (South Dade)
Jesten Conty (Freedom)
Dario Duany (Lake Brantley Hs)
Christopher Dinsdale (Dr. Lennard Sr)
Darkhorse: Raymond Cavey (West Orange)
Bracketbuster: Robert Twilley (Flagler Palm Coast)
Things to know:
Southwest Miami’s Gabriel Tellez won the 106 lb. weight in 2022 and was 3rd a year ago at 113. He comes in as the favorite at 126 after beating Williams 12-5 in last weekend’s Region 4 final. Tellez is the favorite, but he does have a loss to Conty this season … 4-3 in the quarters at Knockout.
Tellez shares the bottom side with Lennard’s Christopher Dinsdale who won the Region 2 title as well as returning State Placer Raymond Cavey of West Orange who took 8th last year at this weight.
Dario Duany was 5th at this weight last year and gets returning State Placer Nathaniel Williams (4th at the weight) in his quarter.
Conty has come on strong this season and pinned his way to the Region 3 title without giving up a point. He is ranked #3 by Kabra and is 28-4 on the season (two losses coming to out of state competition at Knockout).
132 lbs.
The Field:
Toryion Stallings (Flagler Palm Coast) - Region 1 Champ
Isfandier Sharipov (Osceola (Kissimmee)) - Region 2 Champ
Sam Marvel (Wellington Community Hs) - Region 3 Champ
Dillon Smith (Southwest Miami) - Region 4 Champ
Finn Buchanan (Buchholz) - Region 1 2nd
Massimiliano Pellicano (Venice) - Region 2 2nd
Adriel Pina (Olympic Heights) - Region 3 2nd
Armand Williams (South Dade) - Region 4 2nd
Jaylen Clayton (Evans) - Region 1 3rd
Ian Drake (Ridge Community) - Region 2 3rd
Carlos Rodriguez (Harmony) - Region 3 3rd
Joshua Whitter (South Plantation) - Region 4 3rd
Josue Batista (Timber Creek) - Region 1 4th
James Aguilar (Riverview (Riverview)) - Region 2 4th
Kaden Smith (Colonial) - Region 3 4th
Alejandro Rodriguez (Miami Beach Senior) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Dillon Smith (Southwest Miami)
Contenders:
Sam Marvel (Wellington Community Hs)
Toryion Stallings (Flagler Palm Coast)
Adriel Pina (Olympic Heights)
Isfandier Sharipov (Osceola (Kissimmee))
Darkhorse: Armand Williams (South Dade)
Bracketbuster: Joshua Whitter (South Plantation)
Things to know:
Tough to pick a favorite here. Dillon Smith is 44-3 this season with losses to Max Brady, Armand Williams and Spencer Reep (Tennessee). He is ranked #1 by Kabra and won Region 4 with decision wins over both Whitter and Williams. He beat Marvel at Danny Byron early in the season and as a result is our favorite.
Sam Marvel was 3rd last year at 120 (and 6th in 2022) and is 34-5 this season. He beat Pina, 6th at 126 last year, by decision to claim the Region 3 title last weekend. Both Smith and Marvel pull potentially (because everyone must win their 1st round matches) quarters with Smith possibly getting Pina and Marvel vs. Williams.
Sharing the bottom side with Marvel is Region 2 Champ Isfandier Sharipov who nearly made the podium a year ago at 126. Up top Smith has fellow Region Champ Toryion Stallings of Flagler Palm Coast.
This weight should have some very close matches - so if you are looking for some to come down to sudden victory - be sure to catch 3A 132.
138 lbs.
The Field:
Nikolas Blake (Hagerty) - Region 1 Champ
Titus Herron (Palm Harbor University) - Region 2 Champ
Nate Barrett (Tohopekaliga) - Region 3 Champ
Elvis Solis Jr. (South Dade) - Region 4 Champ
Cole O`Brien (Fletcher) - Region 1 2nd
Austin Nappi (North Port H.S.) - Region 2 2nd
Carson Estrada (Harmony) - Region 3 2nd
Noah Sanabria (Braddock) - Region 4 2nd
Brent Ryals (Forest (Ocala)) - Region 1 3rd
Ehab Shalaby (Osceola (Kissimmee)) - Region 2 3rd
Jack Duke (Martin County) - Region 3 3rd
Alec Gonzalez (Columbus) - Region 4 3rd
Jhusthino Miranda (West Port) - Region 1 4th
Austin Hunt (Plant City) - Region 2 4th
Russell Crum (Wellington Community Hs) - Region 3 4th
Adlan Dzhabrailov (Miami Beach Senior) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Elvis Solis Jr. (South Dade)
Contenders:
Nikolas Blake (Hagerty)
Noah Sanabria (Braddock)
Titus Herron (Palm Harbor University)
Nate Barrett (Tohopekaliga)
Darkhorse: Cole O`Brien (Fletcher)
Bracketbuster: Jack Duke (Martin County)
Things to know:
EJ Solis is your returning State Champ at this weight. He is 32-0 on the season and comes in as the favorite.
Solis shares the bottom side with Region 3 Champ Nate Barrett of Tohopekaliga who is a returning SQ and is 31-1 on the season. Barrett shares his quarter of the bracket with returning SQ Cole O’Brien who took 2nd in Region 1 to Blake.
The top side features returning State Placer Nikolas Blake of Hagerty. Blake is 49-2 this season with one of his two losses coming in the Knockout final to 3x Georgia State Champ Drew Gorman. Blake is tough on top and will look for a cradle from any position.
Blake shares the top side with Region 2 Champ Titus Herron. Herron had to battle his way to the top step last weekend - winning 5-4 in the semis over Shalaby and 5-2 in the finals over Nappi. The first round matchups up top are the ones to watch with what should be some excellent quarters to follow.
144 lbs.
The Field:
Cavarius Liddie (Buchholz) - Region 1 Champ
James Singer (Bloomingdale Sr) - Region 2 Champ
James Kosza (Wellington Community Hs) - Region 3 Champ
Tyree Graham (South Dade) - Region 4 Champ
Elias Twigg (Fletcher) - Region 1 2nd
Mark Whalen (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) - Region 2 2nd
Daniel Ospina (Park Vista Community) - Region 3 2nd
Nelson Hued (Southwest Miami) - Region 4 2nd
James Gonzalez (Winter Park) - Region 1 3rd
Landon Bates (Palm Harbor University) - Region 2 3rd
Jayden Romanello (Ft Pierce Central) - Region 3 3rd
Tyrell Robby (Miami Beach Senior) - Region 4 3rd
Carson Baert (Flagler Palm Coast) - Region 1 4th
Jayson Ortiz (Osceola (Kissimmee)) - Region 2 4th
Elan Bennett (Viera) - Region 3 4th
Dylan Lopez (Braddock) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Cavarius Liddie (Buchholz)
Contenders:
James Kosza (Wellington Community Hs)
Tyree Graham (South Dade)
James Singer (Bloomingdale Sr)
Nelson Hued (Southwest Miami)
Darkhorse: Landon Bates (Palm Harbor University)
Bracketbuster: Tyrell Robby (Miami Beach Senior)
Things to know:
A few surprises last weekend at regions throws this bracket into some chaos with a ton of matches that should be very close.
Cavarius Liddie is the defending 132 lb. State Champ and is the favorite. He won Region 1 with relative ease, but draws the winner of Bates and Hued in the quarters (assuming Liddie beats Bennett). Bates, who was 3rd at 126 in 2A last year, is ranked #2 by Kabra but lost to Singer 4-3 in the Region 2 semis and as a result sits in the 3 spot. Hued took 2nd in tough Region 4 and that’s is a first round matchup you want to watch.
Liddie shares the top side with Region 3 Champ and returning State Qualifier James Kosza.
The bottom side could be a fan’s delight with a ton of very close matchups. Tyree Graham, 5th last year at 132, won Region 4 and sits on the bottom of the bracket. Region 2 Champ James Singer, 7th last year at 138, pulls a good Dylan Lopez of Braddock right off the scale and the winner gets the winner of James Gonzalez, 5th at 145 in 2023, and Daniel Ospina.
150 lbs.
The Field:
Vladislav Chechkovsky (Tocoi Creek) - Region 1 Champ
Anderson Heap (Osceola (Kissimmee)) - Region 2 Champ
Matt Archambault (Olympic Heights) - Region 3 Champ
Joshua Aviles (South Dade) - Region 4 Champ
Andres Sanchez (Seminole (Sanford)) - Region 1 2nd
Xavier Barnhart (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) - Region 2 2nd
Daniel Alvarez (Spanish River) - Region 3 2nd
Zachary Ruiz (Columbus) - Region 4 2nd
Jovan Vukajlovic (Lake Brantley Hs) - Region 1 3rd
Luke Bever (Bloomingdale Sr) - Region 2 3rd
Brian Mitchell (Viera) - Region 3 3rd
Omar Faris (Western) - Region 4 3rd
Laine Slayton (Buchholz) - Region 1 4th
Darian Monserrate (George M. Steinbrenner) - Region 2 4th
Colin Snowney (Jupiter) - Region 3 4th
Iam Garcia (Southwest Miami) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Anderson Heap (Osceola (Kissimmee))
Contenders:
Joshua Aviles (South Dade)
Matt Archambault (Olympic Heights)
Vladislav Chechkovsky (Tocoi Creek)
Daniel Alvarez (Spanish River)
Darkhorse: Omar Faris (Western)
Bracketbuster: Brian Mitchell (Viera)
Things to know:
Osceola’s Anderson Heap has been in the state finals 3 times and has two titles. He will look to claim a 3rd title this weekend. The only bigger favorite in 3A is Sawyer Bartelt at 215.
Heap shares the bottom side of the bracket with Region 3 Champ Matt Archambault. Archambault had to grind out two tough decision wins (one in sudden victory) on his way to the Region 3 title. He beat Mitchell 3-1 sudden victory and Alvarez 3-2 (both now sit on the top side). Keep an eye on Omar Faris, 3rd in Region 4 - lost to Aviles, Andres Sanchez of Sanford Seminole Zachary Ruiz of Columbus, and Jovan Vukajlovic, but no one should stop Heap from making a fourth trip to the finals.
On the top side we have Region 4 Champ Joshua Aviles and Region 1 Champ Vladislav Chechkovsky. Keep an eye on the first round matchups of #2’s and #3’s at this weight. This weight could be chaos … but I can’t imagine anyone beating Heap.
157 lbs.
The Field:
Juan Viera (Timber Creek) - Region 1 Champ
Demetri Zertopoulis (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) - Region 2 Champ
Shawn McCallister (Harmony) - Region 3 Champ
Jose Gutierrez (Doral Academy) - Region 4 Champ
Clayton Mitchell (Oviedo) - Region 1 2nd
Nathaniel Cabrera (Osceola (Kissimmee)) - Region 2 2nd
Giovanni De Angeles (Park Vista Community) - Region 3 2nd
Shannon Davie (Southwest Miami) - Region 4 2nd
Madden Bourst (Olympia) - Region 1 3rd
Devin Blunt (Strawberry Crest) - Region 2 3rd
Franco Rivas (Wellington Community Hs) - Region 3 3rd
Drake Bonney (Miami Palmetto) - Region 4 3rd
Bradley Mier (Mandarin) - Region 1 4th
Athos Karistinos (Palm Harbor University) - Region 2 4th
Edwin Torres (Viera) - Region 3 4th
Jonathan Moreno (South Dade) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Shawn McCallister (Harmony)
Contenders:
Demetri Zertopoulis (Palmetto Ridge H.S.)
Jose Gutierrez (Doral Academy)
Giovanni De Angeles (Park Vista Community)
Juan Viera (Timber Creek)
Darkhorse: Shannon Davie (Southwest Miami)
Bracketbuster: Drake Bonney (Miami Palmetto)
Things to know:
We have to go with Shawn McCallister of Harmony as the favorite. He just beat Heap in early February. He was 4th last year at 138 and is 39-1 on the season.
That said - this weight could go many different directions and should feature close matches in every round.
McCallister shares the bottom side with Jose Gutierrez of Doral Academy. Gutierrez was 3rd at Knockout with his only loss coming to Dallas Russell (at 150). He beat Drake Bonney 7-4 in the semis and Shannon Davie 2-1 in the finals at Region 4 last weekend. McCallister must come ready to go as he draws Jonathan Moreno of South Dade in the opening round.
Top top side features the aforementioned Bonney and Davie as well as Region Champs Demetri Zertopoulis and Juan Viera as well as Giovanni De Angeles and Franco Rivas. De Angeles vs. Bonney might be the best first round matchup in 3A. Zertopoulis was 2nd in 2022 and figures to be the favorite to emerge from that side of the bracket, but the path won’t be easy.
165 lbs.
The Field:
Colton Leavell (Creekside) - Region 1 Champ
Vincent Donatelle (North Port H.S.) - Region 2 Champ
Jabore Brown (Treasure Coast) - Region 3 Champ
Gavin Balmeceda (South Dade) - Region 4 Champ
Kelton Howard (Flagler Palm Coast) - Region 1 2nd
Owen Pratt (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) - Region 2 2nd
Elijah Alvarez (Freedom) - Region 3 2nd
Willie White (Southwest Miami) - Region 4 2nd
Malachi Mista (Sandalwood) - Region 1 3rd
Abraham Le (Sickles) - Region 2 3rd
Stefan Povsic (Olympic Heights) - Region 3 3rd
Naushad Bashir (South Plantation) - Region 4 3rd
Andrew Wittenberg (Timber Creek) - Region 1 4th
Deacon Delong (Osceola (Kissimmee)) - Region 2 4th
Mac Andrews (Wellington Community Hs) - Region 3 4th
Cedric Daniels (Nova) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Gavin Balmeceda (South Dade)
Contenders:
Willie White (Southwest Miami)
Jabore Brown (Treasure Coast)
Vincent Donatelle (North Port H.S.)
Colton Leavell (Creekside)
Darkhorse: Kelton Howard (Flagler Palm Coast)
Bracketbuster: Naushad Bashir (South Plantation)
Things to know:
Will Balmeceda get over the hump and claim a state title in his final trip to Kissimmee?
Like Vazquez at 113 - Balmeceda has been on the podium every year. He was 4th as a freshman and 3rd twice.
He won Region 4 last weekend in overtime over Willie White and a rematch is a definite possibility. Both will need to beat some good wrestlers on their way to the final though.
Balmeceda shares the top side with Region 1 Champ Colton Leavell of Creekside. Leavell beat Kelton Howard 3-0 to claim the Region 1 title.
The bottom side is loaded and should be outstanding from a fan’s perspective. Mac Andrews was 4th in Region 3, but is a returning State Placer after taking 6th at 160 in 2023. He draws Region 2 Champ Vincent Donatelle right off the scale. Willie White vs. Malachi Mista (8th at 182 in 2023) is a barnburner of a first round match and the winner could get Region 3 Champ Jabore Brown of Treasure Coast who is 38-1 on the season.
Keep in mind that Donatelle lost by decision to White at Cradle Cancer in early January.
175 lbs.
The Field:
Gavin Isaacs (Lake Mary) - Region 1 Champ
Gunner Holland (Osceola (Kissimmee)) - Region 2 Champ
John Fernandez (Harmony) - Region 3 Champ
Kevin Olavarria (South Dade) - Region 4 Champ
Jake Jessee (Lake Brantley Hs) - Region 1 2nd
Romarion Farquharson (Riverview (Riverview)) - Region 2 2nd
Dwayne Shaw (Wellington Community Hs) - Region 3 2nd
Connor Bonney (Miami Palmetto) - Region 4 2nd
Connor Gilliam (Hagerty) - Region 1 3rd
Nick Torres (Sarasota) - Region 2 3rd
Marcos Sanchez (Park Vista Community) - Region 3 3rd
Nicholas Santiago (Doral Academy) - Region 4 3rd
Jonathan Morrison (Creekside) - Region 1 4th
Brant Bovee (Durant) - Region 2 4th
Enzo Dasilva (Spanish River) - Region 3 4th
Mateo Martinez (South Broward) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Gunner Holland (Osceola (Kissimmee))
Contenders:
Kevin Olavarria (South Dade)
Connor Bonney (Miami Palmetto)
Gavin Isaacs (Lake Mary)
John Fernandez (Harmony)
Darkhorse: Jake Jessee (Lake Brantley Hs)
Bracketbuster: Connor Gilliam (Hagerty)
Things to know:
The bracket gods must be smiling on 3A because we get Holland and Olavarria on opposite sides of the bracket.
Let me explain for the few readers who either aren’t in Florida or aren’t familiar with Florida … there are 4 regions and they use a formula on where to put the region champs. Sometimes we get two of the best kids in the country (see Tal Shahar vs. Rivera) wrestling in the semifinals. Well that didn’t happen here.
Gunner Holland is a 2x State Champion and was 3rd a year ago. Kevin Olavarria was a State Placer in Pennsylvania last year. The two have battled back and forth all season with Holland getting the most recent win at the Colby Singletary Memorial Tournament.
The two are on opposite sides of the bracket, but both will need to stay focused on the next match or they could get caught looking ahead.
Holland shares the bottom side with John Fernandez who won Region 3 … although Fernandez will have his hands full with Brant Bovee and then with a win would get the winner of Bonney and Gilliam (a very good 1st round match - Gilliam lost his 1st round match last week and won 5 in a row to take 3rd).
Olavarria shares the top side with Gavin Isaacs of Lake Mary - the Region 1 Champ.
190 lbs.
The Field:
Alan Rivera (Nease) - Region 1 Champ
Timothy Peoples (George Jenkins) - Region 2 Champ
Aidan Madden (Ft Pierce Central) - Region 3 Champ
Christopher Sanchez (South Dade) - Region 4 Champ
Hunter Tate (Hagerty) - Region 1 2nd
Zahquel Davis (Winter Haven) - Region 2 2nd
Corrado DeSantis (William T Dwyer) - Region 3 2nd
Myron Mendez (Southwest Miami) - Region 4 2nd
Tristen Darling (Creekside) - Region 1 3rd
Aidyn Wolfe (Riverview (Riverview)) - Region 2 3rd
Jordan Hayes (Viera) - Region 3 3rd
Eliel Santos (Miami Southridge Hs) - Region 4 3rd
Danny Pacheco (Timber Creek) - Region 1 4th
Bryan Gari (Osceola (Kissimmee)) - Region 2 4th
Alex Davis (Jupiter) - Region 3 4th
Kenneth Canales (Columbus) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Christopher Sanchez (South Dade)
Contenders:
Timothy Peoples (George Jenkins)
Myron Mendez (Southwest Miami)
Aidan Madden (Ft Pierce Central)
Alan Rivera (Nease)
Darkhorse: Zahquel Davis (Winter Haven)
Bracketbuster: Aidyn Wolfe (Riverview (Riverview))
Things to know:
2x State Placer Chris Sanchez comes in as the favorite after a domination of Region 4. His losses have come to Jordan Mills, Lucas Szymborski (2x Tennessee State Champ), and Ryder Wilder (2x Georgia State Champ). He has been in some tough matches this season and has some quality wins.
He shares the bottom side with 2023 170 lb. State Placer Timothy Peoples of George Jenkins. Peoples, ranked #6 by Kabra, won Region 2 with a tough 5-4 decision of Zahquel Davis of Winter Haven.
Joining the bottom side is 2023 182 lb. State Placer Hunter Tate of Hagerty who finished 2nd to Alan Rivera of Nease.
The top side features Rivera and Region 3 Champ Aiden Madden (a returning SQ) as well as Davis, Myron Mendez of Southwest Miami (ranked #2 by Kabra) and Aidyn Wolfe who was a SQ at 220 in 2023.
215 lbs.
The Field:
Ethan Laupepa (Flagler Palm Coast) - Region 1 Champ
Baxter Hoffman (George M. Steinbrenner) - Region 2 Champ
Evan Fortune (Park Vista Community) - Region 3 Champ
Sawyer Bartelt (South Dade) - Region 4 Champ
Jacob George (Bartram Trail) - Region 1 2nd
Jordan Peralez (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) - Region 2 2nd
Jaylin Bien-Aime (Palm Beach Gardens) - Region 3 2nd
Nathan Adras (Dr. Krop) - Region 4 2nd
Joseph Kohlhaas (Fletcher) - Region 1 3rd
Mizael Morales (Bloomingdale Sr) - Region 2 3rd
Reece Smith (Martin County) - Region 3 3rd
Joel Carillo (Doral Academy) - Region 4 3rd
Jayden Velazquez (Winter Park) - Region 1 4th
Evan Bolick (Lakewood Ranch Sr Hs) - Region 2 4th
Dante DeSantis (William T Dwyer) - Region 3 4th
Gregory Gonzalez (Coral Reef) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Sawyer Bartelt (South Dade)
Contenders:
Baxter Hoffman (George M. Steinbrenner)
Ethan Laupepa (Flagler Palm Coast)
Evan Fortune (Park Vista Community)
Jaylin Bien-Aime (Palm Beach Gardens)
Darkhorse: Nathan Adras (Dr. Krop)
Bracketbuster: Joel Carillo (Doral Academy)
Things to know:
No bigger favorite 3A, perhaps no bigger favorite in the building, than Sawyer Bartelt of South Dade.
Bartelt is seeking his fourth state title and 5th finals appearance (he was a finalist as an 8th grader for Doral Academy)
Bartelt shares the bottom side with Region 3 Champ Evan Fortune who had to grind out some tough wins to take the title.
The top side features Ethan Laupepa who beat Jacob George 7-5 to win Region 1 and Region 2 Champ Baxter Hoffman who comes in 48-1 with his only loss coming to Aidyn Wolfe early in the season.
285 lbs.
The Field:
Jermael Paul (Evans) - Region 1 Champ
Kaden Darwin (Palmetto Ridge H.S.) - Region 2 Champ
Hernan Ortiz (Ft Pierce Central) - Region 3 Champ
Ryan Miret (Miami Southridge Hs) - Region 4 Champ
Marion Smokes (Deland) - Region 1 2nd
CJ McCutcheon (Riverview (Sarasota)) - Region 2 2nd
Joel Leon (Seminole Ridge) - Region 3 2nd
Apollo Benito (Columbus) - Region 4 2nd
Trevor Covelli (Hagerty) - Region 1 3rd
Cody Anderson (Strawberry Crest) - Region 2 3rd
Liam Higgins (Wellington Community Hs) - Region 3 3rd
Maxmiliano Taboada (West Broward) - Region 4 3rd
Cole Anderson (Creekside) - Region 1 4th
Nash Hudgens (North Port H.S.) - Region 2 4th
Eddie Keyes (St. Lucie West Centennial) - Region 3 4th
Daguy Massillon (South Dade) - Region 4 4th
Favorite: Kaden Darwin (Palmetto Ridge H.S.)
Contenders:
Ryan Miret (Miami Southridge Hs)
Jermael Paul (Evans)
Hernan Ortiz (Ft Pierce Central)
Marion Smokes (Deland)
Darkhorse: CJ McCutcheon (Riverview (Sarasota))
Bracketbuster: Cody Anderson (Strawberry Crest)
Things to know:
With Bartelt at 215 - anyone that thought of going to the lower weight decided to stay up at 285 and as a result we have a 285 group that should be fun to watch and extremely competitive.
As an example …
Hernan Ortiz, 8th last year at 220, won a tight 8-7 decision over Joel Leon to win the Region 3 title.
Ryan Miret downed Apollo Benito 6-0 to claim the Region 4 title
Jermael Paul pinned Smokes in for the Region 1 title. Smokes is the only returning 285 lb. Placer in the field and now sits in the same quarter as Miret
Kaden Darwin, who won the Knockout and is 47-1, beat Cody Anderson 8-2 in the semis before pinning CJ McCutcheon to win the Region 2 title
Darwin is the favorite, but he shares the bottom side with Smokes and Miret
Paul could get Anderson, ranked #2 by Kabra, in the quarters assuming Anderson can beat Benito (which is not a foregone conclusion) and they share to top side with Ortiz
This weight should be very entertaining - be sure to keep an eye on it throughout the tournament.
