Florida 3A State Tournament Fan's Guide
Never read one of our Fan’s Guides before? Here is what to know …
Favorite - that is the wrestler that I consider to be the favorite to win (it is my opinion … for everyone not on the favorite line - please go prove me wrong).
Contenders - are those wrestlers that could easily win the whole thing.
Darkhorse - A wrestler that finished 3rd or 4th in regionals/sectionals, but has demonstrated that they have the ability (and might have the best path) to make a run for spot high on the podium.
Best 1st round matchup - a match I would be watching.
NOTE: This is a Fan’s Guide … remember the purpose is to give the average person an idea of the upcoming state tournament. It is not a prediction, but I do attempt to give you my thoughts regarding how it might play out. Past is prologue … meaning that past results do inform, but only in a simple way in my opinion. Meaning if a wrestler placed a year ago that demonstrates to me that they were 1) competitive at the state tournament and 2) found a way to win a few matches. It doesn’t predict future success. Please keep that in mind as you read the Guide. I hope you enjoy.
Favorite: Gabriel Tellez (Southwest Miami)
Contenders:
Joshua Hartley (Palm Harbor)
Christian Vazquez (Doral Academy)
Aydan Ruano (Ocala Forest)
Cameron Gibson (Wellington)
Darkhorse: Andrew Punzalan (Cypress Bay)
Best 1st Round Match: Elizer Torres vs. Robert Allcroft
What to Expect: Tellez has shown all season that he is the man to beat at 106 and nothing that happened last weekend changed that. Tellez pinned Christian Vazquez in the 3rd period and continued to roll on. He beat 2x Georgia State Champ Rylan Ibold of Buford in the Knockout final and has looked virtually unstoppable at 106 this season (we didn’t get to see him vs. Degennaro in the Knockout semis (which would have been interesting because he lost to Degennaro earlier this season). Vazquez is a legit threat, but he will need to beat Jean Vazquez and then likely Region 3 Champ Cameron Gibson to make the semis. Josh Hartley showed in the fall that he was going to be a problem at 106 … he beat Torres 5-2 and should be amongst the favorites on the bottom side. Aydan Ruano took the Region 1 title, but will need to beat a tough Torres/Punzalan winner in the quarters.
Favorite: Tyler Washburn (Palmetto Ridge)
Contenders:
Kevin Placer (Southwest Miami)
Patrick Jones (Wellington)
Trenton Dominguez (Timber Creek)
Luis Acevedo (South Dade)
Darkhorse: Evan Martinez (Freedom)
Best 1st Round Match: Luis Acevedo vs. Evan Martinez
What to Expect: Tyler Washburn is the returning 2A 106 lb. State Champion and has taken care of business this season in moving up to 113 and into 3A. Washburn was 2nd at the Knockout in December and has to be amongst the favorites - losing to out-of-state hammers like Ty Tice of Eastside (SC), Wyatt Richter of St Ed’s (OH0, etc. He should get the winner of a tough opening round match in Acevedo/Martinez and then could get perennial State Placer Trenton Dominguez in the semis (although don’t look past Escarra and Gibbs). Washburn figures to be the favorite up top … the bottom side is less clear. Kevin Placer was 3rd at 113 last year and Patrick Jones was 3rd at 106. Jones wrestled at the Knockout at 106 and finished 3rd after losing to Ibold 7-6 in the semis. Placer has traded wins with Acevedo, but got a decisive 7-1 decision last weekend in the Region 4 finals. That should give him a much clearer path to the semis (and perhaps the finals).
Favorite: Christian Guzman (Columbus)
Contenders:
Ethan Vugman (Bartram Trail)
David Corret Jer (Palm Beach Gardens)
Colin Bradhsaw (Steinbrenner)
Blaine Taranto (Venice)
Darkhorse: Kole Hannant (Flagler Palm Coast)
Best 1st Round Match: Tamarion Kendrick vs. Carson Estrada
What to Expect: Picking a favorite from the 4 region champs might be like flipping a four-sided coin … no there aren’t four-sided coins - I’m simply saying that the one that emerges with a title will be exceptionally hard to predict. Guzman is the returning 106 lb. State Champ … he is 57-3 and easily handled the Region 4 bracket a week ago. He had a good run at the Knockout, but finished just off the podium fellow Region Champ Ethan Vugman who took 3rd. Vugman, like Guzman, dominated the Region 1 tournament last weekend and was 4th at 106 in 2021. The two sit on opposite ends of the bracket and should be the favorites to take care of their sides, but … there are a number of potential pitfalls along the way. Each will have a tough quarterfinal matchup - no matter who wins, but it is the potential semi matchups with Corret Jer and Bradshaw that are looming. David Corret Jer also dominated last weekend on his way to the Region 3 title - beating Echevvera 13-4 in the finals. The most intriguing Region Champ is Colin Bradshaw. Bradshaw has competed at 120, 126, and 132 this season and his only loss came to Anderson Heap by decision. He beat Connor Reeves, Diogo Santos, and others, but hasn’t faced the level of a Guzman, Vugman, or Corret Jer this season. A quarterfinal match with either Echevvera or Hannant will be telling. Past on past performance it looks like Guzman vs. Vugman, but don’t be surprised if someone else surprises everyone.
Favorite: Anderson Heap (Osceola)
Contenders:
Julian Montero (Doral Academy)
Ryan Ullyak (Palm Beach Gardens)
Cavarius Liddie (Buchholz)
Sean-Michael Gonzalez (North Port)
Darkhorse: Jamie Rodriguez (Columbus)
Best 1st Round Match: Jamie Rodriguez vs. William McArdle
What to Expect: Heap was 2nd last year as a freshman at 106. He has made huge jumps since February of last year and is now a legit threat as one of the top 126’s in the SE. His losses have come to SE hammers like 3x Alabama State Champ Yanni Vines and Georgia’s Ethan Sellers as well as wrestlers like Garrett Totten at Escape the Rock. He hasn’t lost to any in-state competition and has some quality wins this season (including wins over several wrestlers in the bracket). He should get the winner of Aviles/Ortiz in what should be a very good quarterfinal. Liddie was a 2021 State Qualifier and took the Region 1 title home by medical forfeit over John Hald of Flagler Palm Coast. The top quarter is super tough with Rodriguez and McArdle as well as Hunter. Liddie could emerge into the semis, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rodriguez or McArdle make their way into the semis as well. The bottom side features Region Champs Julian Montero and Ryan Ullyak … both get tough matches right off the scale - Ullyak with Gallivan and Montero with Marvel … the bottom side is brutal with Gonzalez, Hald, and others … it will be interesting to see who gets out of that side.
Favorite: Elvis Solis, Jr (South Dade)
Contenders:
Nicholas Romero (Riverview (Riverview))
Jorge Gonzalez (Winter Park)
James Marvel (Wellington)
Russell Raabe (Ft Pierce Central)
Venumadhav Mirel (Buchholz)
Reid Noble (Steinbrenner)
Darkhorse: Aaron Lanster (Miami Beach)
Best 1st Round Match: Aaron Lanster vs. Reid Noble
What to Expect: The Wild West. There is no true favorite in the bracket … each of the Region Champs had close matches in their Region Tournament. Each found a way to win and are setup in the best possible position to make a run to the final, but … no path is easy and nearly everyone they come across in the bracket has the ability to get the win. Lanster vs. Noble is a extremely tough opening round match for both wrestlers with the winner likely pulling Marvel of Wellington. Any of the 3 could be in the semis … we lean Marvel, but he does have a loss to Lanser already this season (neither Lanset or Marvel have wrestled Noble from what I can find). The top of the bracket features Jorge Gonzalez of Winter Park … who won Region 1 in overtime over Mirel. Three 2021 placers in the bracket are on the bottom side with Nicholas Romero of Riverview who was 5th at 126 and Elvis Solis who was 3rd at 120 in 1A (wrestling for Somerset), but the highest returner is 2021 State Runner-up Russell Raabe who forfeited in the Region 3 finals and now sits on the bottom side with a potential match with Romero in the quarters and Solis in the semis … easily the most difficult path in the bracket. All 4 Region Champs could be in the semis … but it is also possible that only one Region Champ is there with a smattering of #2’s and #3’s. Friday morning’s quarterfinals will be fun to watch.
Favorite: Cooper Haase (Osceola)
Contenders:
Danny Martinez (Southwest Miami)
John McNichols (Harmony)
Rocco Vargas (Apopka)
Nikolas Hernandez (Riverview (Riverview))
Darkhorse: Jacob Fleitas (Ft Pierce Central)
Best 1st Round Match: Gage Wiggins vs. Eric Aja or Nikolas Hernandez vs. Jacob Fleitas
What to Expect: We all thought the Martinez vs. Haase matchups were finished (at least in-season matchups) with Martinez moving to Lake Highland Prep last year. Well guess what … Danny Martinez is back in the fold at Southwest Miami and we may finally get a Haase vs. Martinez final (Haase won their last meeting in the state semis). This is an outstanding weight with returning State Champ Cooper Haase headlining the bracket. Haase has one loss to in-state competition - Tom Crook of Jesuit (at both Escape the Rock and in the Knockout final). He is the favorite, but has a good John McNichols sitting in the bottom quarter … Haase has beaten McNichols this season, but another matchup looks like a good semi. The top side should be exceptionally tough. Martinez returns and has looked superb. Apopka’s Rocco Vargas is the Region 1 Champ and both he and Martinez could have their hands full with whoever they get in the quarters. Hernandez was 5th a year ago and Fleitas had a great Knockout (losing to Aja in the consis). Both Aja and Wiggins are returning qualifiers … basically the top should be an absolute grind … who emerges is the question.
Favorite: Brennan Van Hoecke (Palmetto Ridge)
Contenders:
Gavin Balmeceda (South Dade)
Seth Rhodes (Wellington)
Aiden Moore (Buchholz)
Lester Martinez (Southwest Miami)
Alex Soto (Riverdale)
Darkhorse: Rafael Diniz (Cypress Bay)
Best 1st Round Match: Aiden Moore vs. Rafael Diniz
What to Expect: University of Arkansas Little Rock signee Brennan Van Hoecke comes in as the favorite after claiming the 132 lb. title last year and dominating the Region 2 bracket a weekend ago. Van Hoecke has been simply outstanding this season … only losing to Super 32 Champ PJ Duke at Ironman and then to Jack Crook in a wild Knockout final. Everyone in this bracket is likely wrestling for second. Rhodes shares the bottom side with Van Hoecke as do Lester Martinez, Preston Pena, Julian Rocha, and others. Van Hoecke should cruise to the finals. The top side is going to be a war … Diniz is not a typical #4, but got handled by Balmeceda in the Region semis last week and injury defaulted his consi final match. If he is healthy then a Moore vs. Diniz first round match is must watch for everyone. Moore dominated Region 1 - just as Balmeceda dominated Region 4. Riverdale’s Alex Soto is also sitting on the top side and has the ability to cause chaos as well. If the Balmeceda that we saw last week comes in this week to Silver Spurs … watch out.
Favorite: Alex Couto (South Dade)
Contenders:
Carson Miller (Palmetto Ridge)
JT Apicella (Ft Pierce Central)
Adrian Ochoa (Southwest Miami)
Blake Watts (Hagerty)
Darkhorse: Zach Weidler (Cypress Bay)
Best 1st Round Match: Benjamin Buhring vs. Lucas Moreno
What to Expect: Alex Couto was 2nd a year ago at 138 and has continued to run into a familiar foe in Adrian Ochoa all season. The two are on opposite sides of the bracket as Couto won their last meeting in the Region 4 final - with a 31 second fall (although Ochoa has won his fair share of the meetings this season). Ochoa has beaten Blake Watts already this season at the Knockout and he has to be amongst the favorites to emerge from the top side of the bracket. JT Apicella was 4th at 152 a year ago and could certainly make the case as being the favorite … he has losses to Michael Shannon and Dylan Fox, but also has some outstanding wins this season (including a 7-1 TB1 win over Moreno in the Region 3 finals). Moreno could be a problem on the bottom side. The other wrestler that could make a case as being the favorite is 2021 State Runner-up Carson Miller of Palmetto Ridge. We didn’t get a Couto vs. Miller match at the Knockout and that could be a great semi. Couto is the slight favorite, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see a number of wrestlers take the top step when all is said and done.
Favorite: Roman Garcia (Palmetto Ridge)
Contenders:
Cordell White (South Dade)
Kamdon Harrison (Hagerty)
Gunner Holland (Osceola)
Antonio Falotico (Harmony)
Darkhorse: Vincent Donatelle (North Port)
Best 1st Round Match: Vincent Donatelle vs. Ransom Randolph
What to Expect: Fireworks. Roman Garcia was the 2A 152 lb. Runner-up in 2021 and has emerged as one of the top Juniors in the state after a superb “off-season” where he was a Fargo All American. Cordell White was 3rd a year ago at 152 (3A) and pinned his way to the Region 4 title last weekend. If we get that as the final - it will be “popcorn approved” as Lucas DeSilva says (reference to the Georgia Fan’s Guide/Preview). But in reality this entire bracket is that way … Kamdon Harrison is also a returning State Placer (3rd at 138), but he draws a very tough Erik Borresen right off the scale … Borresen beat Harrison 3-0 at the Knockout in December. Danny Diaz won’t be an easy quarter for Garcia and Cordell White could get last year’s 152 lb. State Champ Gunner Holland in the quarters (Holland lost to Garcia in the Region 2 finals last weekend in sudden victory). The third quarter of the bracket is equally tough and features Falotico, Donatelle, Randolph, and Bucknor.
Favorite: Dominic Rodriguez (Riverdale)
Contenders:
Riley Orr (Ft Pierce Central)
Ethan Gomez (Hagerty)
Diogo Ramos Padilla (Wellington)
George Duncan (Osceola)
Darkhorse: Leonard Feliciano (Palmetto Ridge)
Best 1st Round Match: Leonard Feliciano vs. Jabori Brown
What to Expect: Another weight where the top two probably share the same side of the bracket in Dominic Rodriguez and Riley Orr. Rodriguez, the returning 160 lb. State Champ, dominated Region 3 last weekend - 3 falls and then a 21-4 tech fall of Duncan in the finals. He could get a tough DeFord in the quarters (although Cardona will give DeFord a go in the opening round). Orr finished 4th at the Knockout in December (pinning Duncan and beating Feliciano, Deal, and Alabama State Champ Carson Freeman). Orr vs. Rodriguez should be an outstanding semi (and a reason why the bracket should be seeded - at least by region champs). Ethan Gomez and Diogo Ramos Padilla are the two Region Champs up top … both wrestled well to take their titles over quality competition. Who emerges from the top side and who wins between Rodriguez and Orr?
Favorite: Dominic Joyce (North Port)
Contenders:
Tony Carter (Mandarin)
Juan Quintero (Wellington)
Franklyn Fernandez (Southwest Miami)
Marcelo Gonzalez (Flagler Palm Coast)
Darkhorse: Kason Nichols (Buchholz)
Best 1st Round Match: Kason Nichols vs. Peyton Turner
What to Expect: Dominic Joyce was 2nd a year ago at 170 and has looked outstanding so far this season. Tony Carter, the only other returning placer at the weight - 4th at 182 in 2021, won Region 1 after having to battle through two 1-point matches. He beat Kason Nichols 4-3 in the semis and Marcelo Gonzalez 3-2 in the finals. Carter draws a tough Ranson Coons right off the scale and Coons is a tough matchup for anyone (lost last week to Joyce by fall in the 2nd when Joyce was up 4-0) before injury defaulting to 4th (after winning his consi semi match). Fernandez and Quintero are the other two region champs and they share the bottom side … neither qualified a year ago (from what I can find) and each will have a tough path on their way to the finals. Both Marcelo Gonzalez and Kason Nichols qualified for the state tournament a year ago. Joyce vs. Carter is the match to make … the big question is who emerges from the bottom side? Joyce can’t afford to look ahead - don’t sleep on Sanchez causing chaos.
Favorite: Ansel Cervantes (South Dade)
Contenders:
Keyshawn Campbell (Vero Beach)
Chris Greil (Palm Harbor)
Garrick Schwartz (Flagler Palm Coast)
Cole Tolley (Sickles)
Darkhorse: Nathan Peoples (George Jenkins)
Best 1st Round Match: Hunter Tate vs. Cole Tolley
What to Expect: Good weight class and you could make an argument for any of the region champs being the favorite. Schwartz has the most losses, but has wrestled nearly all of the 195’s around … losing to Greil and Adrien at Cradle Cancer, but with wins over Clay’s Tyre and last week over Tate (7-6 TB1) and Chisolm. Hunter Tate vs. Cole Tolley is one of the best 1st round matches in 3A and the winner will likely get Cervantes. Based on the road to the finals - you could make an argument for an unbeaten Keyshawn Campbell or Region 2 Champ Chris Greil. Campbell is the only one unbeaten, but he is also the only one to not have faced any of the other Region Champs. Nathan Peoples is a potentially dangerous quarterfinal matchup. Greil has been superb and the 5-0 win over Tolley was huge in giving him a good path on the top side. But … we go with Cervantes as the favorite. He has some very good wins this season, but has one of the toughest paths to the final in the bracket. This is a pick em bracket … don’t be surprised if a non-Region Champ is holding the title when all is said and done.
Favorite: Sawyer Bartelt (South Dade)
Contenders:
Ralph Sanchez (Apopka)
Nelson Toro (Harmony)
Skyler Keesee (Alonso)
Jonathan Fraga (Southwest Miami)
Darkhorse: Liam Glassmeyer (Winter Park)
Best 1st Round Match: Imari Milton vs. Cody Anderson
What to Expect: Sawyer Bartelt is one of the best 220’s in the country and the path to a title for everyone else will go through him. Bartelt, a Fargo National Champ, and returning 195 lb. State Champ returned from injury at the Knockout and didn’t miss a beat in hammering Georgia State Champion Sammy Brown 13-0 in the finals. The top side is interesting with returning State Placer Ralph Sanchez (4th at 220) and Region 3 Champ Nelson Toro. Toro dominated Region 3 with 4 falls including a 40 second fall of Ortiz in the finals. Region 2 Champ Skyler Keesee shares the bottom side with Bartelt.
Favorite: Gabriel Jacas (Ft Pierce Central)
Contenders:
Adrian Sans (Southwest Miami)
Austin Foye (Palmetto Ridge)
Holley Saintmelus (Wekiva)
Darkhorse: Derrick Hart (Columbus)
Best 1st Round Match: Derrick Hart vs. Holley Saintmelus
What to Expect: Gabriel Jacas is the returning 220 lb. State Champ. He is a very athletic 285 and it showed last weekend as he had 3 falls and a 5-2 decision to take the Region 3 title. Jacas gets the nod after a solid performance at the Knockout where he beat Sans in the quarters (leading 5-0 before getting the fall). Austin Foye, his potential semifinal opponent was on the opposite side of the bracket at the Knockout and the two did not meet. Holley Saintmelus is the only region champ to not have qualified previously … he dominated Region 1, but draws a very tough Derrick Hart of Columbus right off the scale. Hart was 4th at last year’s state tournament and comes into this tournament after losing 4-2 in the semis to Weaver and 2-1 to Mosi. Sans was 2nd at 285 a year ago and has wrestled against the best 285’s in the country … he has to be the favorite to emerge on the top side. Looks like a Sans vs. Jacas rematch, but nothing is given and each will need to win some tough matches to get there.