2A-9 Preview: Braden River looking for second district title in three years

BY BRANT PARSONS

Kabra Wrestling Rankings are updated every week all season long for Kabra+ members.

Last season: State champion Tampa Jesuit won 11 individual championships and Braden River won the other three to finish second.

How did Kabra do?: We picked 1-2 and it proved to be the right one.

Last year’s district tournament results

Last year’s region tournament results

Wrestlers to watch: Luke Arthur (Manatee), Matthew Ireland (Braden River), Jacob Fuentes (Braden River), Scott Cook (Braden River), Joseph Alvarez (Spoto)

The favorite: Braden River. The team is deep with experience and should take home the title if some develop into big point scorers.

Team to watch: Manatee. To be fair, we don’t know exactly who is coming back but we do know that they graduated six state qualifiers from a year ago.

District duals: Thursday, January 9 at Manatee

District IBT: Thursday, February 20 at Hillsborough

Braden River Pirates (#19/#10)

Coach: Cezar Sharbono (7th at school/10th as head coach)

Assistant coaches: Mat Eastman, Ryan Gascon, Chance Sharbono, Caterina Sharbono, Tina Sharbono

23-24 dual record: 22-9

Recent district results: 2024:2; 2023:1; 2022:2-2A11; 2021:2-2A10; 2020:2-2A10; 2019:4-2A10; 2018:6-2A10; 2017:5-2A10; 2016:5-2A10; 2015:7-2A10; 2014:7-2A10; 2013:11-2A11; 2012:10-2A11

Last state champion: Jessey Colas, 2023 (182)

Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Gage Wiggins, 60-2, 2nd, R2, DC; Nico Serrano, 25-18, RQ, D3.

Notable returning wrestlers: Scott Cook, Sr., 30-17, RQ, D3; Matthew Ireland, Sr., 48-13, SQ, R2, D2; Jacob Fuentes, Jr., 40-23, RQ-BR, D2; Logan Pike, So., 33-23, RQ, D2; Trevor Dutting-Morrell, Jr., 20-16, RQ, DC; Jaden Morales, Jr., 30-22, RQ, D2; Akif Cemek, So., 9-29, RQ, D4; Israel Clark, Sr., 23-30, RQ, D3; Quinn Molesky, So.; Garrett Kelly, Jr. Carson Zanhiser, Sr.; Jayvon Wilson, So.; Freedom McDaniel, So.

Outlook: There are four seniors on this team but the Pirates are still a young, but deep group. This might be the best dual meet team Sharbono has had at Braden River.

The Florida High School Wrestling Season District Previews

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Class 3A: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

Class 2A: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

Class 1A: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

Girls: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

District Predictions: All 64 projected final IBT standings

Other content: Transfers | Coaching changes | Tournament schedule | Dual schedule | Team schedules

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Rankings: Class 3A | Class 2A | Class 1A | Girls | Team

Manatee Hurricanes (#23/NR)

Coach: Andrew Gugliemini

Recent district results: 2024:1-2A10; 2023:1-2A10; 2022:2-3A7; 2021:2-3A8; 2020:2-3A8; 2019:1-3A8; 2018:2-3A8; 2017:2-3A8; 2016:3-3A8; 2015:3-3A8; 2014:2-3A8; 2013:2-3A8; 2012:3-3A8

Last state champion: Tylynn Lukens, 2021 (182)

Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Damontez McDowell, 47-7, 6th, R2, DC; Mason Miller, 41-3, SQ, R2, DC; Jake Samuels, 55-9, 6th, R2, DC; Isaac Cedeno, 50-10, SQ, R4, DC; Julian Smith, 43-15, SQ, R4, DC; Carter Cabrera, 38-12, RQ-BR, D2; Hunter White, 48-13, SQ, R4, DC; Trayvon Pinder, 42-8, RQ, DC; Jeson Carbajal, Sr., 37-12, 8th, R2, D2 (Transfer to Palmetto)

Potential notable returning wrestlers: Luke Arthur, Sr., 48-7, 2nd, R3, DC; Riley Craig, So., 19-14, D5; Kai Drapala, Jr., 11-21, RQ, D4; Angel Ojeda, Jr., 15-7; Brody Hall, Sr., 19-16, D5.

Parrish Community Bulls

Coach: Tyler Small (6th at school/9th overall)

Assistant coaches: Jed Kramer, Alex Boukheir

23-24 dual record: 13-12

Recent district results: 2024:3; 2023:5; 2022:6-1A11; 2021:6-1A10; 2020:7-1A10

Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Gavin Pozzie, 43-11, 7th, R2, D2; Dustin Springfield, 43-8, RQ-BR, D2; Jerone Turner, 31-7, RQ, D2; Brayden Mullins, 18-9, RQ, D3; Chase Eichorn, 20-15, RQ, D3; Logan Elliott, 13-22, RQ, D3; Laken Gamble, 37-13, RQ, D3; Garrett Pyle, Sr., 14-18, RQ, D4 (Transfer to Palmetto)

Notable returning wrestlers: Jack Creaser, So., 18-26, RQ, D4; Ashton Springfield, Sr.; Gage Cameron, Sr.

New wrestler: Domonic Benjamin, Sr., 33-10 (Transfer from Michigan)

What they are saying: “We have some great senior leaders that will push the team and set the bar for the underclassmen.”

On Ashton Springfield: “He is making his return for his senior year after missing his whole junior year to a broken bone. He is ranked in the top 15 and looking to make the podium to continue our streak of state placers.”

On last year’s seniors: “I think just having that many seniors in a room last year kind of sets the bar knowing a lot of seniors that had been there for four years working through the program. So they kind of set the bar, having our first state placer and a lot of guys having some really good seasons. I think it sets the bar for the underclassmen to kind of live up to some of the expectations and they started developing the culture that even though we're still a newer program, we're kind of getting out of that realm where we're not so new anymore.”

Outlook: The Bulls said goodbye to a lot from last season, but the depth is building in the room and there will be replacements for some of those spots with underclassmen who have at least a year of experience.

East Bay Indians

Coach: Erik Matricardi (25th year at school)

Assistant coach: Daniel Rodriguez

23-24 dual record: 10-10

Recent district results: 2024:4; 2023:3; 2022:3; 2021:3-3A6; 2020:4-3A6; 2019:3-3A7; 2018:8-3A7; 2017:6-3A7; 2016:7-3A7; 2015:5-3A8; 2014:6-3A8; 2013:4-3A6; 2012:6-3A6

Last state champion: Juan Edwards, 1999 (152)

Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Victor Figueroa, 14-24, RQ, D4.

Notable returning wrestler: Amarion Jackson, Jr., 22-14, RQ, D4.

What they are saying: “We were young last year, and we're still young.”

Blake Yellow Jackets

Coach: Richard Cowans

Recent district results: 2024:7; 2023:7; 2022:9; 2021:8-2A7; 2020:6-2A7; 2019:3-2A8; 2018:4-2A8; 2017:5-2A8; 2016:11-2A8; 2015:13-2A8; 2014:10-2A8; 2013:7; 2012:8

Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None

Notable returning wrestlers: Marlin Rodriguez, Sr., 24-8, RQ-BR, D2; Gavin Hausburg, Sr., 4-14, RQ, D4; Christian Hobbs, Sr., 6-17, RQ, D4.

Spoto Spartans

Coach: Aaron Wintrich

Recent district results: 2024:6; 2023:9; 2022:7; 2021:9-2A6; 2020:8-2A6; 2019:5-1A10; 2018:4-1A10; 2017:3-1A10; 2016:4-1A10; 2015:6-1A10; 2014:8-1A10; 2013:6-1A9; 2012:6-1A9

Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Elijah Ellis, 21-5, RQ, D2; Markeis Thomas, 20-8, RQ, D2.

Potential notable returning wrestlers: Joseph Alvarez, Sr., 28-5, RQ-BR, D2.

Southeast Seminoles

Coach: Louis Piscopo (3rd season)

Assistant coach: Sidney Douglas

Recent district results: 2024:9; 2023:6; 2022:8-2A11; 2021:8-2A10; 2020:6-2A10; 2019:5-1A11; 2018:10-1A11; 2017:1-1A11; 2016:5-1A11; 2015:1-1A10; 2014:1-1A10; 2013:2-1A11; 2012:2-1A11

Last state champion: Charles Higson, 1994 (189)

Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None

Notable returning wrestlers: Bishop Williams, Sr., RQ, D3; Spencer Lewis, So., RQ, D4.

What they are saying: “Because most of the team is new, they are enthusiastic about the sport and the comradery it fosters.”

Outlook: Bishop Williams is entering his senior season with a goal to make it to Kissimmee. In his first two years in the sport, he made the region tournament. The rest of the team is young, including promising sophomore Lewis.

Middleton Tigers

Coach: Tim Gebhards

Recent district results: 2024:8; 2023:7; 2022:8; 2021:5-2A7; 2020:5-2A7; 2019:8-1A10; 2018:8-1A10; 2017:8-1A10; 2015:5-1A10; 2014:5-1A10; 2013:7-1A9; 2012:7-1A9

Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None

Notable returning wrestlers: Finn Kruse, Sr., 6-13, RQ, D4; Darius Montgomery, Jr., 27-4, D5.