Region 1A-4: Preview and Predictions
FRIDAY-SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 1, 2025 - at Cardinal Gibbons High School
Friday: Weigh-in: 12 p.m. | Wrestling starts: 2 p.m.
Saturday: Weigh-in: 8 a.m. | Wrestling starts: 9 a.m.
Welcome to one of my favorite traditions - the region previews.
For those that are reading one for the first time, here's a quick summary of what the region preview is.
I start first by printing out each bracket - yes, this is one of the things I'm old school on.
I notate where wrestlers are ranked in the Kabra Wrestling Rankings and then start to break it down even more.
I look for head-to-head matchups, common opponents, and how each wrestler has been trending in the stretch run.
I then question my rankings - and myself - and play out the entire bracket.
What follows is my best guess for how 1A-4 will play out.
You can print the 1A-4 region bracket here. (PDF)
I've carefully predicted the four state qualifiers in the order that I think the will finish. I've also listed wrestlers that could prove me wrong and make it to Kissimmee.
I will be wrong with these picks, and I'm okay with that. In fact, I love when kids prove me wrong (or prove me right).
These previews and predictions are meant to bring excitement to one of the exhilarating and heartbreaking weekends in sports.
I assure you that I have no bias in my picks and truly wish the best for every wrestler competing this weekend.
And as always, these picks are for entertainment purposes only.
Now onto the preview:
Check out Kabra Wrestling’s Region Previews
Girls: Region 1 preview | Region 2 preview | Region 3 preview | Region 4 preview
Class 3A: Region 1 preview | Region 2 preview | Region 3 preview | Region 4 preview
Class 2A: Region 1 preview | Region 2 preview | Region 3 preview | Region 4 preview
Class 1A: Region 1 preview | Region 2 preview | Region 3 preview | Region 4 preview
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Elijah Castanon (Miami Christian)
2. #8 Andres Garcia (Cardinal Gibbons)
3. #11 Kevin North (Miami Jackson)
4. #14 Costa Tuttle (Coral Shores)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #16 Ronn Flores (Mater Lakes Academy); #17 Jake Austin (Westminster Christian)
Opening round match to watch: North vs. #22 Luke Piedrahita (True North)
Kabra says: Half of the wrestlers in this bracket are ranked but not many have faced each other outside of their own district tournaments. Castanon does have some big wins against Class 2A and 3A wrestlers and that earns him the nod here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Kellen Mesina (Mater Lakes Academy)
2. #4 Jason Ramirez (SLAM Academy)
3. #15 Logan Bajor (Cardinal Gibbons)
4. Lucas Locatelli (King's Academy)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #22 Brycen Munz (Westminster Christian); Chance Harper (Clewiston)
Opening round match to watch: Mathew Alvarez (Florida Christian) vs. Bajor
Kabra says: Mesina and Ramirez are on track to reach the final here. Mesina owns a 3-0 record between the two this season. The way our bracket played out sets up a ranked blood round match here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Keagan Mesina (Mater Lakes Academy)
2. #14 Sebastian McCoy (Coral Shores)
3. #20 Dylan Munz (Westminster Christian)
4. #22 Nicholas German (Benjamin)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #25 Jacob Ferguson (Key West); Jake Arnesen (Cardinal Gibbons)
Opening round match to watch: Ian Sarria (Miami Jackson) vs. Ferguson
Kabra says: Mesina is the favorite here but the rest of the bracket should play out interesting to see who else books a trip to Kissimmee. German-Ferguson in the second round could be an early indicator of who will get that final spot on the podium.
Kabra's Picks
1. #4 Ethan Tran (Mater Lakes Academy)
2. #15 William Bussott (Clewiston)
3. #9 Lazaro Diaz (Key West)
4. #22 Leonardo Trejos (Florida Christian)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #20 Matthew Davila (Keys Gate); Caden Cagiano (Cardinal Gibbons)
Opening round match to watch: Trejos vs. Cagiano
Kabra says: Tran and Diaz are the favorites coming into the weekend and on the same side of the bracket. Tran owns a win by technical fall between the two.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Chris Greene (Mater Lakes Academy)
2. #21 Abram Canet (Key West)
3. #23 RJ Linares (Westminster Christian)
4. Misael Quezada (SLAM Academy)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Arturo Garcia (Clewiston); Maverick Peugh (Cardinal Gibbons)
Opening round match to watch: Linares vs. Marco Dinapoli (St. Andrews)
Kabra says: Greene has been solid all season and is the big favorite here. How the podium fills out will be much more exciting with an even-filled bracket competing for the final three spots on the podium.
Kabra's Picks
1. #6 Anthony O'Dell (Mater Lakes Academy)
2. #20 George Terzado (SLAM Academy)
3. #15 Ryan Winters (King's Academy)
4. #25 Jayden Giscomb (Keys Gate)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #22 Elijah Perez (Coral Springs Charter); Dominick McGarry (St. Andrews)
Opening round match to watch: Mateo Jaramillo (Cardinal Gibbons) vs. McGarry
Kabra says: O’Dell and Winters haven’t faced each other this season and find themselves on the top half of this bracket. When the dust clears here, we’re predicting four district champions heading to Silver Spurs Arena.
Kabra's Picks
1. #7 Ryo Ushikubo (King's Academy)
2. #9 Preston Lindsay (Coral Springs Charter)
3. #11 Andrew Isek (Cardinal Gibbons)
4. #14 Bruce Li (Mater Lakes Academy)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #24 Derrice Wilson (Miami Central); #25 Kyle Condella (Key West)
Opening round match to watch: Brody Cox (St. Andrews) vs. Wilson
Kabra says: Ushikubo defeated Lindsey by a major decision in their district final while Isek and Li did not face in their district final with Li being injured.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 Bryan Picallo (Cardinal Gibbons)
2. #5 Mason O'Dell (Mater Lakes Academy)
3. #16 Parker Dettor (Pine Crest)
4. #21 David Beltran (Coral Shores)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #22 Patrick Zele (Cardinal Newman); #24 James Searcy (Key West)
Opening round match to watch: Searcy vs. David Frear (Benjamin)
Kabra says: Picallo is 2-0 against O’Dell this season, winning 9-6 and 6-4. Dettor and Beltran could get a preview to the placing match as they’re slated to meet in the quarterfinal.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 Kenny Alvarado (Mater Lakes Academy)
2. #6 Trenton Hogan (Lincoln Park)
3. #16 Andrew Chen (Pine Crest)
4. #19 Isaac Fayer (Cardinal Gibbons)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #21 Bryan Lechado (SLAM Academy); #22 Roman Saballos (Florida Christian)
Opening round match to watch: Andrew Finlay (True North) vs. Jacob Gerstel (King's Academy)
Kabra says: If things go chalk here, we could see an Alvarado-Hogan rematch from earlier in the season - a match won 10-5 my the Mater Lakes senior. In total, we have six wrestlers going for the four spots.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Kalias Nazario (Mater Lakes Academy)
2. #3 Frankie Florio (Cardinal Gibbons)
3. #9 Dylan Gonzalez (Florida Christian)
4. #15 Landyn Munz (Westminster Christian)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #21 Michael Guzman (Key West); #25 Joseph Richardson (Lincoln Park)
Opening round match to watch: Zamir Franck (Miami Northwestern) vs. Richardson
Kabra says: A potential five meeting between Nazario and Florio could be on the books here. Nazario is 4-0 on the season between the wrestlers.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 Alfredo Corrales (Key West)
2. #9 Nathan Lang (Cardinal Newman)
3. #11 Darian Vargas (Mater Lakes Academy)
4. #15 Nicholas Winter (Cardinal Gibbons)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #16 Ibrahim Gowon (Miami Central); #17 Tyce Porcher (King's Academy)
Opening round match to watch: Porcher vs. Joseph Brown-Wilson (Miami Northwestern)
Kabra says: Corrales has reached the blood round the past two seasons and will look to make his first trip to Kissimmee. The Key West senior is also the favorite to stand on top of the podium on Saturday evening.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Peter Mocco (Cardinal Gibbons)
2. #3 Damian Soto (Mater Lakes Academy)
3. #15 Andrew Lopez (Westminster Christian)
4. #17 Duke Rimes (Jupiter Christian)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #25 Braeden Silva (Florida Christian); Cameron McCrea (Miami Central)
Opening round match to watch: Silva vs. Elias Almanza-Garcia (Clewiston)
Kabra says: Returning state champion Mocco is the favorite to win his second state title. He could face district final opponent Soto again this weekend here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Michael Mocco (Cardinal Gibbons)
2. #23 Juan Mars (Miami Central)
3. Ridge Martin (King's Academy)
4. Mario Crawford (Miami Killian)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Eric Hospedales (Florida Christian); Maximilian Garzano (Mater Lakes Academy)
Opening round match to watch: Hospedales vs. Zachariah Nozile (Miami Pace)
Kabra says: Mocco is one of the biggest favorites in the state to win a state title and the national champion has scared off any top contenders in this region.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Nathan Chen (Pine Crest)
2. #10 Spencer Voss (Miami Christian)
3. #15 Carson Flack (Cardinal Gibbons)
4. #16 Emiliano Solache (Mater Lakes Academy)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #19 Jordan Diaz (Miami Sunset); #24 Shantavous White (SLAM Academy)
Opening round match to watch: White vs. Alexandre Allens (Key West)
Kabra says: Chen is a two-time state placer after finishing third at 215 last year. He’s the favorite here to win a region title. The bottom half of the bracket is loaded with Voss, Flack, and Solache picked for the podium.