Region 2A-4: Preview and Predictions
FRIDAY-SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 1, 2025 - at Jensen Beach High School
Friday: Weigh-in: 10 a.m. | Wrestling starts: 12 p.m.
Saturday: Weigh-in: 8 a.m. | Wrestling starts: 9 a.m. | Finals: 3 p.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 2A-4 will play out.
You can print the 2A-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. #4 Gary Mendez (Mater Academy)
2. #6 Cano Austin (Somerset)
3. #7 Trey Viens (Jensen Beach)
4. #13 Juan Perez (Everglades)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #11 Jacob Rhodes (Archbishop McCarthy); #15 Vladimir Drown (Rockledge)
Opening round match to watch: Aiden Escobar (Suncoast) vs. Austin Douglas (Sebastian River)
Kabra says: Mendez is the only returning state placer in the bracket here. An intriguing quarterfinal match looms in the top half of this bracket with Austin and Viens lined up. The Somerset seventh-grader owns a 2-0 record over the Jensen Beach sophomore this season.
Kabra's Picks
1. #7 Michael Maisonet (Mater Academy)
2. #10 Alejandro Toro (Somerset)
3. #8 Nathan Halulko (Martin County)
4. #11 Domonic Charles (Miramar)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #12 Dillon Ruhalander (Port St. Lucie); #15 Andrew Cackett (Archbishop McCarthy)
Opening round match to watch: Charles vs. Ruhalander
Kabra says: Maisonet is 2-0 this season against Halulko, beating the Martin County sophomore twice by major decision. The Charles-Ruhlander-Padro-Cackett quad is one of the most intriguing on the day with three in the Top 15 lining up there and a bracket that doesn’t line up well for the ones that don’t come out of those first two matches 2-0.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Lucas Barrios (Mater Academy)
2. #8 Andre Rossi (Somerset)
3. #10 Elijah England (Port St. Lucie)
4. #11 Jaxon Walker (Jensen Beach)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #12 Ezekiel Guerrero (Sebastian River); #14 Seyrious Peterson (Heritage)
Opening round match to watch: Peterson vs. #16 Nolan Halulko (Martin County)
Kabra says: It’s rare to have an eighth grader be such a big favorite in a region bracket but Barrios comes in with the resume and expectations. We’re looking at a quarterfinal meeting between Rossi and England to get an idea on how the final podium will look, they have not faced each other this season.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Sebastian Degennaro (Jensen Beach)
2. #14 Gabriel MacVittie (Satellite)
3. #3 Carlos Sainz (Somerset)
4. #15 Angel Tollinchi (Heritage)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #17 Dominick Rodriguez (Mater Academy); #22 Vincient Williams (St. Thomas)
Opening round match to watch: Rodriquez vs. #25 Carson Critoph (South Fork)
Kabra says: Degennaro is on track to be a four-time state champion in his career at Jensen Beach and has been dominant in Florida throughout. Sainz is considered the second-best wrestler in this bracket but finds himself in the same half of the bracket as the Falcons senior. The top half of the bracket promises to be exciting with five wrestlers ranked 14-25.
Kabra's Picks
1. #7 Ben Norris (Jensen Beach)
2. #8 Duly Brutus (Miramar)
3. #10 Dylan Fernandez (Somerset)
4. #12 Joseph Scott (Hollywood Hills)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #13 Corbin Fjalstad (Martin County); #22 Falco Frank (Okeechobee)
Opening round match to watch: Samuel Mazman (Belen Jesuit) vs. Kekaikahua Bailey (Satellite)
Kabra says: Norris and Brutus come into the weekend fresh off district champion performances. Norris has been rewarded with a hungry Fernandez after he finished second to Brutus and Scott, who we hasn’t seen anybody in the bracket, but has a 23-1 record on the season.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 Famous Nealy (Miramar)
2. #12 Nikhil Guerrero (Sebastian River)
3. #13 Blake Walker (Jensen Beach)
4. #16 Ericson Coney (Everglades)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #18 Julian Brady (Suncoast); #20 Erick Shelton (Martin County)
Opening round match to watch: Deaven Montanez (Archbishop McCarthy) vs. Antrell Hall (Miami Norland)
Kabra says: The Miramar senior is the favorite here with our attention on the top half of the bracket where you could see a Guerrero-Walker rematch. When they met this season during region duals, the Sebastian River senior earned a 9-3 win.
Kabra's Picks
1. #6 Jordan Pineda (Felix Varela)
2. #9 Darion Shannon (Somerset)
3. #10 Tavien Smith (Jensen Beach)
4. #17 Aidan McCormick (Delray Beach Atlantic)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #11 Kaden Wheeler (Sebastian River); Jacob Torres (American Heritage)
Opening round match to watch: Adeel Chaudhry (Mater Academy) vs. McCormick
Kabra says: This is one of the biggest toss-up weight classes in our mind in this region. Pineda has been a steady force wrestling mostly against Class 3A guy in Miami-Dade County. He did show us something when he majored Shannon in their district final last week.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Tristan Sainz (Somerset)
2. #6 Geovani Santos (Martin County)
3. #16 Alexander Harding (Miramar)
4. #18 Atticus Dye (Archbishop McCarthy)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #17 Charly Sainteus (North Miami); #19 Lucas Boecker (Sebastian River)
Opening round match to watch: Sainteus vs. #21 Jake Kriegsman (Satellite)
Kabra says: Sainz has been untouchable this season in the state of Florida and that should continue through this weekend. Santos has shown that he’s capable of getting big wins and he’ll need to rely on that this weekend with four wrestlers ranked 16-21 potentially in his path. A quarterfinal meeting between Harding and Dye is intriguing, with Harding winning between the two this season by a major decision.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Eric Hodge (Somerset)
2. #7 Armando Wisdom (American Heritage)
3. #13 Jayden Rivas (Miramar)
4. #24 Jackson Wilkes (Martin County)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #25 Jah'qwan Newland (Dillard); Brendon Whiting (Heritage)
Opening round match to watch: David Campbell (Port St. Lucie) vs. Newland
Kabra says: Hodge is the favorite and earned a fairly clear path to the final here. Wisdom is undefeated on the season and we’ll get a look at how tough it will be to give him his first loss in the quarters when he could face Rivas. They haven’t faced each other but in a common opponent (Jupiter’s Elias Silver), Wisdom won by a major decision while Rivas lost 17-16.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 Bluny Davilma (Somerset)
2. #9 Phineas Weatherly (Sebastian River)
3. #13 Noah Catala (Miramar)
4. #14 Adonis Severe (North Miami)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #24 Geremy Santiago (Heritage); Jayden Joseph (Archbishop McCarthy)
Opening round match to watch: Nicolas Frangoulidis (Dr. Joaquin Garcia) vs. Ari Kasbarian (Satellite)
Kabra says: Davilma has had a great senior season for Somerset and should advance to Kissimmee as a region champ. The top of the bracket is here the action here will be with Weatherly-Catala-Severe battling it out for the podium and podium placement.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Michael Sainz (Somerset)
2. #19 Brandon Simmons (Miami Norland)
3. #8 Brayden Hogg (Jensen Beach)
4. Earl Hix (Sebastian River)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #22 Justice Hield (Bayside); Jordan Evans (McArthur)
Opening round match to watch: Frank Noel (Heritage) vs. Alejandro Canaves (American Heritage)
Kabra says: There is no question at the top of this podium. After missing last season, Sainz is back and dominating everyone he faces as he goes for the state title. Hogg has the unlucky draw in the same half of the bracket, so he’ll eventually need a win on the backside to punch his ticket.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Mateo Martinez (Somerset)
2. #12 Kameron Lamb (Rockledge)
3. #4 Gary Bradley (Bayside)
4. #15 Hunter Suarez (Port St. Lucie)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #13 Tyson Reyes (Jensen Beach); #24 Justin St. Ange (Archbishop McCarthy)
Opening round match to watch: Rubier Oliva (Felix Varela) vs. Benjamin Gordon (Heritage)
Kabra says: A toss-up quarterfinal match could decide the state tournament fate for a Top 13 wrestler. Lamb and Reyes are lined up in the bottom half of the bracket and the loser in this match will likely have to face Bradley in the blood round. Someone who deserves a punched ticket will have their season end on Saturday. We flipped a coin to pick the winner. Oh and Martinez is the big favorite to win this one.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Harper Noel (Heritage)
2. #12 Ndidi Obi (North Miami)
3. #16 Teagen Nelson (Jensen Beach)
4. #17 William Crum (Okeechobee)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #21 Casper Sumner (Dr. Joaquin Garcia); #25 Eli Diaz (Somerset)
Opening round match to watch: Sumner vs. Diaz
Kabra says: Noel is the only returning state placer in this entire weight class. The Heritage senior missed most of the season and wasn’t expected to be back for the postseason but he worked had to get here. If he has his wrestling legs under him after a couple weeks back on the mat, he’ll be tough to beat.
Kabra's Picks
1. #5 Blake Elder (Jensen Beach)
2. #12 Abdur Bey (Somerset)
3. #14 Tyquez Smith (Heritage)
4. #16 Roger Valeus (Delray Beach Atlantic)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #20 Chase Goodrich (St. Thomas); #21 Christopher Coleman (Deerfield Beach)
Opening round match to watch: Valeus vs. Michael Dipenta (Eau Gallie)
Kabra says: Elder has beaten Bey in their two meetings this season and the Jensen Beach senior looks poised to not just punch his first ticket to the state tournament after losing in the blood round last year, but advancing as the region champion.