Class 2A State Duals Preview

Region Finals

2:00 PM

NOTE: Team rankings are Kabra Wrestling’s team dual rankings for Class 2A.

#9 Lincoln

#2 Fleming Island

2A-1 Region Final

All-Time region finals record | How they got here

Lincoln: 2-1, Last region final was in 2020

The District 2 champions edged Fort Walton Beach 36-34 and then topped Gulf Breeze 39-30.

Fleming Island: 5-0, Reached the state final two times

The Eagles blanked Oakleaf 78-0 and then beat Middleburg 62-9.

Ranked wrestlers

Lincoln has been finding ways to get it done despite not having the starting lineup the Trojans anticipated having this season. Two hard-fought battles last Thursday led them to Kissimmee to face one of the two favorites for the Class 2A title in Fleming Island. The Golden Eagles are loaded this season with 10 state placers back and ranked wrestlers at nearly every weight class.

Lincoln is one of the great stories in Kissimmee for the resolve the Trojans showed to get here, but Fleming Island has a date with destiny in the finals and this is one of the steps they’ll take to get there. Fleming Island takes this one.

Lincoln: 106: #9 Joe Tucker (14-8); 113: #12 Vaniel Caceras (18-3); 120: #19 Zakary Jurado; 126: #13 JaShawn Washington (14-8); 152: #3 Connor Edwards (23-2); 195: #4 Jakob Nowak (22-2); 285: #17 Ryder Luck (20-5).

Fleming Island: 106: #2 Matthew Newman (26-1); 106: #13 Jordan Mukaddam (15-5); 113: #8 Shane Duhaylungsod (29-2); 120: #2 Laird Duhaylungsod (29-1); 126: #2 Jayce Paridon (31-0); 145: #2 Kaden Schaefer (20-0); 152: #5 Matthew Kotler (20-3); 160: #10 Christopher Chop (18-6); 170: #4 Ronan Bozeman (26-3); 182: #4 Joshua Sandoval (30-2); 195: #11 Walter Poe (25-6); 220: #1 Jhoel Robinson (27-0); 285: #2 Ethan Hoffstetter.

Breaking down the dual

Kabra Says

#6 Merritt Island

vs. #13 Miramar

2A-4 Region Final

All-Time region finals record | How they got here

Merritt Island: 1-0, Won region final last year

After winning the District 13 championship, the Mustangs beat Okeechobee 66-15 and Heritage 47-30 to reach the region final.

Miramar: 0-0, First appearance in region finals

The District 15 title winners beat Belen Jesuit 63-13 and St. Thomas 69-12 to reach the state duals tournament for the first time in school history.

Ranked wrestlers

Merritt Island used a team effort to dominate their region final last season against St. Thomas and enter this weekend without another tightly-bonded team and depth up and down the line-up. Miramar has gone from having football players who wrestle to having wrestlers who also play football and they’re making their mark.

Miramar is an exciting program that is keeps setting new standards for itself but Merritt Island has been here before and has the depth and experience to win on Friday. I love Miramar’s development, but Merritt Island is special and they win this dual.

Merritt Island: 106: #6 Landon Quiroga (24-1); 120: #17 Titus DeYoung (15-8); 145: #8 Judge DeYoung (25-3); 160: #8 Dylan Quiroga (24-2); 170: #11 Jacob Pitcher (14-4); 182: #8 Dominick Smith (21-4); 195: #10 Seven Tornga; 220: #11 Kaleb Ivie (26-2).

Miramar: 113: #19 Dully Brutus (21-3); 120: #15 Kylan Butler (17-5); 220: #12 Maxinot Mondesir (19-5).

Breaking down the dual

Kabra Says

#19 Springstead

vs #1 Lake Gibson

3A-2 Region Final

All-Time region finals record | How they got here

Springstead: 0-1, Lost to Lake Gibson in first-ever state duals region final

After winning District 5, the Eagles won the district final rematch with Land O’Lakes 55-15 to reach the final.

Lake Gibson: 4-1, won the state title after all four region title wins, lost to eventual state champion in the other

The Eagles won District 7 and then bested Kissimmee Gateway 65-16 and beat No. 8 Winter Springs 51-19.

Ranked wrestlers

Springstead is back in the region finals for the first time since 2018 and their reward is a loaded Lake Gibson squad poised to compete for a fifth state duals title.

It’s great to see Springstead having success and getting back to Kissimmee again, but the Braves are on a mission this year. Lake Gibson wins this one easily.

Springstead: 138: #3 Joshua Gallo (24-3).

Lake Gibson: 113: #5 Elijah Lowe; 120: #1 Christian Fretwell; 120: #14 Jonathan Espinosa (2-1); 126: #3 Colt Brown; 132: #2 Gaetano Tedesco; 138: #6 Nytravious Walker; 145: #1 Hayden Whidden; 152: #1 Gianni Maldonado (26-4); 160: #3 Connor Hackett; 170: #6 Jace Brownlow; 182: #1 Frank Solorzano; 182: #20 Brayden Kahelin (18-9); 195: #2 Tristan Vann.

Breaking down the dual

Kabra Says

#5 Tampa Jesuit

vs. #4 Charlotte

2A-3 Region Final

All-Time region finals record | How they got here

Tampa Jesuit: 2-1, have reached the state title after both region titles, including a win in 2020

The District 9 champs beat Countryside 69-12 and then edged No. 7 Manatee 41-30.

Charlotte: 1-4, Lost to Tampa Jesuit 40-30 in last year’s region final

The Tarpons won District 11 and then beat Bonita Springs and Barron Collier to reach the region final for the sixth time in six years.

Ranked wrestlers

Both teams are younger and maybe not as deep in experience as they’ve been in year’s past. Tampa Jesuit won the Class 2A IBT title last year and then graduated all but one of its five state title winners. Charlotte has graduated an all-star list of talent the past two years but the guys in the room now are coming along and they’re never an easy out.

These two strong programs should give us another thrilling dual on Friday that could include some intriguing individual matches, but when the dust settles, I think Charlotte gets its second region duals title.

Tampa Jesuit: 113: #2 Roman Lermer; 120: #7 Xavier Albo; 126: #4 Nathan McGill; 132: #9 Jayden Bowles; 138: #1 Draven McCall (22-4); 145: #4 Gavin Young; 152: #2 Brandon Cody.

Charlotte: 106: #12 Matthew Schuler; 113: #1 Camren French; 120: #4 Kaiden Ballinger; 126: #5 Eric Clary; 138: #7 Luke Davis; 152: #14 Nicholas Gjerde; 160: #7 James Baltutis; 170: #12 Isaac Schaeffer; 182: #5 Jett McCauley; 195: #3 Nathaniel Box; 220: #2 Cael Newton; 285: #11 Nikko Frattarelli.

Breaking down the dual

Kabra Says