Surging Hernando edges Palm Bay for Region 1A-2 duals title
KISSIMMEE — Earlier in the season, Hernando’s young team just couldn’t put all the pieces together.
On Friday, they did and the Leopards won their second consecutive Class 1A-2 region duals title with a 40-33 win over Palm Bay at the FHSAA State Duals Tournament at Kissimmee Osceola High School.
“We have a super young team and I think they’ve been counted out all year but we’re peaking at the right time and today was an amazing performance by them,” Hernando head coach David Pritz said.
After Palm Bay’s Leonard Christian got the dual started with a pin at 285, Logan Sowers (106) and Jesse Thomas (113) gave Hernando at 12-6 lead.
The Pirates then took a 15-12 lead with Dominick Maldonado (120) and Raymen Jackson (126) scoring nine points.
Hernando then scored 18 straight points with Cael Phillips (132), Cael Helm (138), and Jacob Fetzner (144) scoring pins to give them the last lead change of the dual.
“I knew they had these guts in them and they hadn’t show it all year,” Pritz said. “They’ve showed in it spurts but they all showed it today.”
Palm Bay had four more wins in them with Kevion WIlliams (150), William Brown (165), Leonard Murray (190) and Christopher Brunson (215) winning for the Pirates.
Sandwiched in between were the clinching wins for Hernando from Shaw Garrett (157) and Morgan Johnston (175).
Hernando 40, Palm Bay 33
106: Logan Sowers (H) p. Alyvia Gallagher (PB) 2:43; 113: Jesse Thomas (H) p. Anthony Hughes (PB) 5:26; 120: Dominick Maldonado (PB) p. Brandon Blankenship (H) 4:45; 126: Raymen Jackson (PB) dec. Kyle Pearson (H) 8-2; 132: Cael Phillips (H) p. Adrian Magelitz (PB) 2:45; 138: Cael Helm (H) p. Samuel Laurent (PB) 3:41; 144: Jacob Fetzner (H) p. Robert Hunt (PB) 2:40; 150: Kevion Williams (PB) dec. Branson Dodge (H) 19-12; 157: Shaw Garrett (H) maj. Zachary Emery-Foster (PB) 9-1; 165: William Brown (PB) p. Breyen Rodriguez (H) 2:00; 175: Morgan Johnston (H) p. Abdulmoumen Elftesi (PB) 2:48; 190: Leonardo Murray (PB) by FF; 215: Christopher Brunson (PB) dec. Kian Blyss (H) 8-1; 285: Leonard Christian (PB) p. Isaiah Daniels (H) 4:28.
The semifinals take place on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Kissimmee Osceola High School. Tickets can be purchased here.
Brant Parsons is the founder and executive editor of Kabra Wrestling. After learning and competing in the sport as a kid growing up in Ohio, he started covering Florida high school wrestling in 2004 and formed Kabra Wrestling in the summer of 2021.
