Somerset’s Jovani Solis is your Reader’s Choice Wrestler of the Week

Somerset’s Jovani Solis won the 2023 Knockout Christmas Classic (Photo by Brant Parsons/Kabra Wrestling)

BY BRANT PARSONS — In the history of the Knockout Christmas Classic, there hadn’t been an eighth grader win a title in what is arguably the toughest tournament in the Southeast.

That is until Somerset’s Jovani Solis took that mat this year.

The eighth grader won the 132-pound weight class this year as an eighth grader, beating Woodward Academy’s Tanner Spalding in sudden victory in the final.

His performance impressed the Kabra Wrestling community as they voted Solis the Reader’s Choice Wrestler of the Week.

“Winning it now is such a priceless experience and I want to thank Coach Duck (Humberto Reyna) for all the hard work and dedication that he has put into make me the person I am now and Coach (Joe) Blasucci for this opportunity at Somerset,” Solis said.

The road to the title was filled with challenges as Solis had to face Lake Gibson’s Christian Fretwell in the semifinals where he earned a 3-2 victory before going to the final.

“I’ve learned to just let my wrestling flow and stay calm and composed and success will come,” Solis said of his success in tight matches. “When I won that final match, I knew that I am the best kid at my weight class and unstoppable.”

The other worthy nominees for the honor were Sawyer Bartelt (South Dade), Kaden Darwin (Palmetto Ridge), Anderson Heap (Kissimmee Osceola), Jordan Mills (Matanzas), Michael Mora (Columbus), and Christian Vazquez (Doral Academy).