Class 1A Season Preview: Teams line up to challenge defending champ Jensen Beach

BY BRANT PARSONS — No. 1 Jensen Beach reached the mountaintop of wrestling last season with a group that had been together for years and a lot of those wrestlers are back.

“The only thing to do this year is to repeat,” Jensen Beach coach Tom McMath said. “We have the same mission that is always here, we want to outwork people and be the best versions of ourselves.”

Two individual state champions are back for the Falcons with Sebastian Degennaro and Jewell Williams back to defend their crown.

Also back are state placers Ryan Mooney, Dylan Fox, Gian Ortiz, and Nate Sopotnick.

Class 2A state placer Charlie Armstrong also joins the deep team this season.

“We are a team,” McMath said. And this team wasn't built yesterday or last year - these kids have been together since elementary school and they love they have for each other and that we coaches have for them is going to make this an enjoyable year."

It won’t be a walk in the park for the Falcons, who could be pressured by a No. 2 First Baptist-Naples side that is loaded with individual state title contenders.

The Lions could have state champion Christian Moder back to lead a team that potentially includes state placers Caleb Rodriguez, Johnathan Moder, Andres DiGrigoli, Michael Kersey, Gavin Patton, and Joe Castellone.

First Baptist-Naples did not respond to requests for information.

Class 1A is also deep with No. 3 Cardinal Gibbons, No. 4 Palm Bay, No. 5 Lemon Bay in the mix, along with No. 6 Somerset and No. 7 Mater Lakes Academy.

Gibbons returns state champion Nicholas Yancey along with state placers Jonathan Hudson and Grant Cooper.

State champion Frankie Florio and state finalist Michael Mocco also join the mix for the Chiefs.

“We have some new transfers in and a younger experienced team so they're getting to know each other and becoming one team,” Cardinal Gibbons coach Jamel Morris said. “By the time the season comes around, they'll be willing to fight for one another.”

Palm Bay graduated two state finalists and four state placers in total but there is still some talent in the room.

Returning for the Pirates are state placers Nathan Furman, Ronald Theilacker, and Octavion Osby.

Lemon Bay saw it’s multi-time state champion Lance Schyck graduate but may have a deeper team this season.

Among its 10 wrestlers ranked in the Kabra Wrestling preseason rankings are state placers Chase Alden, Marcus Lopez, Koen Hoffman, Brycen Warren, and Justin Brady.

“I’ve been wrestling 4-5 times a week with these guys and they know where they need to get better and are working hard to get there,” Lemon Bay coach Mike Schyck said.

State champion Kendrick Hodge and state finalist Tristan Sainz return to lead Somerset while Mater Lakes is powered by a deep team that has 11 wrestlers ranked in the Kabra Wrestling preseason rankings.

Clearwater Central Catholic’s Gavin Nolan also returns to defend his state title.

The Florida High School Wrestling District Previews

Click on link to see preview

Class 3A: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

Class 2A: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

Class 1A: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

Class G-1A: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

Notes

Rankings listed next to teams are the preseason Kabra rankings in both IBT and Duals. (IBT/Dual)

SC = State Champion last season

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th = State placer

SQ = State qualifier

RC = Region champion

R2, R3, R4 = Region placer

RQ-BR = Region qualifiers who reached the blood round

RQ = Region qualifier

DC = District champions

D2, D3, D4, D5, D6 = District placer