Rivals become partners in Palmetto wrestling room

(Photo courtesy of Daniel Ward/Ward Wrestling)

BY BRANT PARSONS — Last season, Palmetto’s Jake Wyatt would spend the entire week ahead of facing Jeson Carbajal thinking about their match.

And with good reason, the two battled tough last year, with each wrestler earning two wins against the other.

“It was such an intense rivalry and it was always back and forth,” Wyatt said. “You never knew where it was going to go.”

Wyatt won the first meeting in the district duals against the then Manatee wrestler, with Carbajal winning their match in the Palmetto-Manatee dual.

Carbajal took a 2-1 season lead over Wyatt with a win in the Manatee County Championships before Wyatt evened the season series with a 3-1 win in the district finals.

“I kind of liked going against him,” Carbajal said. “I always thought that even though we were rivals, it help me and helped him in a way too. I knew as long as I didn’t see him at regions or state, it’d be fine.”

The two rivals became teammates this offseason as Carbajal transferred to Palmetto and the fierce battles were taken from the competition mat into the room - with the goal now to make each other better.

“Obviously it’s been a change for the positive for both of them,” Palmetto coach Alex Thomas said. “Anything you get your rival and the guy who pushed you last year into the room with you, it really creates an opportunity for both of them to grow exponentially.”

In the room, each wrestler brings their own style to practice each day to help build the others.

Wyatt has always been the more offensive wrestler, while Carbajal thrived on being patient on defense and waiting for the right time to strike. The clash of styles showed in their matches last season.

“I just remember how tough he was,” Carbajal said. “I knew I had to stay ready because he was really good at chaining attacks and sometimes his offense would stop my own and that’s how he scored.”

Each wrestler admitted that having the other in the room has already made them better.

“Training with him showed me to prioritize hand fighting over anything else and try to stay away from open attacks,” Wyatt said. “Just work on those hand fights and elbow passes - he’s taught me that.”

Along with making each other better, having Carbajal and Wyatt in the room should continue to help with the culture that Palmetto is trying to build this season.

While not being super loud in the room, both show their leadership by example and the team thrives on that.

“The guys see how hard they work and whatever drill they are doing, I can count on them to do it right and use them as an example to show the room,” Thomas said.

Palmetto begins its season on Saturday at the Captain Archer at Charlotte. The tournament is one of the toughest in the state and often serves as an opening statement for what is to come this season.

Carbajal and Wyatt will both look to make their mark early as will a Tigers team that looks ready for a big breakthrough this season.

And unlike last year, they won’t be spending this week worrying about facing each other on the weekend - because they’re in the room each day making each other better.