State champion Jessey Colas earns his moment in the spotlight

Braden River’s Jessey Colas celebrates his state title after winning the Class 2A 182-pound weight class at the FHSAA State Wrestling Championships at Silver Spurs Arena in March. (Brant Parsons/Kabra Wrestling)

BY BRANT PARSONS — Jessey Colas saw the spotlight and wanted to be in it.

Back in his sophomore year, Braden River’s Colas watched the region finals at Charlotte High School and noticed how those in the final got to wrestle in the spotlight and realized how much he wanted to be in it.

It was then he started taking the sport seriously.

“I wasn't in the spotlight that year and I was just sitting there realizing that I wanted to be there one time,” Colas said. “I knew that I wanted to be there one day and I want to be wrestling under the light. So that summer, I really started to take it serious, and try to really focus on what I was doing wrong and get better.”

Colas’ hard work paid off with a state title in his senior year, capping off an incredible 71-0 season with a 5-3 win over Satellite’s Mike McCarthy in the 182-pound final at the FHSAA State Wrestling Championships in March.

“I never thought I'd be a state champion until this year, because you know, I didn't really take it seriously,” Colas said. “So now after four years of non-stop griding, wrestling, and wear and tear and it all comes down to that one moment. So, you know I was happy. I was so happy.”

Colas started wrestling after playing JV football his freshman season. He played in just two of the six games and it was suggested his coaches that wrestling would be beneficial.

At first Colas was skeptical and didn’t think the sport was for him, but in the end, boredom helped play a role.

“Our JV season ended and I had nothing to do because I was on JV and there was no more practice or games,” Colas said. “My brother was still playing varsity football and they still had games and I had nothing to do at the school. I decided to just go in the wrestling room because I had nothing else to do. From there on, I just never stopped.”

While he became an instant fan of the sport, Colas did not have immediate success. In varsity events, Colas compiled a 6-9 record as a fill-in wrestler but picked up some valuable experience and ended the year with a Manatee County JV title.

“I would go to varsity tournaments and not know anything and Coach Sharbono would just throw me out there to the wolves,” Colas said. “That was just a learning experience but that's good because I learned a lot and that this sport is not easy. I learned that I have to work for everything so it was good.”

Colas will have another freshman season this fall as he heads off to North Iowa Area Community College, but he has a much better grasp of the sport now.

“Wrestling has opened up a lot of opportunities,” Colas said. “It just gave me a different path and really opened my eyes to how hard things are. Wrestling makes you makes you realize that life is going be the same way and not everything is going to be easy. It really prepares you for that life aspect.”

And if life presents another spotlight along the way, Colas will be prepared to shine in it.

Jessey Colas celebrates his state title with Braden River wrestling head coach Cezar Sharbono. (Brant Parsons/Kabra Wrestling)

STATE CHAMPION FEATURES

Kabra Wrestling is looking to feature as many state champions as we can over the next few months and tell a little story about what makes them special.

If you won a state championship and would like to be featured, please contact Kabra Wrestling to set up an interview.

2023 State Champions

3A-106: Andrew Punzalan (Cypress Bay)

3A-113: Tyler Washburn (Palmetto Ridge)

3A-120: Luis Acevedo (South Dade)

3A-126: Ethan Vugman (Bartram Trail)

3A-132: Cavarius Liddie (Buchholz)

3A-138: Elvis Solis (South Dade)

3A-145: Anderson Heap (Kissimmee Osceola)

3A-152: Cooper Haase (Kissimmee Osceola)

3A-160: Adrian Ochoa (Southwest Miami)

3A-170: Lawrence Rosario (South Dade)