Class 2A state wrestling preview and predictions
BY BRANT PARSONS —Welcome to our 2024 state tournament preview and predictions.
This is yearly tradition that is meant to be both a viewing guide and fun way to look ahead to the best three days of the season.
For this set of predictions, the process didn’t change.
I take each bracket and make notes on it - including Kabra Wrestling rankings - and then play out each match in each bracket to determine the state placers and add a couple wrestlers to watch.
Since these are based on my rankings, and I am fully confident in my rankings, you’ll notice my picks never stray too far from them.
The final standings don’t always match my rankings because some brackets just don’t play out that way - and there are a couple notable times where I take a flyer and disagree with the rankings. I’m a fun guy like that.
What you’ll read in this preview is a snapshot in time on what I felt would happen in this tournament when I wrote the preview. If I was to go through and write it again, I’m sure there are some that would be different. There does tend to be a good deal of scratching out on my brackets when I do this.
As always, there is no bias that goes into these picks and they are meant for entertainment purposes only. I don’t cheer for my bracket to be right, in fact, the most memorable moments related to these previews are the kids that proved me wrong and then told me that they did.
In fact, when I’m covering the state tournament, I often don’t even remember the picks that I made. I’m too excited just watching the great action.
Best of luck to each of the state qualifiers that will compete this weekend. Just reaching the state tournament is such a tremendous accomplishment and no matter what you do this weekend at Silver Spurs Arena, you are a success that has accomplished great things through this powerful sport.
And if you prove me wrong, please let me know.
The Picks
Team Race
Final standings
1. Tampa Jesuit
2. Lake Gibson
3. Winter Springs
4. Fleming Island
5. Heritage
Predicted total state champions
3 - Tampa Jesuit, Winter Springs
2 - Mariner
1 - Lake Gibson, Fleming Island, Middleburg, Satellite, Clay, Matanzas
Predicted state placers
11 - Tampa Jesuit
6 - Fleming Island, Lake Gibson, Winter Springs
5 - Charlotte, Manatee
4 - Gulf Breeze, Heritage, Middleburg, North Fort Myers
3 - Brandon, Lincoln, Merritt Island, New Smyrna Beach, Satellite
2 - Braden River, Cape Coral, Felix Varela, Fort Walton Beach, Lakeland, Mariner, Mater Academy, Miramar, Mosley, Palmetto
1 - Barron Collier, Beachside, Clay, Cypress Lake, Deltona, Dillard, East River, Lake Wales, Land O'Lakes, Matanzas, North Miami, Oakleaf, Pace, Parrish Community, Pasco, Ponte Vedra, River Ridge, South Fort Myers, Tampa Bay Tech, Terry Parker, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Jake Giovino (Satellite)
2. #2 Solomon Peterson (Heritage)
3. #3 Matthew Schuler (Charlotte)
4. #4 Gavin Fisher (Middleburg)
5. #5 Garrett Ferguson (Gulf Breeze)
6. #7 Joshua Sanchez (Felix Varela)
7. #11 Brock Glover (Tampa Jesuit)
8. #9 Preston King (Lincoln)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Noah Scribner (Brandon); #10 Connor Barnes (Oakleaf)
First round matches you can't miss: #11 Brock Glover (Tampa Jesuit) vs. #6 Gary Mendez (Mater Academy); #10 Connor Barnes (Oakleaf) vs. #8 Noah Scribner (Brandon)
Barnes and Scribner is an interesting region champ vs. fourth-place finisher. Glover owns a 3-0 win over Mendez during the season.
Kabra says: This is a weight class where once you think you have a handle on it, you realize you don’t. Giovino has a 2-1 series edge over Peterson on the season and Peterson pinned Schuler quickly in the Cradle Cancer final. The freshman Fisher has proved to be the best 106 from Region 1 and should have a say in how this bracket plays out.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Jacob Bucci (Clay)
2. #2 Erick Vargas (Lakeland)
3. #3 Malachi Ortiz (Tampa Jesuit)
4. #4 Landon Quiroga (Merritt Island)
5. #5 Pedro Sifuentes (East River)
6. #9 Matthew Newman (Fleming Island)
7. #7 Matthew Ireland (Braden River)
8. #8 Gavin Samons (Gulf Breeze)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #6 Kael Seneca (Fort Myers); #11 Ericson Coney (Mater Academy)
First round matches you can't miss: #5 Pedro Sifuentes (East River) vs. #6 Kael Seneca (Fort Myers); #10 Gabriel MacVittie (Satellite) vs. #9 Matthew Newman (Fleming Island)
The way this bracket sits, the Sifuentes-Seneca opener could determine a path to the podium because we are high on Newman to outperform our rankings and he could waiting the loser here in what essentially is the blood round. We might get a chance to see if that hunch on Newman is correct when he opens against the Region 4 runner-up.
Kabra says: Bucci has been on a tear after getting a late start on the season. He enters the weekend 20-0 on the year. An intriguing semifinal looms in the bottom with Vargas and Ortiz pathed to meet. The Lakeland senior owns a close 3-2 win between the two. If the bracket plays out as we see it, we’ll have a fourth meeting between Ortiz and Quiroga in the third-place match. Ortiz owns a 2-1 series advantage with all three being decisions.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Roman Lermer (Tampa Jesuit)
2. #2 Elijah Lowe (Lake Gibson)
3. #3 Jordan Mukaddam (Fleming Island)
4. #6 D'angelo Gil (North Fort Myers)
5. #4 Grady Woodard (Middleburg)
6. #5 Zak Vosburgh (Fort Walton Beach)
7. #7 Dully Brutus (Miramar)
8. #8 Kalob Williams (Winter Springs)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #10 Isaac Towenko (Cape Coral); #11 Sean Herlihy (Palmetto)
First round matches you can't miss: #10 Isaac Towenko (Cape Coral) vs. #13 Kaden Barrial (Merritt Island); #11 Sean Herlihy (Palmetto) vs. #7 Dully Brutus (Miramar)
The winner between Towenko and Barrial does set up a better path to the podium and Herlihy-Brutus is another intriguing RC vs. R4.
Kabra says: We could have a state final that rematches one of the exciting bouts from the state duals final here. Two-time state champion Lermer won that meeting 9-6, and when these two met in last year’s state tournament, Lermer won 3-0. In Lowe’s path to the finals could be Mukaddam. The Lake Gibson senior defeated him 10-6 at the state duals.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Camren French (Mariner)
2. #3 Luke Williams (Brandon)
3. #2 Sebastian Bonachea (Oakleaf)
4. #5 Gaetano Tedesco (Lake Gibson)
5. #4 Reid Yakes (Tampa Jesuit)
6. #6 Kaiden Ballinger (Charlotte)
7. #8 Isaac Cedeno (Manatee)
8. #9 Coby Shields (Gulf Breeze)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #7 Rylan Herrera (Clay); #10 Gustavo Ferreira (Heritage)
First round matches you can't miss: #14 Falco Frank (Okeechobee) vs. #12 Zavier Pennington (Leesburg); #7 Rylan Herrera (Clay) vs. #6 Kaiden Ballinger (Charlotte)
The loser in the Ballinger-Herrera match would likely face a Top 5 wrestler in the round to podium.
Kabra says: French is back and looking to get over the hump to win his first state title. The Mariner senior finished fifth as a freshman before back-to-back state finals appearances without a win, while wrestling at Charlotte. He’s wrestling for his uncle this season and looks to be the favorite here. The top half of the bracket does have our 1 vs. 2 semifinal, but the bottom of the bracket might be where to watch. Six of the Top 10 are in the bottom and there are two Top 10 opening round matches and a potential 3 vs. 4 quarterfinal between Williams and Yakes.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Maximus Brady (Mariner)
2. #2 Gregory Mendez (Mater Academy)
3. #3 Anthony Dicks (Satellite)
4. #4 Gavin Pozzie (Parrish)
5. #5 Luke Arthur (Manatee)
6. #6 Xavier Albo (Tampa Jesuit)
7. #9 Jaden Weisgal (Brandon)
8. #11 Bryson Hubbard (Ponte Vedra)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #7 Charles Griffis (Land O' Lakes); #8 Christian Bonilla (Lyman)
First round matches you can't miss: #6 Xavier Albo (Tampa Jesuit) vs. #7 Charles Griffis (Land O' Lakes); #10 Salaahddin Hightower (Dillard) vs. #12 Pedro Masso (Crestview)
Kabra says: As much as the top of the podium seems settled with two-time state champion Brady in the bracket, this one has some crazy potential to be wild. A 2 vs. 4 quarterfinal looks in the top with Mendez and Pozzie and other placings of higher-ranked wrestlers on the bracket could cause some consolation round chaos making this podium look much different than our final season rankings.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Ryan Phillips (Winter Springs)
2. #2 Christian Fretwell (Lake Gibson)
3. #3 Yianni Marinis (River Ridge)
4. #4 Jayden Bowles (Tampa Jesuit)
5. #5 Laird Duhaylungsod (Fleming Island)
6. #7 Jonathan Bruner (New Smyrna Beach)
7. #6 Kyle Yasses (Deltona)
8. #9 Caleb King (Lincoln)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Jacob Wyatt (Palmetto); #10 Jeson Carbajal (Manatee)
First round matches you can't miss: #5 Laird Duhaylungsod (Fleming Island) vs. #6 Kyle Yasses (Deltona); #10 Jeson Carbajal (Manatee) vs. #14 Famous Nealy (Miramar)
Yasses is not your typical fourth-place region finisher and comes in following a one-point loss to Fretwell in the region-placing match.
Kabra says: Oh did this one get more interesting heading into the weekend. Winter Springs senior Phillips topped two-time state champion Fretwell in the region quarterfinals, making him our favorite for the week. The two wrestlers are 1-1 against each other this year with two close decision matches. Phillips has come close before with a state runner-up and third place finish during his career. We’re picking him because we have to pick someone, and he won the last meeting. Fretwell could have one of the toughest roads to a title in the state this year with a potential line-up of the Nos. 7, 4, 3, and 1 ranked wrestlers in his path.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Jaydon Robinson (Winter Springs)
2. #2 Austin Chung (Lake Gibson)
3. #3 Mason Basile (Tampa Jesuit)
4. #5 Wyatt Leduc (Middleburg)
5. #4 Jonathan Martinez (South Fort Myers)
6. #6 Jake Samuels (Manatee)
7. #7 Michael Mancuso (Gulf Breeze)
8. #10 Jordan Pineda (Felix Varela)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Keon Barrientos (Oakleaf); #11 Merrick Miller (New Smyrna Beach)
First round matches you can't miss: #12 Lucas Boecker (Sebastian River) vs. #9 Gordon Watson (Brandon); #8 Keon Barrientos (Oakleaf) vs. #6 Jake Samuels (Manatee)
The loser of the Samuels-Barrientos match would face the loser of Chung-Basile in the second round of consolations.
Kabra says: Robinson has been dominant in his one season in Florida, winning the Knockout and not losing to a Florida wrestler. The top of this bracket holds a quarterfinal match to watch if Chung and Basile make it though the first round. Chung earned a crucial 3-1 win between the two in the state duals final. The winner’s road to the semifinals doesn’t get significantly easier after that, with Leduc possibly waiting in the semifinal. The top bracket will be exciting here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Draven McCall (Tampa Jesuit)
2. #2 Kaden Schaefer (Fleming Island)
3. #3 Thomas Gernhart (Brandon)
4. #4 Keith Cole (Heritage)
5. #5 JJ Martinez (Fort Walton Beach)
6. #7 Leomany Casado (Land O' Lakes)
7. #6 Aidan Sutton (New Smyrna Beach)
8. #9 Joseph Wilkinson (Barron Collier)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Dylan Sweeney (Felix Varela); #10 Izaiah Zaitouni (Osceola Fundamental)
First round matches you can't miss: #12 Leondre Campbell (Lake Gibson) vs. #9 Joseph Wilkinson (Barron Collier); #8 Dylan Sweeney (Felix Varela) vs. #6 Aidan Sutton (New Smyrna Beach)
The winner of the Wilkinson-Campbell match could put them on a winnable path to the podium.
Kabra says: I don’t know if this is the best weight class in Class 2A, but it’s the most intriguing at the top. Returning state champion McCall leads the bracket with two undefeated wrestlers and a state finalist from last year chasing. McCall could see one of the undefeated wrestlers in the semifinals with Gernhart on the same side of the bracket. Schaefer looms on the top half with a potential semi against Cole, who was runner-up last season.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Gianni Maldonado (Lake Gibson)
2. #2 Kawayran Vazquez (Tampa Jesuit)
3. #3 Judd Cole (Cape Coral)
4. #4 Evan Martinez (Lakeland)
5. #5 Tre Driggett (Merritt Island)
6. #6 Gerson Alette (North Miami)
7. #7 Landen Holley (Wesley Chapel)
8. #9 Jeff Brown (Terry Parker)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Pavel Bulko (St. Petersburg); #10 Gustavo Osorio (Gaither)
First round matches you can't miss: #8 Pavel Bulko (St. Petersburg) vs. #6 Gerson Alette (North Miami); #7 Landen Holley (Wesley Chapel) vs. #11 Landon Martin (Clay)
Each of these two matches hold keys to the podium because the crossover from winners and losers would be in the blood round.
Kabra says: Maldonado has shown to not just be the best in this weight in Class 2A, but one of the real leaders on his team. This will be the last time he competes for Lake Gibson before heading off to wrestle at Air Force and he will look to end it with another state title. His main competitor could be the upstart freshman Vazquez, who is looking to take the baton here. Maldonado’s pin over Vazquez in the state duals clinched the state title for the Braves.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Brandon Cody (Tampa Jesuit)
2. #2 Gage Wiggins (Braden River)
3. #3 Kaleb Gabrielsen (Heritage)
4. #5 Husam Mustafa (Lake Wales)
5. #4 Ty Rodriguez (Brandon)
6. #6 Julian Gonzales (North Fort Myers)
7. #7 Vincent Contreras (Pasco)
8. #10 Andrew Yeats (Mosley)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Jovany Franklin (Miami Norland); #11 Adonis Severe (North Miami)
First round matches you can't miss: #10 Andrew Yeats (Mosley) vs. #11 Adonis Severe (North Miami); #7 Vincent Contreras (Pasco) vs. #6 Julian Gonzales (North Fort Myers)
The winner of the Yeats-Severe match could have put them on the podium with a winnable consolation bracket.
Kabra says: So far Cody and Wiggins haven’t disappointed. Wiggins needed sudden victory in their district final meeting and then Cody inched out a 1-0 region final win. Could we have the rubber match in the finals here? Gabrielsen is someone who could throw a wrench into things. The Heritage senior won’t be waiting long for the challenge, with Wiggins likely in the quarterfinals. Brandon’s Rodriguez is another contender here and is on the bottom half of the bracket with Cody.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Elijah Penton (Winter Springs)
2. #2 Ryan Beirne (Satellite)
3. #3 Christopher Chop (Fleming Island)
4. #4 Chancellor Haber (Tampa Jesuit)
5. #5 Mason Miller (Manatee)
6. #6 Eddie Craig (Beachside)
7. #7 Jaden Rosebury (Tampa Bay Tech)
8. #10 Tyler Charette (Cape Coral)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Jace Brownlow (Lake Gibson); #9 Austin Williams (Brandon)
First round matches you can't miss: #8 Jace Brownlow (Lake Gibson) vs. #6 Eddie Craig (Beachside); #13 Gary Bradley (Bayside) vs. #12 Anthony Kearney (Riverside)
Kabra says: Penton enters as one of the big favorites in Class 2A and has wins over the second and third-ranked wrestlers. Beirne and Chop have not faced each other this season but the semifinals looms for them on the top half of the bracket. Beirne’s big win was over South Dade’s Kevin Olavarria.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Jordan Mills (Matanzas)
2. #2 Sawyer VanRider (New Smyrna Beach)
3. #3 Jett McCauley (Charlotte)
4. #4 Dastan Chiketaev (Palmetto)
5. #5 Isaac Waters (Pace)
6. #6 Javari Milton (Miramar)
7. #7 Marvin Mendez (Tampa Jesuit)
8. #10 Jacob Rodriguez (Winter Springs)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Dominick Smith (Merritt Island); #11 Landon Daugherty (East River)
First round matches you can't miss: #9 Dominick Smith (Merritt Island) vs. #11 Landon Daugherty (East River); #5 Isaac Waters (Pace) vs. #4 Dastan Chiketaev (Palmetto)
Chiketaev and Waters could end up wrestling twice this weekend if our projections are correct.
Kabra says: A state finalist as a sophomore, Mills has returned locked in after missing his junior season due to an injury. The Matanzas senior is undefeated and has wins at the Knockout and Cradle Cancer. He’s also beaten our No. 2 ranked wrestler three times this season. His semifinal won’t be easy, with Charlotte’s McCauley possibly waiting there. The bottom half of the bracket features five of the Top 7 wrestlers according to Kabra Wrestling and things could get chaotic down there.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Tucker Cody (Middleburg)
2. #2 Harper Noel (Heritage)
3. #3 Kaleb Ivie (Merritt Island)
4. #4 Viliam Piehk (Charlotte)
5. #5 Damontez McDowell (Manatee)
6. #7 Frank Cornelison (North Fort Myers)
7. #6 Jared Apple (Zephyrhills)
8. #9 Lucson Emile (Dillard)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Aaron Stacey (Clay); #11 Logan Ngo (Mariner)
First round matches you can't miss: #14 Aaron Kunna (Brandon) vs. #8 Aaron Stacey (Clay); #13 Gabrial Solis (Lake Gibson) vs. #12 Kyle Nilsson (New Smyrna Beach)
Lake Gibson is chasing points all weekend and it would be a huge team help for Solis to perform above his ranking this weekend, including a win in this first round match.
Kabra says: I was told early in the season by a wrestling voice that I respect that Cody would win a state title this season and he’s certainly showing that voice to possibly be correct. With his only loss being a 6-1 decision to Mills (#1 at 190), he’s handled any comers in this weight class. I wouldn’t say he wins this in a walkover though with Noel wrestling red-hot to finish the season with his only loss since Cradle Cancer coming to South Dade’s Sawyer Bartelt. Ivie has a win over Piekh and the Charlotte senior has a win over McDowell.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Kevin Reyes (Fleming Island)
2. #2 Ryder Luck (Lincoln)
3. #3 John Arellano (Lake Gibson)
4. #7 DeAndre Berry (Palmetto)
5. #4 Jaxon Newton (Charlotte)
6. #6 Logan McAlister (Mosley)
7. #8 Seth Tshiams (North Fort Myers)
8. #9 Triston White (Cypress Lake)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #5 Carmine Morton (Gaither); #11 Chase Eckman (East River)
First round matches you can't miss: #14 Noel Guycen (Mater Academy) vs. #11 Chase Eckman (East River); #6 Logan McAlister (Mosley) vs. #8 Seth Tshiams (North Fort Myers)
Kabra says: I thought about asking my daughter London to pick this weight class. Or possibly putting the names on dog treats and let our two pups decide the winner. They may have come out with a better projection than me in this one. I feel like I could pick a variety of different podium finishes and not have a clue what I am doing. Like former Winter Springs wrestling coach and current AD Scott Gomrad once told me about heavyweights and I’ve used somewhere in every preview since: “Any heavyweight can fall on any other heavyweight.”
Brant Parsons is the founder and executive editor of Kabra Wrestling. He has been covering high school wrestling in Florida since 2004.
He can be reached at brant@kabrawrestling.com.