Class 3A 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. South Dade
2. SW Miami
3. Palmetto Ridge
4. Kissimmee Osceola
5. Wellington
Predicted total state champions
6 - South Dade
2 - SW Miami, Kissimmee Osceola
1 - Palmetto Ridge, Harmony, Doral Academy, Buchholz
Predicted state placers
11 - South Dade
7 - SW Miami
6 - Palmetto Ridge
5 - Wellington
4 - Harmony, Kissimmee Osceola, Olympic Heights, Viera
3 - Doral Academy, Flagler Palm Coast, Hagerty, Lake Brantley, Miami Southridge, Palm Harbor University
2 - Bloomingdale, Fletcher, Fort Pierce Central, George Jenkins, Lake Mary, Miami Palmetto, Orlando Freedom, Palm Beach Gardens, Park Vista, South Plantation
1 - Bartram Trail, Braddock, Buchholz, Creekside, DeLand, Douglas, Dwyer, Evans, Lennard, Miami Columbus, Nease, North Port, Oviedo, Riverview, Sarasota Riverview, Spanish River, Steinbrenner, Strawberry Crest, Sumner, Timber Creek, Tocoi Creek, Tohopekaliga, Treasure Coast, Venice, West Broward, West Orange, Western, Winter Haven, Winter Park
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Bryan Morales (South Dade)
2. #3 Erik Perez (Palmetto Ridge)
3. #2 Nathan Lyttle (Harmony)
4. #4 Roderick Brown (George Jenkins)
5. #5 Rocco Ruiz (Doral Academy)
6. #6 Hunter Jessee (Hagerty)
7. #7 Brendon Clark (Sumner)
8. #8 Damel Martinez (Miami Southridge)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Rocco Duygulu (Douglas); #10 Xavier Santiago (Orlando Freedom)
First round matches you can't miss: #10 Xavier Santiago (Orlando Freedom) vs. #8 Damel Martinez (Miami Southridge); #9 Rocco Duygulu (Douglas) vs. #2 Nathan Lyttle (Harmony)
Kabra says: Morales gets a chance to redeem a poor performance at state a year ago, but that experience should also have him hyper-focused. With no real sure-fire favorite, we can’t say the 1-2 semifinal matchup will determine the winner here, but we’re excited at the possibility of a Morales-Lyttle semifinal. Part of what could prevent that is a potential quarterfinal match with George Jenkins’ Brown. When this one is going on, just sit back and relax and see if any chaos unfolds.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Christian Vazquez (Doral Academy)
2. #2 Adaias Ortiz (Kissimmee Osceola)
3. #3 Cameron Gibson (Wellington)
4. #5 Alex Schnobrick (Olympic Heights)
5. #4 Jorge Bravo (Palm Beach Gardens)
6. #7 Antonio Morales (SW Miami)
7. #6 Josh Sabbia (Oviedo)
8. #9 William McGowan (Palmetto Ridge)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Tiago Neves (Timber Creek); #11 Leonardo Perdomo (Bloomingdale)
First round matches you can't miss: #7 Antonio Morales (SW Miami) vs. #8 Tiago Neves (Timber Creek); #13 Lajuan Ingraham (Miami Beach) vs. #12 Santiago Carrion (Creekside)
Kabra says: When Jason of SEWrestle asked me to be on his YouTube preview show and said one of the questions would be to pick a senior who finally will breakthrough, my mind immediately went to Vazquez. He’s reached the state final the past three years. He enters this weekend as the favorite and has wins over the two wrestlers (Ortiz and Gibson) we think are the closest competitors.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Luis Acevedo (South Dade)
2. #2 Frederick Mitchum (Miami Southridge)
3. #3 David Leiva (Douglas)
4. #4 Alex Giglietti (Viera)
5. #5 Marlo Clark (Timber Creek)
6. #6 Damonyai White (Lake Mary)
7. #7 Angel Delgado (SW Miami)
8. #9 Zach Berry (Palm Harbor University)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Kase Hopper (Venice); #11 Corbin Fjalstad (Martin County)
First round matches you can't miss: #7 Angel Delgado (SW Miami) vs. #4 Alex Giglietti (Viera); #9 Zach Berry (Palm Harbor University) vs. #14 Kyle Brown (Sandalwood)
Giglietti wins a region title and his “reward” is Delgado in the first round.
Kabra says: This bracket is loaded with returning state champion Acevedo leading the way. The South Dade senior is 3-0 this season against second-ranked Mitchum. Leiva does have a sudden victory win over Giglietti, should they meet in the playing round like we’ve predicted.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Gabriel Tellez (SW Miami)
2. #2 Nathaniel Williams (South Dade)
3. #3 Jesten Conty (Orlando Freedom)
4. #4 Dario Duany (Lake Brantley)
5. #5 Raymond Cavey (West Orange)
6. #6 Luke Agcaoili (Viera)
7. #7 Chris Dinsdale (Lennard)
8. #8 Robert Twilley (Flagler Palm Coast)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #10 Diego Imbert (Coral Gables); #11 Keegan Clark (Timber Creek)
First round matches you can't miss: #10 Diego Imbert (Coral Gables) vs. #12 Jordan Bloomberg (Palmetto Ridge); #8 Robert Twilley (Flagler Palm Coast) vs. #6 Luke Agcaoili (Viera)
Kabra says: Tellez won a state title back in 2022 and will look to complete his high school career with a second this weekend. He’s beaten six times this season and they could have a seventh meeting in the final here. The back end of this bracket gets interesting, especially with Conty, Duany, and Covey all having close matches between each other.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Dillon Smith (SW Miami)
2. #2 Sam Marvel (Wellington)
3. #3 Toriyon Stallings (Flagler Palm Coast)
4. #4 Joshua Whitter (South Plantation)
5. #5 Adriel Pina (Olympic Heights)
6. #6 Armand Williams (South Dade)
7. #7 Isfandier Sharipov (Kissimmee Osceola)
8. #8 Massimo Pellicano (Venice)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Jaylen Clayton (Evans); #10 Ian Drake (Ridge Community)
First round matches you can't miss: #10 Ian Drake (Ridge Community) vs. #5 Adriel Pina (Olympic Heights); #6 Armand Williams (South Dade) vs. #9 Jaylen Clayton (Evans)
Kabra says: Smith and Marvel wrestled to an 8-7 decision earlier this season and if they both make the final here, expect a close, heart-stopping match. Flagler Palm Coast’s Stallings will try to mess up that scene as he could battle with Smith in the top-half semifinal.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Elvis Solis (South Dade)
2. #2 Nikolas Blake (Hagerty)
3. #3 Noah Sanabria (Braddock)
4. #4 Cole O'Brien (Fletcher)
5. #5 Titus Herron (Palm Harbor University)
6. #6 Nathan Barrett (Tohopekaliga)
7. #7 Carson Estrada (Harmony)
8. #8 Alec Gonzalez (Miami Columbus)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Austin Nappi (North Port); #10 Jack Duke (Martin County)
First round matches you can't miss: #7 Carson Estrada (Harmony) vs. #8 Alec Gonzalez (Miami Columbus); #9 Austin Nappi (North Port) vs. #13 Brent Ryals (Ocala Forest)
Kabra says: Solis. And the field. The South Dade junior is the pick to win here, but there are some compelling matches that could take place here. A Blake-Sanabria semi in the top half would be worth the price of admission. Blake has wrestled well all season and Sanabria’s only losses have come to Solis. An O’Brien-Barrett semifinal is another as we watch to see if O’Brien can finish his high school career on the podium.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Cavarius Liddie (Buchholz)
2. #2 Tyree Graham (South Dade)
3. #3 James Kosza (Wellington)
4. #4 James Singer (Bloomingdale)
5. #5 Landon Bates (Palm Harbor University)
6. #6 James Gonzalez (Winter Park)
7. #7 Mark Whalen (Palmetto Ridge)
8. #8 Elias Twigg (Fletcher)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Nelson Hued (SW Miami); #10 Dylan Lopez (Braddock)
First round matches you can't miss: #11 Tyrell Robby (Miami Beach) vs. #7 Mark Whalen (Palmetto Ridge); #8 Elias Twigg (Fletcher) vs. #15 Jayden Romanello (Fort Pierce Central)
Kabra says: Liddie has worn the title of defending champion nicely this season and should get a second this weekend. Graham, Kosza, and Singer capable of big things, but they are mostly likely going to be jockeying for spots on the podium.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Anderson Heap (Kissimmee Osceola)
2. #2 Joshua Aviles (South Dade)
3. #4 Brian Mitchell (Viera)
4. #3 Matthew Archambault (Olympic Heights)
5. #5 Daniel Alvarez (Spanish River)
6. #7 Jovan Vukajlovic (Lake Brantley)
7. #6 Vladislav Chechkovsky (Tocoi Creek)
8. #9 Omar Faris (Western)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Zachary Ruiz (Miami Columbus); #10 Andres Sanchez (Sanford Seminole)
First round matches you can't miss: #9 Omar Faris (Western) vs. #10 Andres Sanchez (Sanford Seminole); #8 Zachary Ruiz (Miami Columbus) vs. #7 Jovan Vukajlovic (Lake Brantley)
Kabra says: Davidson recruit Heap looks to finish his career with a third state title (which would be a fourth state final appearance). The Kowboys senior is another favorite in Class 3A that seems likely to finish atop the podium. We went against our rankings in the 3-4, with Mitchell have lost to Archambault last week in the region finals after going 2-0 between the two during the regular season.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Shawn McCallister (Harmony)
2. #2 Demetri Zertopoulis (Palmetto Ridge)
3. #3 Jose Gutierrez (Doral Academy)
4. #4 Giovanni DeAngeles (Park Vista)
5. #5 Franco Rivas (Wellington)
6. #6 Drake Bonney (Miami Palmetto)
7. #7 Edwin Torres (Viera)
8. #8 Shannon Davie (SW Miami)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #10 Nathaniel Cabrera (Kissimmee Osceola); #11 Juan Viera-Paulos (Timber Creek)
First round matches you can't miss: #4 Giovanni DeAngeles (Park Vista) vs. #6 Drake Bonney (Miami Palmetto); #12 Devin Blunt (Strawberry Crest) vs. #13 Clayton Mitchell (Oviedo)
Kabra says: There are three matches in the first round between Top 8 wrestlers here. Which means there are three wrestlers who could finish on the podium that will have to get there going the consolation route the entire way. At the top is McCallister. The Harmony senior has just a single loss, to Winter Springs’ top-ranked wrestler Jaydon Robinson.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Gavin Balmeceda (South Dade)
2. #2 Willie White (SW Miami)
3. #3 Jabore Brown (Treasure Coast)
4. #4 Vincent Donatelle (North Port)
5. #5 Elijah Alvarez (Orlando Freedom)
6. #6 Stefan Povsic (Olympic Heights)
7. #7 Colton Leavell (Creekside)
8. #8 Naushad Bashir (South Plantation)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Mac Andrews (Wellington); #10 Abraham Le (Sickles)
First round matches you can't miss: #7 Colton Leavell (Creekside) vs. #11 Cedric Daniels (Nova); #8 Naushad Bashir (South Plantation) vs. #13 Kelton Howard (Flagler Palm Coast)
Kabra says: I know we peek ahead to the finals in this quick snippets because that’s where the predictions start at the top - but forgive us if we look too much ahead to a potential fifth meeting and rubber match between Balmeceda and White. The South Dade senior has gotten the best of the Eagles star the past two meetings. Before that happens, one of the top quarterfinals in Class 3A could take place between White and Brown, who both won Cradle Cancer titles at different weights.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Gunner Holland (Kissimmee Osceola)
2. #2 Kevin Olavarria (South Dade)
3. #3 Connor Bonney (Miami Palmetto)
4. #4 Gavin Isaacs (Lake Mary)
5. #5 Jake Jessee (Lake Brantley)
6. #6 Connor Gilliam (Hagerty)
7. #7 John Fernandez (Harmony)
8. #8 Dwayne Shaw (Wellington)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Nicholas Torres (Sarasota); #10 Brant Bovee (Durant)
First round matches you can't miss: #9 Nicholas Torres (Sarasota) vs. #8 Dwayne Shaw (Wellington); #3 Connor Bonney (Miami Palmetto) vs. #6 Connor Gilliam (Hagerty)
Kabra says: This weight class certainly could have one of the finals to watch. Holland is looking for his third career state title. The Osceola senior’s loss in the semifinals last season is his only ever loss in the tournament and you can bet his mind has been on this Saturday night since then. Olivarria should provide a nice challenge. The South Dade senior won the meeting between the two at state duals, but Holland is 2-1 over the Pennsylvania transfer. The rest of the bracket is more of a toss-up with nearly every guy in the field with the skill level to reach the podium.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Christopher Sanchez (South Dade)
2. #2 Myron Mendez (SW Miami)
3. #3 Alan Rivera (Nease)
4. #5 Zahquel Davis (Winter Haven)
5. #4 Timothy Peoples (George Jenkins)
6. #6 Aidyn Wolfe (Riverview)
7. #7 Aiden Madden (Fort Pierce Central)
8. #9 Corrado DeSantis (Dwyer)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Hunter Tate (Hagerty); #10 Jordan Hayes (Viera)
First round matches you can't miss: #2 Myron Mendez (SW Miami) vs. #6 Aidyn Wolfe (Riverview); #8 Hunter Tate (Hagerty) vs. #10 Jordan Hayes (Viera)
Kabra says: Sanchez, who is heading to Kent State next year, is looking to finish his high school career with a ring and he’s the favorite in a loaded weight class. SW Miami’s Mendez has beaten Sanchez this year, but he’s also lost a lot as Sanchez owns a 6-1 record between the two. Rivera and Peoples are both talented grapplers and have a nice collection of wins this season.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Sawyer Bartelt (South Dade)
2. #2 Baxter Hoffman (Steinbrenner)
3. #3 Ethaniel Laupepa (Flagler Palm Coast)
4. #4 Evan Fortune (Park Vista)
5. #5 Jaylin Bein-Aime (Palm Beach Gardens)
6. #6 Jacob George (Bartram Trail)
7. #7 Jordan Peralez (Palmetto Ridge)
8. #8 Mizael Morales (Bloomingdale)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Nathan Adras (Dr. Krop); #10 Joel Carillo (Doral Academy)
First round matches you can't miss: #9 Nathan Adras (Dr. Krop) vs. #13 Reece Smith (Martin County); #8 Mizael Morales (Bloomingdale) vs. #6 Jacob George (Bartram Trail)
Kabra says: Make sure you take a moment this weekend to appreciate what we’ve been able to watch the past four season with Sawyer Bartelt. In his four years wrestling at South Dade, he has not allowed a single offensive point to be scored on him. He gets four more matches to lead the Bucs before heading off to Iowa State. The other 15 wrestlers in this bracket will compete for a high spot on the podium and Nos. 2, 3, and 5 are in the other half of the bracket so there are chances there. Watch for an exciting semifinal between Hoffman and Laupepa.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Kaden Darwin (Palmetto Ridge)
2. #2 Jermael Paul (Evans)
3. #3 Cody Anderson (Strawberry Crest)
4. #5 Marion Smokes (DeLand)
5. #4 Ryan Miret (Miami Southridge)
6. #6 Hernan Ortiz (Fort Pierce Central)
7. #7 CJ McCutcheon (Sarasota Riverview)
8. #9 Maximillian Taboada (West Broward)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Apollo Benito (Miami Columbus); #11 Joel Leon (Seminole Ridge)
First round matches you can't miss: #9 Maximillian Taboada (West Broward) vs. #7 CJ McCutcheon (Sarasota Riverview); #12 Trevor Covelli (Hagerty) vs. #11 Joel Leon (Seminole Ridge)
Kabra says: Darwin let his presence known after an incredible performance at the Knockout and he’s been on fire since. The senior is 51-1 and our favorite going into the weekend. Evans senior Paul has not wrestled across the state like Darwin, but he’s beaten all of the competitions he’s faced and cemented his spot as a state title contender last weekend when he beat last year’s fifth-place finisher here. Another to watch is Southridge’s Miret. The Spartans brought in Albert Pardo to coach this year in part to develop Miret and his improvement has been exponential. He’s capable of making even more noise here.
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.