By Dave Brousseau
FORT LAUDERDALE – For much of the day at the BCAA County Wrestling Championships at Dillard High, defending champion Cardinal Gibbons was pushed by the strengthening team from South Plantation.
Then came the strength of Chiefs team in brothers Peter and Michael Mocco that coach Jamel Morris calls “the anchors.”
Combined, Peter and Michael have won eight consecutive BCAA titles including the final two matches on Saturday after that sealed Gibbons ninth consecutive championship holding off the Paladins by10 points. South Plantations finished fifth last year, 115 points behind Gibbons.
The South Broward girls won their first girls BCAA team title with 160 points, finishing 25 points better than 2024 team champion Douglas.
Peter Mocco (45-0) defeated Tod Mancini of South Plantation by technical pin 19-9 for the 215-pound title. Michael Mocco (44-0) completed the meet at the 285-pound weight class by pinning Lamon Witherspoon of Miramar in 43 seconds.
“It feels great that coach has confidence in me and my brother and that we can win for the team,” said Michael Mocco. “I’ll like being last knowing when it comes down to me, I can win for the team.”
“This season has been a fun journey,” said Peter. “The practices, tournaments have been good overall. There’s always room to improve.”
It was Gibbons’ 22nd overall title since the event began in 1965. Their three individual winners improved the school’s tournament record to 116.
In addition to the Mocco brothers remaining undefeated, five other wrestlers did the same. They were junior Michiah Gillins Jr. (28-0) and Naidreck Saint-Fleur (10-0) of South Plantation, brothers in defending state champion, sophomore Illia Kyryianenko (8-0) and senior Ivan Kyryianenko (29-0) of South Broward and Douglas junior Jacob Balk (16-0).
The Kyryianenko brothers successfully repeated as county champs and in two seasons have a combined record of 105-0.
Between the Mocco and Kyryianenko brothers it marked the second consecutive years that two sets of brothers wrestling for the same teams won individual titles at the same meet.
It marked the 14th time brothers won championships at a single meet since it first happened in 1970 when Pete and Charles Collins of Stranahan were victorious.
“They are absolute monsters,” South Broward coach Major Threlkeld said of the Kyryianenko brothers. “There’s hardly anyone the state that can touch Illia in his class. His older brother should qualify for the state tournament if he gets through Region 4, which is always loaded and produces plenty of state chuampions.”
Senior Latoya Sylvestre (23-2) of South Broward (23-2) became a three-time winner for the Bulldogs at the county meet.
She defeated Ariona Eugene of Flanagan by pin in 45 seconds.
“I faith in myself because of the work I have put in,” said Sylvestre. “I just knew it would pay off because I want to be somebody. If I get other girls motivated because of their weight, they tell me they can always be better. I show up for those girls and myself.”
Other girls that won BCAA titles in consecutive years are Tiffany Francisco (Western), who won back-to-back at 105-pounds; Maryaliz Bernardina of Coral Springs at 145-pounds after winning at 155 last year and Arina Blanc of Douglas who successfully defended her 170-poind title.
BCAA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Those entered to the BCAA Wrestling Hall of Fame were wrestlers Kevin Jacques (South Broward); Kenny Boyd (Stranahan), Sal Guerriero (St. Thomas Aquinas), Nick Limperis (Cardinal Gibbons) and Mardell Gabriel (Cardinal Gibbons).
Coaches were Tom Davis (Chaminade-Madonna), Henry Jackson (Piper) and Thomas Harrison (Stranahan).
(At Dillard High School)
BOYS
Teams scores (Top 5)
1. Cardinal Gibbons 296; 2. South Plantation 286; 3. Douglas 187.5; 4. South Broward 150.5; 5. Monarch 133.5.
Individual results
106: Gillins Jr. (SP) p. Carbajal (CSC) 2:45; 113: Jenkins (SP) d. Metellus (MON) 7-3; 120: Saint-Fleur (SP) t.p. Perez (EVER) 21-3; 126: Derby (SP) t.p. Arnesen (CG) 15-0; 132: Tannariello (MON) p. Madgey (SP) 1:17; 138: lllia Kyryianenko (SB) p. Redman (HH) 1:24; 144: Ivan Kyryianenko (SB) p. Williams (STA) 0:54; 150: Balk (MSD) by forfeit over Rivas (MIR); 157: Dercsar-Kovacs (CG) p. Gonzalez (CB) 4:46; 165: Boyd (SP) d. Fayer (CG) 7-6; 175: Ortiz (NOVA) p. Mantilla (FLAN) 3:11; 190: Lorminey (SP) d. Reid (PIP) 6-2; 215: P. Mocco (CG) t.p. Mancini (SP) 19-2; HWT: M. Mocco (CG) p. Witherspoon (MIR) 0:43.
GIRLS
Teams scores (Top 5)
1. South Broward 160; 2. Douglas 135; 3. Western 122.5; 4. Coral Springs 72; 5. Everglades 53.
Individual results
100: Thomas (COOP) d. Dudley (SP) 14-0; 105: Francisco (WEST) d. Kleine (MON) 4-0; 110: Padin (WEST) p. Barthel (MSD) 2:33; 115: McMahon (MSD) p. Posada (SB) 3:49; 120: Valasco (WEST) p. Jones (NOVA) 1:41; 125: Smith (CS) d. Mashian (WEST) 9-0; 130: Moyer (CS) p. Canals (WEST) 0:56; 135: De Gance (MSD) p. Stubna (SB) 4:23; 140: Torres (MSD) p. Figueroa (SB) 1:18; 145: Bernardina (CS) p. Wright (SB) 1:08; 155: Yelder (PIP) by forfeit over Arroyo (SB); 170: Blanc (MSD) p. Salem (WEST) 0:27; 190: Sylvestre (SB) p. A. Eugene (FLAN) 1:52; 235: Mourad (MSD) p. K. Eugene (FLAN) 5:47.
Dave Brousseau is a veteran journalist who worked at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and is a longtime BCAA Correspondent. Need to reach out to him? Contact him at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.