KISSIMMEE - Before Thursday’s first round of the state wrestling championships at the Silver Spurs Arena, many joked that powerhouse South Dade would wrap up their 24th crown after the first day.
All jokes aside, head coach Vic Balmeceda and his Bucs may have done just that as they qualified all 14 wrestlers to the second day on Friday and made a strong statement toward an 11th straight 3A state title.
Sparked by unbeaten two-time state champion All-American 220-pound junior Sawyer Bartelt’s 46th straight win in the opening round, this team roared out to a 26-point lead over rival Southwest Miami at the second round starts at 9:15 on Friday.
The Bucs were indeed relentless, getting first round wins by Bryan Morales (55-13 – 106), Luis Acevedo (51-3 – 120), Nathaniel Williams (50-11, 126), Tyree Graham (47-12, 132), Elvis Solis (45-1, 138), Misha Arbos (44-8, 145), Gavin Balmeceda (57-5, 152), Cordell White (30-1, 160), Lawrence Rosario (54-9, 170), Chris Sanchez (43-9, 182), Ansel Cervantes (42-0, 195), Bartelt and heavyweight Marcelo Rosario (43-9) all had opening wins, fueling this team on the first day.
While South Dade raced out in 3A, they weren’t alone. Rival Southwest Miami and Weston Cypress Bay were among the top four.
THE RACE IN 1A IS REAL
They had knocked heads in the district tournament two weeks ago and last week in the regional tournament last week, and on Day 1 of the 1A state tournament, Pembroke Pines Somerset and Miami Mater Lakes were back at it again.
Head Coach Joe Blasucci and his Somerset team had a productive first day with 38 points just ahead of Mater Lakes (34.5), Jensen Beach (31.5), Naples First Baptist (28) and Cardinal Gibbons (27.5).
3A
1 South Dade, 48.0
2 Southwest Miami, 22.0
3 Kissimmee Osceola, 18.5
4 Weston Cypress Bay, 16.0
5 Valrico Bloomingdale, 12.5
6 Harmony, 12.0
6 Miami Palmetto, 12.0
6 Palm Harbor University, 12.0
9 Gainesville Buchholz, 11.0
9 Doral Academy, 11.0
9 Lutz George M. Steinbrenner, 11.0
9 Oviedo Hagerty, 11.0
9 Naples Palmetto Ridge, 11.0
9 Wellington Community, 11.0
2A
1 Fleming Island, 36.5
1 Lakeland Lake Gibson, 36.5
3 Punta Gorda Charlotte, 33.0
4 Tampa Jesuit, 18.0
5 Brandon, 17.5
6 Palm Bay Heritage, 17.0
7 Tallahassee Lincoln, 14.0
7 Bradenton Manatee, 14.0
7 Winter Springs, 14.0
10 Green Cove Springs Clay, 13.0
10 Middleburg, 13-0
1A
1 Pembroke Pines Somerset, 38.0
2 Miami Mater Lakes Academy, 34.5
3 Jensen Beach, 31.5
4 Naples First Baptist, 28.0
5 Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons, 27.5
6 Englewood Lemon Bay, 26.0
6 Melbourne Palm Bay, 26.0
8 Zephyrhills Christian, 21.5
9 Brooksville Hernando, 20.0
10 Live Oak Suwannee, 19.0
For the past 55 years – 36 as a public address announcer, we have spent plenty of time on wrestling mats throughout the state of Florida. From dual meets to district, regionals and state tournaments, we remain steadfast to promote all south Florida’s high school wrestling teams. Follow us on Facebook (Larry Blustein) Instagram (@OurBoyBlu) and Twitter (@larryblustein). Contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..