Each year when Miami-Dade high school wrestling programs head to the state tournament, dozens of team and individual medals are brought back to the #305.
Being able to produce such impressive wrestlers and programs must begin somewhere, and for the past 56 years, the secret was all about the junior high schools (7-9) and then later the middle school (6-8) programs who continued to feed those programs every year.
Elite coaches and programs that were built on hard work and little – if any – pay. They traveled with these young men, wearing school names on their singlets such as Palmetto, Southwood, John F. Kennedy, Highland Oaks, North Miami, West Miami, Henry Filer, Richmond Heights, Norland, Riviera, Cutler Ridge, Howard Doolin, Redland, Alapattah, Jorge Mas Canosa, Homestead, Campbell Drive and many other junior high/middle schools.
From the early years with Miami Norland, Miami Carol City, Miami Southridge, Miami Coral Park, and Miami Palmetto carrying the flag – with legends such as Jim Husk, Rick Tucci, Craig Thomas, Dwight Witty, Tony Zucco, Barry Zimbler, Ron Balazs, George Zeck, Ron Hollon, Chuck Almeida, Mike McCoy to the current day dynasty that head coach Vic Balmeceda and his South Dade Bucs have maintained, junior high/middle school wrestling has more than been responsible.
Last Saturday at Miami Palmetto High School some new faces joined familiar as talented and athletic Richmond Middle School beat out Riviera Middle School and others to capture the team title.
Here are the final results:
1 Richmond 190.0
2 Glades 168.0
3 Jorge Mas Canosa 135.0
4 Cutler Bay 129.0
5 Palmetto 105.0
6 Hialeah Gardens 97.5
7 Riviera 83.5
8 Nautilus 76.0
9 Southwood 65.5
10 FC Martin 48.0
11 Ruben Dario 36.0
12 Highland Oaks 29.5
13 WR Thomas 9.0
Far away from the spotlight, the number of schools no longer reach 20 plus, but the objective is indeed the same – produce winners and keep the fires burning at the next level!
Here is a look at the results of this year’s event – with 75 Pounds (Dominic Moc (10-0, 6th Grade), Jorge Mas Canosa Middle School), 83 Pounds (Gregory Coley (7-2, 6th Grade), Richmond Middle School), 91 Pounds (Carlos Rodriguez de Cespedes (12-1, 7th Grade), Glades Middle School), 99 Pounds (Logan Montero (15-1, 8th Grade), Glades Middle School), 107 Pounds (Ricky Rizzo (15-2, 6th Grade), Glades), 115 Pounds (Micah Thomas (14-1, 8th Grade), Palmetto Middle School), 123 Pounds (Ezekiel Ingraham (8-0, 8th Grade), Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School), 131 Pounds (Javauris Ross (7-4, 8th Grade), Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School), 139 Pounds (Ryan Rivera (13-2, 8th Grade), Palmetto Middle School), 147 Pounds (Jacob Figueroa (12-1, 8th Grade), Riviera Middle School), 155 Pounds (Paul Moore (15-1, 7th Grade), Richmond Middle School), 170 Pounds (Yadiel Lazo (15-1, 7th Grade), Hialeah Gardens Middle School), 195 Pounds (Travis Godbolt (10-0, 8th Grade), Frank C. Martin K-8) and Heavyweight (Samuel Pavon (10-1, 8th Grade), Jorge Mas Canosa).
QUITE A HISTORY
With just two years that the Miami-Dade Middle School didn’t host a county tournament because of Covid, since 1966, every year the middle school/junior high schools set the table for the future.
Here is a list of teams and coaches who made it all possible:
1966 Palmetto, Walt Allison
1967 Palmetto, Walt Allison
1968 Palmetto, Walt Allison
1969 Palmetto, Walt Allison
1970 Palmetto, Walt Allison
1971 Palmetto, Walt Allison
1972 Palmetto, Don Dorshimer
1973 Palmetto, Don Dorshimer
1974 Richmond Heights, John Davis
1975 Richmond Heights, John Davis
1976 Richmond Heights, John Davis
1977 Norland, Lonnie Hill
1978 Palmetto, Don Dorshimer
1979 Richmond Heights, John Davis
1980 Richmond Heights, Wilbert Johnson
1981 Richmond Heights, Wilbert Johnson
1982 North Miami, Sam McWoodson
1983 Palmetto, Bob Mack
1984 Norland, Frank Presentation
1985 North Miami, Sam McWoodson
1986 North Miami, Sam McWoodson
1987 Riviera, Jose Mendez
1988 Southwood, Clint Riley
1989 Highland Oaks, Pat McNamara
1990 Palmetto, Bob Mack
1991 Cutler Ridge, Tony Carroll
1992 Highland Oaks, Pat McNamara
1993 Highland Oaks, Pat McNamara
1994 North Miami, Sam McWoodson
1995 Palmetto, Michael Graham
1996 Palmetto, Michael Graham
1997 Palmetto, Michael Graham
1998 Richmond Heights, Aaron Washington
1999 Howard A. Doolin, Monroe Owen
2000 Richmond Heights, Aaron Washington
2001 John F Kennedy, Ron Osorio
2002 Redland, Doc Holloway
2003 Campbell Drive, Pat Lugo
2004 Campbell Drive, Pat Lugo
2005 Glades, Jose Mendez
2006 Palmetto, Miguel Dominguez
2007 Palmetto, Miguel Dominguez
2008 Allapattah, Matt Greene
2009 Jorge Mas Canosa, Steve Morejon
2010 Jorge Mas Canosa, Steve Morejon
2011 Palmetto, Miguel Dominguez
2012 Jorge Mas Canosa, Steve Morejon
2013 Cutler Ridge, Tirso Valls
2014 Richmond Heights, Aaron Washington
2015 Homestead, Rudy Trevino
2016 Richmond Heights, Aaron Washington
2017 Jorge Mas Canosa, Oswaldo Benitez
2018 Glades, Jacob Woodrome/Lorenzo Walker
2019 Jorge Mas Canosa, Steve Morejon
2020 COVID cancelled
2021 COVID cancelled
2022 Richmond Heights, Johnny Silva
2023 Cutler Bay, Manny Sevilla/Melvin Roberts
2024 Cutler Bay, Melvin Roberts
Courtesy of Coach Miguel Dominguez, Miami Coral Reef High & Wrestling Historian
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