Source: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/highschool/wrestling/os-sp-wrestling-class-3a-state-preview-2019-story.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 10:07:22+00:00

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South Dade will be looking to win its sixth straight Class 3A state title this weekend.
South Dade enters the FHSAA state wrestling tournament this weekend as the favorite to win a sixth-straight Class 3A team title, but not as big a favorite as they’ve been in recent seasons.
Leading the way for the Bucs are returning state champions Bretli Reyna, Brevin Balmeceda, and Todd Perry.
Tyler Orta, Joshua Swan, and Eric Temes have finished on the podium before and their performances this weekend will go a long way toward assuring South Dade wins another team title.
Chasing South Dade will be Miami-Dade County rival SW Miami.
The Eagles will bring nine wrestlers to Kissimmee including 145-pound favorite Julian Hernandez.
Fleming Island brings the most wrestlers in Class 3A with 12 Golden Eagles taking the mat.
Winter Springs, Hagerty, and Miami Southridge will all be battling for top spots in Class 3A.
The action begins on Friday morning with the first round starting at 10 a.m.
What you will read is my best guess as to how Class 3A will play out.
What you will also read is Shannon Heaton’s best guess as to how Class 3A will go.
The buzz: This is not an easy path for Rowland, who could face a top 10 wrestler in all four rounds in Kissimmee. The senior is battle-tested this year and I think that will serve him well this weekend. Region 3A-2 is loaded with talent and a few of those guys could switch spots on this podium, just as they’ve exchanged wins this year. Nguyen comes in hot after winning the region crown so he gets the nod. There aren’t many sure things in this bracket and the back end could be as exciting as the front.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Angelo DeDona, Manatee (top half); Zion Gonzalez, University-Orange City (bottom half).
First-round match you can't miss: Morales v. Lens Mathurin (Freedom). Winner has a solid chance to medal.
The buzz: Region 2 is, indeed, bringing four hammers to bear in this weight class, and Rowland will have to face at least two of them, perhaps three, to run the gauntlet. By comparison, the bottom half is ever so slightly more balanced but less top heavy, meaning we'll probably see a Region 2 pairing in the semis. What intrigues me most is that potential DeDona-Rios quarter. Going 305 on that one, for the experience factor.
The buzz: Wadle started the season strong and he hasn’t let up all season. That doesn't mean it will be an easy walk to the title because Busutil is lurking on the other half of the bracket should Walde get past third-ranked Delgado and fourth-ranked Giraldo. The senior Busutil hasn’t lost to a Class 3A wrestler this season and last lost a match back in Week 7. This will be a great final if it plays out.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Robert Dusendang, Columbus (top half); Joseph Riestra (Cooper City).
First-round match you can't miss: Josh Guerra (Riverview) v. Gabe Rendon (Oviedo).
The buzz: The instinct is to go chalk with these brackets -- see if you don't next month with your NCAA sheets -- but I agonized a long time over that Wadle/Delgado quarterfinal. I could really see that going the other way. I think it's going to be a monster match. Meanwhile Busutil, who seems to be one of those kids who's been around for years and years, has been building up to this moment, with a bonus point win at Region 4 over Delgado. If Wadle does the same or better, I'll be convinced he's the real deal to become a multi-timer, but experience counts a lot with me.
The buzz: Hines won an early season meeting 6-2 against the returning state champion Jackson and gets the nod here but Jackson has been on a winning tear since losing some high profile matches early in the season. Melguizo is the wildcard because he’s the only one with wins this season over both Hines and Jackson and if he can repeat those 4-3 wins, the state title will be heading to the 305.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Tyler Forrest, Riverview (top half); Christian Fields, Freedom (bottom half).
First-round match you can't miss: Huffman v. Forrest. Both could medal.
The buzz: Just a monster final set up, with last year's 106 runnerup and 113 champion set to square off. Hines won, 6-2, at Danny Byron, and head-to-head wins matter a lot with me, it's why I made the pick as is. I would just say this, though: a year ago, Palm Harbor's Gabe Naranjo had a prior win over Jackson, too. Jackson's road is much tougher, however, with Huffman and Johnson looming as quarterfinal and semifinal opponents, while Hines should not have much trouble before Saturday's semis, if then.
The buzz: Orta and Chopek have been dominant this season with each only having a single loss to wrestlers from Florida (both to Class 2A wrestlers). Both wrestlers are also not strangers to the big state tournament stage as they each have reached the state finals (twice for Chopek) and each is looking for their first state title. I’ll go with the South Dade senior in this one. A potential quarterfinal to not miss would be at the top of the bracket between Kohn and Valdes.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Jose Gonzalez, Southwest Miami (top half); Fredy Rizo, Ferguson (bottom half).
First-round match you can't miss: Rizo v. Dylan Burton (St Thomas Aquinas).
The buzz: Khawly-Orta flies under the radar for nationwide buzz that surrounds teammates like Reyna and Balmeceda and Perry, but he's proven steady and capable over the years. Chopek has flourished in his new home, not missing a beat after reaching the 1A finals each of the past two years. Will this be the year he gets over the hump? As he's a former northerner, I hope so. Chopek will have a very tough semi against either Kohn or Valdes, while Orta's path to the final is -- by state wrestling standards -- smoother.
The buzz: Reyna is a huge favorite and the top half of this bracket is where the battle will be. It doesn’t hurt that four of the top six wrestlers in the state are in that top half. The freshman Gonzalez has had no growing pains in his first high school wrestling season and he’s part of a young movement in the state that could end up being one of the most talented senior classes ever. But I don’t see anybody getting past the two-time state champion Reyna.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Destin Jones, Miami Palmetto (top half); Travon Rose, Ft Pierce Central (bottom half).
First-round match you can't miss: Jones v. Felix. Both could medal.
The buzz: The Now v. The Next. Reyna is one of 3A's superstars, no question, and I think he should roll through this bracket, perhaps even the final, but Gonzalez might be the best freshman in 3A, at any weight. So while the Buccaneer juggernaut is of course the pick, I'd expect a pretty freewheeling final, with a lot of points piled up. Gonzalez's top half of the bracket does appear to be a much stronger half.
The buzz: Another big favorite with Lehigh-bound Hines expected to celebrate another state title in front of a home crowd. The bottom half of the bracket is loaded along with Hines so expect some big battles for the podium while a potential semifinal between Swan and Phillips in the top half should have the arena rocking on Saturday morning.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Kyndryck Higgins, Palm Beach Gardens (top half); Dalton Williams, Fleming Island (bottom half).
First-round match you can't miss: Couple of them on the bottom half, but I'll go with one involving my local kid. In the Williams-Dematas match, you could see two kids that reach the final eight.
The buzz: It's a swan-song weekend for Hines, and while there's plenty of ranked competition (five kids in the top nine) in his half, I expect him to roll through to the finals. The interesting question might be more who'll be his finals opponent on Saturday night. I'd expect a titanic struggle in the semis between Phillips and Swan; that matchup will generate a lot of attention.
The buzz: This is the first weight class with a potential No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the state meeting in the semifinals with Hernandez and Woods both in the top half of the bracket. They’ve met once this season with Hernandez getting a 6-4 win in the finals at the Tri-County Invitational back in Week 9. Contreras has wins over Temes and Janssen this season and will likely need to repeat each accomplishment to reach this final.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: David Milton, Columbus (top half); Will George, Palm Beach Gardens (bottom half).
First-round match you can't miss: Pick any of the Region 1 v 4 matches, but I'll go with Contreras-Temes as a barnburner in round 1.
The buzz: Having seen Woods and Contreras several times over the past few years, I know that each of them are a match for top-ranked Hernandez. I wouldn't be surprised to see any of them on top of the podium on Saturday night, but when it comes down to the semis, Woods might be the most-capable guy in the draw. They didn't have a chance to meet up at Knockout, with Woods up at 152, where he was a finalist, where Hernandez was fourth and Contreras fifth at 145.
The buzz: Returning state champion Lovett has been one of the most dominating wrestlers in Class 3A this season and I don’t expect that to change. The top half features a monster potential quarterfinal where Villalobos and Winter Springs’ valedictorian McCandless could meet up on Friday evening.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Jonathan Rodriguez, West Port (top half); Gianni Guerriero, St Thomas Aquinas (bottom half).
First-round match you can't miss: Chop v. Guerriero. Winner could make semis, loser has to fight through either McCandless or Villalobos in Saturday blood round.
The buzz: Like Hines at 138, this is kind of a swan-song tour for Lovett, who may have surprised a couple of folks with his win last year but won't sneak up on anyone this year as an unbeaten senior. He should sail into the finals, but his opponent might well be determined in Friday night's top quarter between McCandless and Villalobos, which projects to be all-out war.
The buzz: Another chance to catch one of the top wrestlers in the entire country as Oklahoma State-bound Balmeceda concludes his high school career at Silver Spurs Arena. The rest of the battles in the weight class should be thrilling as the rest of the podium could look a variety of ways.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: George Llanes, Coral Park (top half); Tanner Hill, Fleming Island (bottom half).
First-round match you can't miss: Hill v. Davidson. Path to a medal might be easier for the loser of that match; that doesn't happen often.
The buzz: Balmeceda wraps a six-year states career this weekend, and while he'll get tough competition from the quarters forward, I expect he'll come out on top once again and take his fourth title. At the same time, sophomores Lukens and Eaddy are making this stretch run a prep run for the top spot/spots in 2020. One of the most loaded brackets of the entire group.
The buzz: Should be back-to-back titles for South Dade but one of the matches I’m intrigued by here is the first round match between Perkins and SW Miami’s Bryan Valdes, who gave the Hagerty junior one of his three losses this season.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Nico Esposito, Ft Lauderdale (top half); Elijah White, Edgewater (bottom half).
First-round match you can't miss: Perkins v. Valdes. Could meet up again on Saturday.
The buzz: Like Balmeceda, Perry wraps up a long career this weekend, but one with no pushovers, exactly, either, as he could face four ranked wrestlers this weekend. I'll be curious to see if the Region 2 semi replays itself between Finken and Thompson, and if it does so in the same way that regions did. Region 2 is bringing a lot of pain into this bracket, with three wrestlers ranked in the top five.
The buzz: The top wrestlers in this weight class are both on the top half of this bracket so expect some fireworks in Saturday's semifinal round. If the SW Miami junior wins that one and faces Bencid in the final, he’ll need to beat him for the fifth time in six weeks to win a state title. The rest of this weight class is full of podium worthy wrestlers and expect some explosive battles in the quarterfinals and placing matches.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Kohl Drake, Newsome (top half); Armando Acosta, Buchholz (bottom half).
First-round match you can't miss: Bencid v. Acosta. Not saying winner automatically makes the final, but...winner has a real shot at making final.
The buzz: This is going to be a very entertaining bracket, I think most so in the quarters Friday and top-half semi on Saturday. Just murderous matches everywhere. There will be at least one top-seven kid that does not get to Saturday. We should see a 1-2 semi; in the bottom half, you want no part of the consi side, particularly once two of the top-five ranked kids in the state come down to pay a visit in consi round 2 and the blood round. Just keep winning, as the movie might say.
The buzz: The last of the 3A “sure things”, Burburija will look to finish his senior year with another state title and an unbeaten record. D’ascoli, a state qualifier in 2017, has put together a stellar season after missing last year to injury and Nix gets the unenviable task of coming into this tournament ranked No. 2 in the state and ending up in Burburija’s bracket.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Christopher Telusma, Jacksonville Lee (top half); Noah Lusk, St Thomas Aquinas (bottom half).
First-round match you can't miss: Bobby Williams v. Anthony Williams. Could be two medalists in round 1.
The buzz: Of the state's best in the weight class, the two best might be meeting in the semis on Saturday morning with Burburija and Nix. Both have pretty clear paths to face each other, and the loser of that semi would have a pretty clear path to third place. Meanwhile, there's three pretty solid bottom-half kids who all have a good shot at a run to the title match, and all three should medal in some form or another.
The buzz: I could pick this bracket a number of different ways and each one would have holes in it. I’ve decided to go with recency bias on it, but if a few wrestlers get back on track this week, it will provide chaos to my picks.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Taso Kourtakis, Southridge (top half); Dylan Ruiz (Osceola).
First-round match you can't miss: Dossey v. Lascano. Two top-four ranked kids, both with lots of motivation after last week.
The buzz: Oh, Region 2. You must have been a crazy place in this bracket last week, with Howe falling in the quarters and Dossey falling in the final. Thing about a surprise run in a prior-level tournament is, it's not a surprise to anyone anymore. Of course, Onalaja could repeat the feat again this week and shock the world again. I'd really watch out for Canedo, too; he knows how to get to Saturday night, having done it before.
The buzz: Former Lake Highland Prep wrestler Ruff hasn’t missed a beat this season, going 36-1 with his only loss coming at district duals to Lake Mary’s Moxley (who Ruff has beaten three times this season). He will be tested if he's going to win his first state title, with Kentucky-bound (for football) Pope potentially waiting in the semifinals with his unbeaten record. The bottom half of this bracket is the place to watch the quarterfinals where the potential matches would be No. 3 vs. No. 4 and No. 5 vs. No. 6 in the state.
Wrestlers that could prove me wrong: Maxwell Diaz, Coral Park (top half); Willie Lampkin, Lakeland (bottom half).
First-round match: Pope v. Saint John. Could have a rematch of this one in the consi semis, the way I see it playing out.
The buzz: Region 1 heavies were going to play a big role in this weekend. Perhaps an even-bigger one if the Hollenbach/Sanchez projected semifinal, which I have going to Sanchez, goes the other way. Might feel a bit differently once the Friday night quarterfinal results are in. Ruff v. Pope also has the potential to be a decent top-half semi.

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