Wrestling Blogs - Brandon Scott

The first big tournament of the season (Durant Invitational) is finished and the rankings must be adjusted.

also posted on HSwrestling.net

103

1. Travis Laxton - Junior, Suwannee
2. Earl Hall – Frosh, South Dade
3. JR Lopez – Senior, Flagler Palm Coast
4. Ricky Rodriguez – Senior, Belen Jesuit
5. Marco Gomes – Junior, Douglas
6. Richard Bliss – Sophomore, Springstead
7. Dryden Dennis – Frosh, Northside Christian
8. Jeremy Hall – Junior, Lincoln
9. Brandon Jorge – Frosh, Lake Gibson
10. Terry Tran - Junior, Edgewater
11. Dan Dunwald - Junior, Niceville
12. Mookie Forbes - Wakulla

The biggest news has to be fall of preseason #1 Earl Hall. At the Durant Invitational, as predicted, Hall had a tough match against the bigger Travis Laxton of Suwannee. Laxton beat Hall 5-4. Dropping out of the rankings is Victor Fugate out of Tampa Bay Christian. The 8th-grader lost to Jarod Carpenter of Gulf, who is now on the radar.

112

1.Kevin Norstrem – 8th, Tampa Bay Christian
2. Quintavian McPherson – Junior, South Dade
3. Ryan Renkey – Senior, Brandon
4. Terry Dawson – Junior, Brandon
5. Mike Hess – Frosh, Jensen Bench
6. Alex Chiricosta – Senior, Douglas
7. Tony Milanes – Junior, Alonso
8. Joey Hefley – Soph, Oviedo
9. Alex Backer - Senior, Winter Springs
10. Alex Hamm - Junior, Durant
11. Blaine Ison – Junior, Palmetto Ridge
12. Timothy Locksmith - Freshman Osceola
13. Travis Fulk – Soph, Manatee

Norstrem is the new #1, after the unfortunate season-ending injury of Greco Junior All-American Dustin Soto. The 8th grader owns two big wins thus far, one over Cody Ross and the other over Hefley, in the finals of the Citrus Inv. Renkey is the starter for Brandon, and Dawson does not fit into the lineup at Brandon, unless he can somehow make it to 103. I can't in good conscience remove Dawson from the rankings just yet, considering his 7th place finish at Super 32. This is certainly a dilemma.

119

1. Rossi Bruno – Frosh, Brandon
2. Kyle Grueninger - Senior, Countryside
3. Robert Herrera - Senior, Sarasota
4. Gabe Chandler – Senior, Braddock
5. Cody Singletary – Junior, Palmetto Ridge
7. Mauricio Villanueva – Senior, South Dade
8. Armani Harris – Junior, American
8. Matt Noffo – Junior, Columbus
9. Cody Ross – Frosh, Springstead
10. Domingo Simmons – Senior, Cardinal Gibbons
11. Craig Barker - Senior, Citrus
12. Nick Hynes – Junior, Zephyrhills
13. Dalton Dennis - Soph, Northside Christian

The biggest news here is Herrera, previously ranked 125, defeating defending State Champ Singletary. Also, Travis Berridge drops out for the time being after placing 3rd at the Citrus Invitational at 125. There is a bit of a shuffle at the top after hearing news that Grueninger will return to 119.

125

1. Eric Chandler – Senior, Braddock
2. Tyler Liberatore – Frosh, Brandon
3. Jacob Gregory – Senior, Manatee
4. Nick Soto – Soph, Springstead
5. Alex Curley - Senior, Winter Srpings
6. Matt Jones – Senior, Osceola
7. Kevin Lowery - Martin County
8. Alex Paraschuk - Soph, Riverdale
9. Paul Marcello – Senior, Cardinal Gibbons
10. Matt Barrera – Senior, Miami Springs
11. Stephon Jenkins - Senior, Oviedo

Welcome to the rankings Alex Curley. The Winter Springs senior placed third at the Durant Invitational and in the process defeated Osceola's excellent Matt Jones. Returning State Placer Kevin Lowery enters the rankings after winning the Seahorse Open.

130

1. Clark Glass – Frosh, Brandon
2. George Gulesian – Senior, Columbus
3. Garrett Soileau - Senior, Clay
4. Matt Nereim – Junior, Winter Springs
5. Joe Locksmith - Junior, Osceola
6. Tre McCollough – Soph, Wakulla
7. Alex Abramat – Senior, Cypress Bay
8. Austin Brown – Junior, Sarasota
9. Josh Burgess - Senior, Belleview
10. Jeffrey Pitts – Soph, Mosley
11. David Gonzalez – Senior, Jesuit
12. Robert Rojas – Frosh, South Dade
13. Hugo Espinoza – Senior, Edgewater

3-time placer Soileau makes the jump to 130, making this the toughest weight in the state. The top 5 are all interchangeable. Nereim defeated Locksmith in the finals of the Durant Invitational, winning a wild match 14-11. I hope sometime down the line Soileau gets the chance to wrestle any of the others in the top 5.

135

1. Eric Grajales – Senior, Brandon
2. Pete Baldwin - Soph, Osceola
3. Wilson Metellus – Senior, South Dade
4. Jake Rio - Senior, Columbus
5. Alex Doran – Soph, Manatee
6. Jordan Frease - Senior, Countryside
7. Louis Nodar – Senior, Columbus
8. Gunnar Magliocca – Senior, St. Thomas Aquinas
9. Leo Santibanez – Junior, American
10. Zach Boyer – Senior, Robinson
11. Hans Rasmusson – Junior, Jupiter

Prior to the season, it was a foregone conclusion that NHSCA Juniors Placer Metellus was the second best wrestler behind Grajales. Not the case. Defending State Champ Baldwin beat Metellus in the finals of the Durant Inv. (told you that tournament was tough!).

140

1. Kevin Timothy - Senior, Brandon
2. Ray Parrado – Senior, Goleman
3. Brent Jorge –Senior, Lake Gibson
4. Uxsunn Ramirez – Senior, Southwest
5. Dustin Paridon – Senior, Mosley
6. Chase Gordon – Junior, Oviedo
7. Dillon Dennis - Senior, Northside Christian
8. Daniel Pritz - Hernando
9. Scott Varner – Junior, Wakulla
10. Mardel Gabriel – Soph, Doral
11. Wilfred Perez – Junior, Miami Sunset
12. Billy Ortiz – Senior, Cypress Creek
13. David Isme – Senior, Lely

Timothy makes 140 and secures Brandon's lineup as one of the best in its sterling history. Tampa Riverview's Herman Hernandez is on the radar after a 2nd place finish at the Durant Inv.? Dennis defeated Pritz in the finals of the Shark Inv.

145

1. Shakendrick Sanders – Senior, South Dade
2. Joe Cozart – Junior, Brandon
3. Gabriel Bird – Junior, Osceola
4. Carlos Montero – Senior, Bloomingdale
5. Nick Rex – Senior, Lake Gibson
6. Tucker Raich – Senior, Jupiter Christian
7. Bryce Neff – Senior, Charlotte
8. Daniel Dykes – Senior, Manatee
9. Nic Hajner - Senior, Cypress Creek
10. Michael Rodriguez - Senior, Ely
11. CJ Burke - Junior, Cardinal Gibbons

Sanders continues his dominance, defeating Bird 5-3 at the Durant Inv. This weight is void on names currently, because it looks like guys are avoiding Sanders/Bird (3A) and Cozart (2A).

152

1. Alex Eggers – Senior, Osceola
2. Wally Figaro – Soph, Brandon
3. Frank Cousins – Junior, St. Cloud
4. Frank Pettineo - Senior, Cardinal Gibbons
5. Kyle Mills - Senior, Clay
6. Allen Pena – Senior, Columbus
7. Geordan Speiller – Frosh, St. Thomas Aquinas
8. Antonio Starr – Senior, Hialeah Miami Lakes
9. Lee Wildes – Junior, Oviedo
10. Zach Pincus – Senior, Wellington
11. Adam Lessor - Senior, Ocala Forest
12. Julian Eddie – Senior, South Dade

Add State Runner-up Pettineo and State Placer Mills to the mix, and 152 becomes the second toughest weight class. Welcome State Placer Lessor to the mix.

160

1. Didley Weche – Senior, Miami Pace
2. Chris Figari – Senior, Bloomingdale
3. Luke McGurrin - Senior, Bolles
4. David Richardson - Frosh, Lake Gibson
5. John Nichols - Senior, Lakeland
6. Isaac Riley – Junior, Manatee
8. Luis Montalvo - Senior, South Dade
9. Erin O’Dell – Junior, Oviedo
10. Kyle Koziel – Frosh, Brandon
11. Michael Wexler - Senior, Ocala Forest
12. Tyler Hayes - Senior, Okeechobee
13. Kyle Thacker - Senior, Riverdale

I was told I was crazy for ranking Richardson at all. Well, he returned my faith by winning the Durant Invitational over State Runner-up Nichols. Thacker enters the rankings after defeating Springstead's Thad Klenovich, a State Qualifier a year ago, who is also on the radar.

171

1. Jacob Harmer – Senior, Gainesville
2. Antonio Talley - Senior, Dunedin
3. Levi Clemons – Junior, Osceola
4. Zaq Berridge – Senior, Brandon
5. Luis Alba - Junior, Cypress Creek
6. TJ Sturgeion – Senior, University
7. Julian Martinez – Senior, Miami Pace
8. James Bland - Senior, Avon Park
9. Davin Morris – Senior, Oviedo
10. JC Velasco – Senior, Coral Springs
11. Max Piasecki – Junior, Jensen Beach
12. Dominick Pierre – Junior, Coral Springs CH

Harmer further establishes his legend as possibly one of Florida's best pinners ever. Just when I though Clemons had closed the gap (even a little), he suffers a first-period pin in the finals of the Durant Inv. Harmer defeated every wrestler he faced by pin, all in the first period. Springstead senior Jesse Lorentsen is on the radar. Alba enters the rankings at 171 after defeating TJ Sturgeon (both were 189 at the time). Bland defeated Morris in the finals of the Citrus Inv.

189

1. Caylor Williams – Senior, Palm Bay
2. Kendall Ivy – Senior, Alonso
3. Jay Taylor – Soph, Oviedo
4. Michael Ducre - Senior, Dr. Phillips
5. Chris Ferrito – Senior, Seabreeze
6. Scot Wern - Senior, Springstead
7. Matt VanScoy – Senior, Gainesville
8. Mike Ettore – Soph, Brandon
9. Billy Kartsonis – Senior, Episcopal
10. Travus Webster – Senior, South Dade
11. Justin Wilson – Junior, Western
12. Trevor Dunn – Junior, Riverdale

In one interesting match Ducre defeated Alba by a score of 6-2 at the Dr Phillips Duals. Wern defeated VanScoy in the semis at the Durant Inv.

215

1. Willie Wiggins – Senior, South Dade
2. David Castillo – Senior, American
3. Dylan Gamret - Junior, Palmetto Ridge
4. Mike Miller – Senior, Orange Park
5. Michael Albadin – Senior, Columbus
6. Ariel Klein – Senior, Cooper City
7. Wilder Rislin – Senior, Poinciana
8. Casey Hines – Senior, Bradford
9. John Sennett – Senior, Miami Pace
10. Shawn Henderson – Junior, Coconut Creek
11. Louis Gonzalez – Senior, Lely
12. Emilious Davis – Senior, South Miami

Wiggins defeated newly-minted #3 Gamret at the Seahorse Open. Gamret makes the big move up after pinning Miller at the Oviedo Duals.

285

1. John Dixon – Junior, Ridgeview
2. Henry Chirino – Junior, American
3. Donovan Green - Junior, Timber Creek
4. Eugene Scott – Senior, Unversity
5. Caleb Rainwaters – Senior, Palmetto Ridge
6. Cody Barton – Senior, Bayside
7. Byron Dames – Senior, Jupiter Christian
8. Brenton Clayton – Senior, Lakeland
9. Alex Wethy – Junior, Columbus
10. John Lopez - Senior, Palm Beach Gardens
11. Josh Wofford – Senior, Palm Bay
12. Steven Jacques – Senior, South Broward

Enter, stage right - Lopez. After winning the Durant Invitational and beating Wofford in the finals to do so, Lopez is primed for an even bigger jump. He also placed over Barton at the Seahorse Invitational, but no word has been given if the two met head-to-head. Fargo All-American Donovan Green makes a big move up after defeating both Barton and Scott in the same weekend at the Shark Inv.