South Dade moves closer to fourth consecutive title
South Dade is knocking on the wrestling history door.
South Dade could become the first program to win four FHSAA Dual Team wrestling state championships Saturday at Osceola High School. The Buccaneers advanced to the Class 3A semifinals on Friday after beating regional foe Cypress Bay 62-9 in the quarterfinals at Osceola.
“Every year, we try to out-do what our other teams have done in the past,” said South Dadecoach Victor Balmeceda, whose team has won 18 wrestling state championships, which includes 15 individually bracketed tournament titles — seven in a row — and the past three 3A Dual Team championships.
“For this team to have the chance to win four in a row is super special, and that is exactly what I am preaching to them. We have two tough teams ahead of us,” he said.
South Dade will face
Fort Pierce Central in a 3A semifinal at 11:30 a.m. with finals slated for 1 p.m. Central advanced after stopping Wellington 51-20.
Jousha Swan, who won the 152-pound state title for South Dade in March, has been part of all four Duals teams. The senior won by pin at 172 against Darrion Rodriguez on Friday.
“I think it would be a big accomplishment,” Swan said. “We had a lot of incoming freshmen but we always find a way to win. I am definitely excited about having the chance to do this for my senior year and then go on and win individual states.”
Also picking up wins for South Dade were Misha Arbos (126), Gavin Balmeceda (132), Adrian Neco (145) and Adrian Morales (120) by pin, Alex Couto (138) and Cordell White (152) by decision and Adrian Morales (113) with a 16-0 tech fall.
Cypress Bay, which forfeited three matches, picked up wins from Javier Varas (285) by decision and Andrew Punzalan (106) with a pin over Luis Acedvedo at 3:02.
In 2A quarterfinal action, Southridge reeled off seven pins, including three consecutive coming down the stretch to hold off
Palm Bay Heritage 42-30.
Southridge will face Palmetto Ridge in a semifinal Saturday at 10. Palmetto Ridge advanced after slipping past Charlotte 37-34.
Southridge firstyear coach Markel Shropshire said he was actually anticipating the three consecutive pins to happen though his team was trailing 24-18 heading into a 220-pound match in which Dedric Marshall toppled
Dominic Francia just 32 seconds into the first period.
Marcelo Rosario (285) followed with a pin at 5:22 and Frederick Mitchum (106) completed the trifecta with a pin at 3:14.
“The guys worked hard all week and performed it on the mat. They came through when it really counted and it took us over the top,” said Shropshire, who won the heavyweight state title in 2000.
All seven of Southridge wins came via pins, including Nicholas Dukes (126), Cyrus Williams
(152), Quiton Johnson (160) and Conner Hueck (120).
Top-ranked Somerset Academy moved a step closer to its first wrestling state championship with a 40-21 win over Cardinal Gibbons in the 1A quarterfinals.
Somerset sealed the win when eighth-grader Christian Fretwell pinned Peyton Vargas at the 5:14 mark in a 106-pound match which handed Somerset a 36-18 lead with two matches remaining.
Somerset hits the mats against Lemon Bay in the 1A semifinals beginning at 10 a.m. and finals are slated for 1 p.m.
Somerset won nine of 14 matches with four wins by pin in the dual to capture 12 bonus points. Also picking up pins were Bas Diaz (152), Darian Estevez (160) and Sean Concepcion.