On Feb. 20, eight teams sent their best athletes to Tavernier for the FHSAA 1A District 16 Championships in boys wrestling. For the 16th consecutive season, Chaz Jimenez’s Conchs won the team title. The hosts, Coral Shores, finished third.
All 14 Conchs earned a shot at regionals by placing in the top four at districts. Eight Hurricanes did the same, and three wrestlers finishing fifth will have a chance for an at-large bid to the next level of competition.
District champions for Key West were Lazaro Diaz at 126 pounds, Abram Canet at 132, Kyle Condella at 144 and Alfredo Corrales at 175. Second-place finishes came from Zander Font (113), Elvis Garcia (138) and James Searcy (150). Michael Guzman (165), Jakobe Williamson (190), Jacob Ferguson (120) and Alexandre Allens (285) placed third. Donald Kirkpatrick (106), Reisel Toledo (157) and Sanford Horn (214) placed fourth.
For Coral Shores, Costa Tuttle is the new district champ at 106 pounds. Sebastian McCoy (120), David Beltran (150) and Finn McDonough (157) all won district championships in their classes as well. Joining them at regionals will be Joseph Luciano, who placed third at 215, and Ethan Struhs (126), Sterling Keefe (165) and Andrew Grgek (285), who each finished fourth. Lucas Cossio (132), Jeremiah Ortiz (144) and Jack Brown (190), fifth-place winners at the tournament, all have a chance at the next round should they qualify for an at-large spot.
Regionals for both teams will be held at Cardinal Gibbons on Feb. 28 and March 1. At stake is a place in the FHSAA State Championship brackets. Athletes who successfully place at regionals will make the trip to the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee for states, which begin Mar. 6.
