Every year there are different wrestlers and teams who emerge in some way. But one constant keeps racking up the hardware, and that’s the Lake Gibson Braves.
The Braves won their 16th FHSAA Class 2A, District 7 IBT championship Saturday at Auburndale High School — 11th overall — thanks to 305 points, while Auburndale (third), Lakeland (fourth), Kathleen (fifth) and Lake Region (sixth) rounded out the top six. And in the end, Lake Gibson boasted 11 champions and 14 wrestlers advancing to regionals.
“For the most part we wrestled really well. I wish we could have the 106 match back. We didn’t wrestle well in 106 and (we) ended up taking a loss there. But their kid is a tough wrestle. We just didn’t wrestle to our potential. And in 113, I thought we just started out really slow in the finals. Then after we got to 120, we started picking things up. I thought we were complacent when we got a lead instead of trying to score points. I think that sort of bit us in the end, but overall, it was a good weekend,” Lake Gibson Hall of Fame head wrestling coach Danny Walker said.
It was a sensational day for junior wrestler Mason Desandolo (190 pounds), too, who won his first district title thanks to winning a major decision over Kathleen’s Ryder Osborn, who will also be going to regionals. Wrestlers who placed in the top four are going to regionals. For Desandolo, he really stayed in good position and used his head and defense to win the match.
“(It’s all about) one match at a time. Last year I qualified for states. Didn’t go as far as I wanted. Didn’t achieve the goals I wanted to, so this was just one match at a time (and) a building block before state,” Desandolo said after the match.
It was also a building block for Lakeland senior wrestler Tra’vonte Burgess, who won his second district championship in his high school career. Burgess, who signed to Mercyhurst University for wrestling, said he really placed emphasis on his attentiveness to his placement on the mat and the positions he’s in.
“I’m really just trying to get to my exact attacks and not letting him get on me even though if he gets a shot, (it’s about) not letting him score,” Burgess said.
And first year Auburndale head wrestling coach Grant Smith is focused on the same mentality for his Bloodhound wrestling team. Smith’s team advanced eight wrestlers to regionals.
“I feel like we performed good. We are peaking at the right times. (There was) a lot of matches that we won that we lost earlier in the season starting with Christopher Steveson over Kieran Lowe. … It’s a big change. Another one is my 126-pounder Daniel Buford. He lost earlier in the season in a dual against Tristan Morante. He comes out today and wins 6-3. Another one that’s good is my 138. He (Preston Melton) beat two ranked kids today and defied the odds and took third…,” Smith said.
Below are all the Class 2A wrestlers who advanced to regionals: Lake Gibson’s Jaxson Hackett (106second), Auburndale’s Alejandro Mendoza (third), Lake Region’s Charles Roberts (fourth); Lake Gibson’s RJ Phelan (113, first), Auburndale’s Steveson ( third), Lakeland’s Lowe (fourth); Lake Gibson’s Jarold Cervantes Beune (120, first), Auburndale’s Tyler Whinery (third), Lake Region’s Myles Sellers (fourth); Lake Gibson’s Tyler White (126, first), Auburndale’s Buford (third), Kathleen’s Morante (fourth); Lake Gibson’s Roberto De Jesus (132, first), Auburndale’s Angel Castillo (third), Lake Region’s Jonathan Hernanadez (fourth); Lake Gibson’s Jordan Harrison (138, first), Lakeland’s Preston Thornton (second), Auburndale’s Preston Melton (third); Lake Gibson’s Isaac Lowe (144, first); Lakeland’s Romeo Estevez (third), Lake Region’s Josiah Dobson (fourth); Lakeland’s Burgess (150, first), Lake Gibson’s Spencer Timm (second), Kathleen’s Maximus O’Connell (fourth); Lake Gibson’s Jaxon Arfaras (157, first), Lakeland ‘s Luke Thornton (third), Kathleen’s Marcus Holloway (fourth); Lake Gibson’s Koinstantin (165, first), Lakeland’s Mateo Martinez (second); Lake Gibson’s Paul Wright (175, first), Lakeland’s Xazavien Lamones (third); Lake Gibson’s Desandolo (190, first), Kathleen’s Ryder Osborn (second), Auburndale’s Brian Ramirez (third); Lake Gibson’s Jeremiah Chavis (215, first), Auburndale’s Connor Trevino (second), Kathleen’s Jordan Borders (third); Lake Gibson’s Leyland Callahan (285, second), Jakari Johnson (third)
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lake Gibson wrestling wins 16th district IBT title
Reporting by Robert Magobet, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
