KISSIMMEE — Even following the graduation of its greatest wrestler, the Jensen Beach High School boys wrestling team still remains a force on the state’s grandest stage.
Four Falcons stood near the top of the podium on Saturday, March 7, as each captured top-three finishes to help the Falcons claim fifth overall at the Class 2A IBT state championships from the Silver Spurs Arena. The team totaled 77.5 points, 21.5 behind fourth-place Charlotte and 11.5 ahead of sixth-place North Fort Myers.
For the first time since 2021, Jensen Beach was without Sebastian Degennaro, a four-time state titlist who is currently a freshman competing at the University of Oklahoma. And for the first time since 2020, the Falcons didn’t produce a state champion. But according to head coach Tom McMath, their performance over three days was akin to the team’s sixth-place finish a season ago.
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Simply, McMath’s wrestlers go to work when it matters most. “They balled out,” he said.
Jensen Beach’s top showing came from a wrestler who made his first state appearance. Kane Drake conquered much more experienced competitors en route to runner-up honors at the 120-pound weight class.
“I really had no clue I’d get this far,” the Falcons freshman said.
Drake suffered a third-round pin against Riverdale’s Eric Bush in the finals. The junior did not relinquish a point while notching a takedown in the first period, a takedown and a near fall in the second before scoring the fall with 1 minute, 28 seconds remaining.
“He was insanely, insanely quick,” Drake said of Bush.
Still, Drake was outstanding in the leadup to the finals. He opened the tournament with a 21-8 majority decision over Lincoln junior Juan Torres and a 18-1 technical fall over East River senior Isaiah Rivera. Then, in what he described as his favorite match of the week, the freshman earned a 6-1 decision to knock off Gulf Breeze senior Garrett Ferguson and punch his ticket to the finals.
“It was a nice, tough, hard match with some scrambling,” Drake said of his semifinal match. “I was just trying to keep myself together and fight through the third period to win.
“It felt great to go out on the mat, go against those older guys and dominate. I felt proud of myself and how hard I worked this season to get there.”
Finishing his debut season with a 41-7 record, Drake recently committed to wrestling after playing various sports growing up. The sky appears to be the limit given how well he performed under this recent buy-in.
“I just love how hard (wrestling) is. It’s like no other sport,” Drake said. “The mindset you have to have to get into the room everyday and go as hard as you can, there’s no other sport that has pushed me as hard as wrestling.”
McMath added: “He’s excited. He’s got high goals and he’s just to continue to work and get better.”
Elsewhere, Jensen Beach’s Sair Lopez (126), Tyson Reyes (215) and Blake Elder (285) each placed third in their respective weight class.
Lopez pinned Gulf Breeze’s Ryder Cohen with 36 seconds left to finish his freshman campaign with a 36-6 mark. Reyes also won via a third-period fall, as he pinned Braden River’s Freedom McDaniel to finish his junior campaign at 26-2.
As for Elder, he ended his prep career with a medical-withdrawal triumph over Clay’s Jayshawn McLeod. Elder wrapped up his senior season at 52-5.
“The season is a grind sometimes, but we show up at this tournament. I’m just super proud, super grateful for our program and our kids,” McMath said.
Fort Pierce Central’s Skyler West (138) was the only other area wrestler to earn a podium finish, placing fourth at the Class 3A state championships. The Cobras junior compiled a 59-4 record.
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Led by freshman Kane Drake Jensen Beach boys wrestling takes fifth at state
Reporting by Patrick Bernadeau, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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