By the thinnest of margins, the Osceola Kowboys won their second consecutive boys Orange Belt Conference wrestling title –compiling 222 points to edge second-place Harmony (217) to complete a wrestling sweep Saturday at Celebration High School.
Osceola’s girls posted seven champions in 14 classes to coast to its third straight OBC crown. The Lady Kowboys’ 182 points topped Harmony (153) and Gateway (113).
“It was a tough week for us, as we were battling both injuries and illness. We had to insert three junior varsity kids in our lineup and several other wrestlers were either sick or battling some injuries. At the end of the day our depth really made a difference, and I was really proud of the guys who made some sacrifices for the team,” Osceola coach Rick Tribit said. “But under no circumstances am I diminishing anything Harmony accomplished today. I know Vic (Lorenzano, Longhorns coach) was facing a lot of the same issues we were with kids hurt, out or not 100 percent. Both teams fought like crazy today.”
Among the Osceola wrestlers missing was Nathan Cabera (ranked No. 11 in the state at 157).
Harmony posted six individual champions with Nathan Lyttle (106), Max Butler (120), Gabriel Nasciemento (126), Jeremiah Gomez (150), Shawn McCallister (157), and John Fernandez (170) winning their weight classes. Osceola countered with championships by Adaias Ortiz (113), Isfandier Sharipov (132), Jayson Ortiz (144), Gunner Holland (190) and Bryan Gari (215).
In perhaps one of the bigger surprises in the tournament, McCallister – who is ranked No. 2 in the state at 150 – upset No. 1 ranked Anderson Heap from Osceola. Both wrestled at 157 Saturday.
“I was extremely pleased with our effort today. We were able to get 10 to the finals and claim six titles,” Lorenzano said about his team’s performance. “We may have left a few points out there and didn’t grab a couple of bonus points that could have swung the team title to our side, but we knew it was going to be a battle to the end. Osceola is ranked No. 3 in the state for a reason and at the end of the day you just tip your cap to them for a gritty performance.”
The three other individual titles went to Tohopekaliga’s Nathan Barrett, who pushed his season record to 28-1 by taking the 138-pound crown; Gateway’s Meison Broche (24-4), who led Gateway to a third-place finish with 107 team points; and St. Cloud’s Andrew Colantanio, who won the 285-pound title.
Rounding out the team scoring on the boys side was St. Cloud (4th-90.5), Tohopekaliga (5th-87), Celebration (6th-42), Poinciana (7th-37). The Storm got second-place finishes from Austin Werner (144) and Jorge Feliz (126); while Poinciana’s top performer was Franchavy Dumelse, who placed 3rd at 190.
In the growing sport of girls’ wrestling, Osceola posted seven individual champions in 14 weight classes including Aniyah Whayne (100), Stacy Puhle (105), Destiny Bonilla (110), Paola Ramirez (115), Kyla Rodriguez (130), Erica Hernandez (140), and Danica Tifa (235). Since the girls’ OBC Tournament was
Added in 2021, the Lady Kowboys have won all three team titles.
Harmony individual champions included Hailey DeMeglio (125), Kiley Vinson (135), and Zuhaily Caffery (170). Gateway winners were Naomi Simmons (155) and Lily Yambor (170); while Poinciana had a champion with Kaylie Collado, who went to 18-2 on the season with a win at 145. Liberty’s Deliah Bentances, the highest ranked county girls’ wrestler at No. 6 in the state, pushed her season record to 12-1 with a win at the 120-pound class.
Rounding out the team scoring behind Osceola and Harmony on the girls’ side was Gateway (113), Tohopekaliga (52), Liberty (46), Poinciana (40), Celebration (16) and St. Cloud (11).
“We’re a pretty exhausted team right now,” Tribit said. “We will take a few days off to heal and then get ready for districts.”
