Osceola back in state Duals again at home

Since its inception in 2019, Osceola and Harmony have never failed to qualify for the FHSAA State Dual Championships. The Kowboys kept that streak alive Thursday by winning the top half of the Class 3A Region 2 bracket as it again hosts the annual state meet starting Friday. Harmony came up just short and will be on the sidelines.

“We had a few guys missing from our starting lineup, but I was not pleased with the way we wrestled our first match.” Osceola coach Rick Tribit said about a closer-than-expected 48-31 win over Strawberry Crest. “We had a little talk with them after that match and we came out with a lot more fire.”

OHS would end up advancing with an easy 55-20 win over host Steinbrenner securing its spot in the “Elite 8” for a fifth consecutive year.

Kealoni Vega, who will be a top contender in the girls’ state tournament in March, was filling in at 106 pounds for the Kowboys and got Osceola off to a great start with a pin. Osceola’s defending state champions provided 16 more team points as Anderson Heap took a major decision at 145 and Cooper Haase (152) and Gunner Holland (160) each recorded pin falls. Jomar Sanchez (195) and Elijah Vansickle (225) closed out the scoring with a decision and a pin.

Heap, Haase, Holland, Vansickle, Sanchez, and Talyn Fisk (113) all went 2-0 at regionals, with Holland winning at both 160 (Steinbrenner) and 170 (Strawberry Crest).

Osceola will wrestle Palmetto Ridge, the winners on the lower half of the Region 2 bracket in the quarterfinals of the Duals State Championship on Friday at 6 p.m. If they win, they most likely will face South Dade in the semifinals at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The championships begin at 11 a.m. Friday with the Class 1A quarterfinals. Class 2A begins at 2 p.m. with Class 3A starting at 6 p.m. Semifinals begin at 10 a.m. Saturday with Finals beginning at 2 p.m. Tickets are $11 per day if purchased in advance and $14 if bought the day of the event. The price includes parking and tickets can be purchased at https://gofan. co/app/school/FHSAA.

Harmony, which qualified for the Class 2A State Championship Tournament from 2019-21 and then qualified for the 3A tournament after moving up a class last year, failed to advance out of Region 3 when they lost to host Ft. Pierce Central, 46-36.

It was a gutsy performance from an injury-riddled Harmony team, with the difference coming when the Longhorns gave up 12 team points — forfeiting both the 126 and 182-pound weight classes. Rey Ortiz (132), Shawn McAllister (138), Tristan Horn (106) Nelson Toro (285), Antonio Falotico (160) all recorded pins.

After that setback, Harmony came up with a strong performance at the Cousins Milton Winter Memorial Tournament, hosted by St. Cloud High School Friday and Saturday. Harmony (183.5 team points) finished second in that prestigious tournament, trailing only defending 3A State Champion South Dade (302.5).

The Longhorns put eight wrestlers in the top six. Toro continued his unbeaten season (300) with three pins and a major decision over Yulee’s Braylee Ricks in the finals. McAllister (138) and Ortiz (132) each improved to 31-2 with second-place finishes, while Tanner Hilman went to 24-4 with a third place finish at 120.

Other county teams that competed in the 24team tournament included Tohopekaliga (4th place, 156), Poinciana (11th, 94), Gateway (13th, 63.5) and the host Bulldogs (17th, 56). Two other county wrestlers won individual titles — Tohopekaliga’s Egan Gustilo (113) and Poinciana’s Landon Trigueros, who went to 21-1 on the season with a win at 106-pound weight class.

Luis Rosario (182) took a second for the Tigers, while Rafael Rodriguez (145) reached the podium for the Eagles with a fifthplace finish. Gateway’s top performers included Elijah Abreau (3rd -285) and Meison Broche (4th-152); while John Fernandez (3rd-182) and Antonio Colantanio (5th-285) earned medals for St. Cloud.

South Dade had seven individual champions, including one the nation’s top wrestlers in Sawyer Bartelt (25-0) at 225.