Holland, Heap look to join exclusive list in FHSAA finals at OHP
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Harmony's Shawn McCallister will wrestle for a Class 3A state title at 157 pounds Saturday at the Silver Spurs Arena. PHOTO/KATIE WILLIAMS
Although Osceola High has had a long and storied history in wrestling, the list of Kowboys who have won three or more state championships is short. Only legends Fox Baldwin and Cooper Haase can claim the title of four-time state champion; while Malyke Hines has won three.
Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, two more Kowboys can join that elite level. Seniors Gunner Holland and Anderson Heap are each going for a third individual championship at the FHSAA state wrestling meet. The finals begin at 4 p.m. as champions will be crowned in Class 1A, 2A and 3A and in the girls single-classification championship.
“There is not a whole lot more that can be said of those two high quality individuals and the incredible careers they have had here,” Osceola coach Rick Tribit said. “They both have a chance to join a very exclusive club with three or more state titles. Still, neither one of them – or for that matter our other two finalists – are going to have an easy time of it. They are all facing excellent wrestlers in the finals but that is to be expected.”
Holland won championship titles as both a freshman and sophomore but finished third in an injured-riddled junior season. He overcame severe burns this summer in a chemical spill accident and has battled several other injuries this year. But he ran his record to 46-7 through three rounds of the state tournament, reaching the finals by recording identical 15-0 technical falls Friday over Jake Jessey (Lake Brantley) in the round of eight and Conner Bonney (Miami Palmetto) in the semifinals.
That sets up a highly anticipated rematch with long-time foe Kevin Olaverria of South Dade in the finals. In addition to meeting several times last year in various tournaments, the two have squared off three times this year with Holland holding a 2-1 edge. His loss came in the dual meet state championship finals in January.
Heap has blitzed through his three opponents at states, winning twice Friday with a pair of pins – beating Omar Feris (Western) in the quarterfinals and Lake Brantley’s Jovan Vukajlovic in the semifinals. He is set to face South Dade’s Joshua Aviles (51-3) in the finals.
Holland and Heap will be joined by Osceola teammates Adaias Ortiz (113) and Isfandier Sharipov (132) in the championship round. Ortiz (51-7), a promising freshman has been ranked in the top three in 3A for most of the season by most high school ranking services.
He recorded a pin in the quarterfinals before taking a major decision over Cameron Gibson (Wellington High) in the semifinals. He will meet Christian Vazquez (41-1) of Doral Academy in finals.
“(Vazquez) is a really tough and really talented kid,” Tribit noted. “But Adaias has picked up his game the last month and is certainly better than he was when he met Vazquez earlier this year.”
While some consider the appearance of Sharipov in the finals a surprise, Tribit does not. “More pleased than surprised because I always thought he had that potential in him,” Tribit said of his 31-6 junior. “He has reached another level and hopefully the lights will not be too bright for him.”
Sharipov reached the finals by beating South Plantation’s Joshua Whittek in overtime sudden victory (8-6) in the quarterfinals and then held on for a tough 6-4 decision over Wellington’s Sam Marvel in the semifinals. He faces another tough customer in Southwest Miami’s Dillon Smith (51-3) in the championship.
After Nelson Toro won a state championship at 285 pounds for Harmony a year ago, senior Shawn McCallister (46-1) will attempt to become the Longhorns second state champion in as many years when he takes on Palmetto Ridge’s Demetri Zertopouli (50-6) for the 3A state crown at 157 pounds.
McCallister reached the finals by beating Devin Blunt (Strawberry Crest) in the round of eight by pinfall and then took a 6-4 decision over Jose Gutierrez of Doral Academy in the semifinals.
With a win by any of the four Kowboy wrestlers, Osceola will extend its streak of at least one state champion to 18 years. They have also finished in the top six in team score at the Individual Bracket Tournament 17 straight times. That streak will most assuredly continue, as heading into the final day, Osceola easily held on to second place (108.0) and had sizeable leads over Southwest Miami (79.0) and Doral Academy (58.0). Perennial champions South Dade was running away with the team title with 244.5 points. Harmony was seventh with 42.
Of the nine girls from Osceola County who advanced to the state championship, only one remains in contention for the title. Liberty’s Delialah Betances ran her season record to 22-1 with an impressive run. In her three state matches, she pinned all three opponents including Iliana Gracey (Western) in the quarterfinals and Abby DiCenzo (Bell Creek) in the semifinals. Betances will face Winter Garden’s Milana Borerelli (48-7) for the 120-pound Championship on Saturday afternoon.
Bentances hopes to join Osceola’s Kealoni Vega (2023) as the county’s only official girls state champion since the FHSAA recognized girl wrestling in 2022.
