Braden River High, Charlotte High wrestlers find gold at state championships

KISSIMMEE − It took a while before two area wrestlers came away with gold medals.

Jessey Colas of Braden River High captured the Class 2A 182-pound weight class. Moments later, Cael Newton of Charlotte High turned a a quick performance in the 2A 220-pound weight class Saturday at the Florida High School Athletic Association State Wrestling championships at Silver Spurs Arena.

For Colas it capped a remarkable 71-0 senior season.

Newton went 59-2 his senior season for the Tarpons.

Nine area wrestlers made it to the championship round only to finish as runners-up.

2A 182-pound weight class

Jessey Colas, Braden River 5, Michael McCarthy, Satellite 3

It was a metaphoric rise for Colas, a senior who has been wrestling three years. After finishing seventh a year ago, Colas ran the table this season, reeling off wins in all 71 of his bouts.

“Last year I just didn’t have it in me,” Colas said. “Just because someone was ranked higher than me, I looked at it as a different match. This year, I’m a senior. It doesn’t matter if they are better than me. It’s my last year.”

“He’s been my most dedicated kid,” Braden River coach Cesar Charbono said. “He tells all my rookies in the room he wishes he would have taken it more seriously. He didn’t start taking it seriously until his sophomore year. In that two years, he has grown from 1-2 in the region to a state champion. It’s been growth.”

Colas (71-0) capped it off with a 5-3 decision in the state championship. Colas jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period before staying out of harms way.

“I got the near fall and it was like ‘I’ve got it,’ ” Colas said. “I did what I had to do.”

Colas gave up an escape and was called for a stalling violation in the third period giving McCarthy (50-5) a couple of points.

“I was a little more conservative,” Colas said. “I was just focused on just staying in the lead. When I got on top, I just wanted to ride him out.”

What does it mean to go undefeated?

“I remember freshman year my goal was to be undefeated,” Colas said. “Whatever-and-oh, 50-0, 70-0.”

He had a close bout in the semifinals, winning 6-5 in the final seconds.

“Being a senior, my last ride,” Colas said. “I’ve been wanting this since I was a freshman.”

“A lot of what he has is untaught,” Sharbono said. “It’s instinct. He’s got cat-liek quickness and agility. He not ungodly strong. He looks it, but he’s not. He goes side to side real quick and it throws people off.”As a freshman, Colas played junior varsity football. Well, he was on the team.

“I didn’t get any playing time,” he said. “That made me switch to wrestling full time.”

Still it took a couple of years to click on the mat.

“It paid off,” Colas said.

Charbono said Colas will go somewhere to college and “continue to grow.

“He’s only been wrestling three years,” Charbono said. “When I picked him up, he was a 138-pound beanpole.”

Now, Colas joins 285-pounder Brendan Bengtsson as the only state champion from Braden River High.

Class 2A 220-pound weight class

Cael Newton, Charlotte pinned Dylon York, New Smyrna Beach 1:48

After finishing third a year ago, Newton envisioned a climb to the top and an ensuing celebration.

“I knew I was going to go out there and get it done,” Newton said. “It was over when I stepped on the mat.”

Also planned was putting coach Evan Robinson on his shoulders for a ride adjacent to the mat.“I asked him if I could pick him up, he said ‘Yeah, sure,’ ” Newton said.

“It’s amazing I’ve been waiting for this moment for a while,” Newton said.

Newton (59-2) led 2-0 when he got York (45-6) on his back and never let him up.

“Heck yeah. Heck yeah,” Newton said. “I wanted to go out with a bang.”

Even though he is going to West Point for football, he may get into the wrestling room on occasion.

“Just stay in shape that way,” Newton said. “Just keep doing what I’m doing. That’s one of the main reasons I’m where I’m at and just how big its been.”

Reflecting on his wrestling career, Newton had many to thank.

“The coaches, Coach Robinson, my teammates that helped me get where I’m at, the seniors who graduated. All of them got me where I’m at right now,” said Newton, who has been wrestling since age 5. “My parents for sure. I couldn’t do anything without them. All my motivation comes from them, my brothers. They’ve been by my side all my life. That’s how I grew up through wrestling. I want to thank everybody, all of them.”

GIRLS

Gabriela Cabo, Marjory Stoneman Douglas 8, Christina Turner, Sarasota Military Academy 4

Turner ran into a buzzsaw. Undefeated Cabo (24-0) jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the second period. Turner, a senior who finished fourth last year, made a brief comeback with a reversal late in the second period. Turner (35-3) picked up two points when Cabo was called for stalling in the third period, but it was not enough.

BOYS

Class 3A 182-pound weight class

Franklyn Ordonez, Southwest Miami 4, Dominic Joyce, North Port 2

After receiving two honors before the finals, Joyce could not parlay it into a second straight state championship.

Tied at 1-all in the third period, Ordonez (48-11) took down Joyce (47-4) which proved to be the different in the match.

Prior to the finals, Joyce won the NextLevel Student Scholarship along with the Russell “Russ” A. Mauger Mental Attitude Award via a vote by wrestlers, coaches and officials

“It’s really cool,” said Joyce, a senior. “I helped out with the youth and I’ve done a lot of community service, so it’s kinda nice to get a little recognition. I didn’t expect to get money for it. I did it for my mother so she didn’t stress and didn’t have that much to pay.”

Joyce plans to attend Chadron State College in Nebraska and continue wrestling.

“It’s a great blessing and I’m thankful for it,” he said.

Class 2A 113-pound weight class

Roman Lermer, Tampa Jesuit 8, Camren French, Charlotte 2

In a rematch of last year’s 106-pound final, French, a junior, jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a first-period takedown, unlike last year. But Lermer got an escape in the first and second periods and a takedown before the middle period ended.

Lermer (47-7) put the match away with two two-point nearfalls in the third period for an 8-2 victory.

French finished 50-6.

Class 3A 120-pound weight class

Luis Acevedo, Kissimmee Osceola 8, Blaine Taranto, Venice 6, OT

Taranto, a senior who took third last year, needed an escape with 13 seconds left in the third period to force overtime. Acevedo then took down Taranto early in the extra session.

Taranto (62-4) jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Acevedo recorded a takedown and two-point nearfall in the second period.

Rebounding from an arm injury, Taranto got a reversal to take a 5-4 lead heading into the third. Acevedo (58-3) then got his second takedown to go up 6-5.

Class 2A 160-pound weight class

Christian Minto (56-1) Cape Coral Mariner 15, Gage Wiggins (67-4) Braden River 0

Wiggins, a junior, did not have much of a chance. Minto scored five points in each period and ended it early with a techncial fall. Minto finished his senior season 54-1 and as a three-time state champion.

Wiggins ended 67-4.

Class 1A 170-pound weight class

Kyle Grey, Fort Pierce Lincoln Park Academy 3, Keon Hoffman (52-5) Lemon Bay 2

Hoffman (52-5) fell behind 3-0 after two periods before making it close. The senior got an escape to start the third period and then received a stalling point, but Hoffman could not get the equalizer.

After finishing second last year with a 2-1 overtime loss in the final to Kendrick Hodge of Somerset Academy, it was another difficult ending to the season and career for Hoffman.

1A 182-pound weight class

Christian Moder, Naples First Baptist 12, Chase Alden, Lemon Bay 2

Moder outscored Alden 6-1 in the first and third period. It was a rematch of last year’s final, also won by Moder.

Class 2A 195-pound weight class

Brian Burburija, Clearwater Countryside  pinned Nathaniel Box, Charlotte in 1:41

Box, a senior who finished seventh a year ago, got in trouble early and was down 9-0 before being pinned in the first period by Burburija, who ended the season 63-0.

Box was 46-8.

Class 2A 285-pound weight class

Nate Gabriel, Auburndale 10, Vincent Chavez, Port Charlotte 0

Chavez, a senior, went the distance with Gabriel, but could not get on the board. Gabriel (38-4) had takedowns in all three periods.

Chaves went 46-5.

PLACE WINNERS

Third

Jeff McCauley, Charlotte (2A 182)

Fourth

Kaiden Ballinger, Charlotte (2A 120), James Baltutis, Charlotte (2A 160), Jake Sheets, Lemon Bay (1A 160), Ben Arnett, Lemon Bay (1A 220), Iyonna Ross, Charlotte (G 115), Giovanna Coppola, Lemon Bay (G 135)

Fifth

Tyler Rodriguez, Port Charlotte (2A 152), Nate Varley, Sarasota Military Academy (1A 113)

Sixth

Schuler, Charlotte (2A 106), Brycen Warren, Lemon Bay (1A 126), Matthew Miller, Manatee (2A 170), Noe Phommathep, Booker (1A 285), Damontez McDowell, Manatee (2A 195)

Seventh

Eric Clary, Charlotte (2A 126), Logan Kelly, Lemon Bay (1A 120), Kase Hopper, Venice (3A 106), Nikko Frattarelli, Charlotte (2A 285), Caleb Dickerson, Sarasota Military Academy (1A 195)

Eighth

Pablo Santamaria, Bayshore (1A 152), Dyleen Perez, Booker (G 120)

TEAM SCORING

2A: 1. Lake Gibson 171.5, 2. Fleming Island 156, 3. Charlotte 148

1A: 1. Jensen Beach 177.5, 7. Lemon Bay 93

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Braden River High, Charlotte High wrestlers win state championships