Region 1A-1: Preview and Predictions
FRIDAY-SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27-28, 2026 - at Bay High School
Friday: Weigh-in: 10 a.m. (CST) | Wrestling starts: 12 p.m. (CST)
Saturday: Weigh-in: 8 a.m. (CST) | Wrestling starts: 10 a.m. (CST)
Welcome to one of my favorite traditions - the region previews.
For those that are reading one for the first time, here's a quick summary of what the region preview is.
I look at each bracket notate where wrestlers are ranked in the Kabra Wrestling Rankings and then start to break it down even more. You can find those rankings marked on the bracket images in the previews this year.
I look for head-to-head matchups, common opponents, and how each wrestler has been trending in the stretch run. I then question my rankings - and myself - and play out the entire bracket.
What follows is my best guess for how 1A-1 will play out.
You can print the 1A-1 region bracket here. (PDF)
I've carefully predicted the four state qualifiers in the order that I think they will finish. I've also listed wrestlers that could prove me wrong and make it to Kissimmee.
I will be wrong with these picks, and I'm okay with that. In fact, I love when kids prove me wrong (or prove me right). We even have the stickers to hand out.
These previews and predictions are meant to bring excitement to one of the most exhilarating and heartbreaking weekends in sports.
I assure you that I have no bias in my picks and truly wish the best for every wrestler competing this weekend.
And as always, these picks are for entertainment purposes only.
Now onto the preview:
Picks made based on current brackets at 10:00 p.m. on February 25, 2026.
Check out Kabra Wrestling’s Region Previews
Girls: Region 1 preview | Region 2 preview | Region 3 preview | Region 4 preview
Class 3A: Region 1 preview | Region 2 preview | Region 3 preview | Region 4 preview
Class 2A: Region 1 preview | Region 2 preview | Region 3 preview | Region 4 preview
Class 1A: Region 1 preview | Region 2 preview | Region 3 preview | Region 4 preview
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Thiago Finuff (Liberty County)
2. #8 Brayden Hodges (Wakulla)
3. #9 Alex Vasquez-Young (North Bay Haven)
4. #10 Soren Bakker (Bishop Kenny)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #12 Aiden Hancock (Union County); Tristan Holmes (Fernandina Beach)
Opening round match to watch: Hudson Gherdovich (Rocky Bayou Christian) vs. Bradley Cavallini (Episcopal of Jacksonville)
Kabra says: Hard to believe that in his freshman season, Finuff didn’t win a single match. Now the Liberty County senior is one of the favorites to take home a state title. We see him continuing that quest with a first region title here. The bottom half of the bracket will have the early excitement with Hodges and Vasquez-Young lined up for a potential quarterfinal meeting. Hodges won their meeting this season 4-0. Bakkar has some big wins this season and is capable of making some noise here, he has not faced Hodges or Vasquez-Young.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Bryce Fiore (St. Johns Country Day)
2. #7 Andrew Makeev (Bolles)
3. #11 Malik Leonard (Florida High)
4. #19 Sloan Denison (Yulee)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #24 Hunter Wainwright (Suwannee); Coen Dykes (Freeport)
Opening round match to watch: Teague Tomberlin (West Nassau) vs. Andrew Manaois (Cornerstone Classical)
Kabra says: Fiore has already made a name for himself on the national level as the top-ranked middle school wrestler in the country. Now he’s on his way for what would be his first state title. He’s a big favorite here. If Makeev and Leonard meet in the semifinals, it would be their first high school meeting.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Koa DeLoach (North Bay Haven)
2. #22 Wyatt Feltgen (Florida High)
3. #23 Nathan Roll (Baker County)
4. Easton Tapley (Providence School)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Max Broginez (Freeport); Saud Alburaih (Stanton Prep)
Opening round match to watch: Alburaih vs. Miles Rinkus (Rocky Bayou Christian)
Kabra says: DeLoach is one of the best 120 pounders in the state and is our top-ranked wrestler here in Class 1A heading into region weekend. The rest of the podium is much more wide open as a competitive group of wrestlers will battle it out for those three spots. Our edge goes to the other three district champions.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 William Harvey (Wakulla)
2. #5 Leonardo Torres (Stanton Prep)
3. #6 Dylan Lunsford (Bishop Kenny)
4. #10 Rylan Milian (Suwannee)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Roman Ortez (St. Johns Country Day); #16 Tyler Johnson (Wewahitchka)
Opening round match to watch: Jayden Holmes (Fernandina Beach) vs. Iyashanti Perry (South Walton)
Kabra says: Harvey and Torres met in last year’s region tournament with the Wakulla senior prevailing by a major decision. Harvey also earned a 4-3 win in the region final a season ago. And just to complete the last year results since we don’t have any meetings this season, Torres majored Lunsford at last year’s state tournament.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Jasper Croom (Florida High)
2. #8 Jacob Justice (Freeport)
3. #13 Patrick Cooksey (Wakulla)
4. #19 James Leiby (Stanton Prep)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #24 Robby Driggers (Baker County); Gay Doh (Wolfson)
Opening round match to watch: Driggers vs. Aleckson Sims (Rutherford)
Kabra says: Croom has had one of the best seasons in Florida this year, going undefeated and beating multiple top 3 wrestlers. The two-time state placer is a healthy favorite to win his third region title. In what seems to be a trend in this region, the rest of our podium is filled with district champions who have not faced each other.
Kabra's Picks
1. #5 Brady Jackson (Wakulla)
2. #6 Mikah Ikeda (Episcopal of Jacksonville)
3. #9 Diego Torres (Stanton Prep)
4. #11 Micah Miller (Cornerstone Classical)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #15 Jaylen Bennett (Bay); #17 Taylor Martinez (Wolfson)
Opening round match to watch: Crew Richter Fernandina Beach) vs. Martinez
Kabra says: Jackson and Ikeda met in the Gator Brawl finals with the Wakulla senior earning a 7-6 decision. Last year’s state finalist at Lincoln, Jackson enters this weekend as the favorite. Torres and Miller are 1-1 against each other this season, with both meetings taking place in early December.
Kabra's Picks
1. #4 Sterling Hollingsworth (Florida High)
2. #5 Aaron Robinson (Wakulla)
3. #6 Jack Mulnix (North Bay Haven)
4. #16 Wyatt Martin (St. Johns Country Day)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #18 Jose Garcia (Suwannee); #20 Ryan Hancock (Bishop Kenny)
Opening round match to watch: Tristan Berry (Rocky Bayou Christian) vs. Levi Ritter (Episcopal of Jacksonville)
Kabra says: Hollingsworth has two wins over Robinson this season, including last week’s district final victory. Mulnix, a returning state placer at this weight, has not faced either and could be a repeat region champion when the dust settles here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #4 Howard Hill (St. Johns Country Day)
2. #9 Taz Kinghorn (Baker County)
3. #10 Troy Thaxton (Wakulla)
4. #12 Ry Miller (Cornerstone Classical)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #13 Brady McAlister (North Bay Haven); #19 Ethan Shiver (Fernandina Beach)
Opening round match to watch: Shiver vs. Keegan Hoover (Freeport)
Kabra says: Hill has been wrestling well this season and the 2024 state placer looked to win his first career region title here. Kinghorn, who reached the blood round here the past two seasons, has not faced Hill but did earn a 6-2 win over Thaxton at state duals back in January.
Kabra's Picks
1. #8 Terence Hinson (Florida High)
2. #10 Camden Garcia (Providence School)
3. #16 William McKenzie (North Bay Haven)
4. #19 Worth Athey (Episcopal of Jacksonville)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #17 Chase Justice (Freeport); Antonio Walker (Baldwin)
Opening round match to watch: Eli Leggett (Baker County) vs. Benjamin Bryzinski (Bradford)
Kabra says: Two returning state qualifiers Hinson and Garcia are the picks in this bracket. We know more about Hinson, who has wins over McKenzie and Athey this season. The Providence senior has not faced anyone in the mix here beyond his district final win over Athey.
Kabra's Picks
1. #12 Nicco Musso (Trinity Christian)
2. #13 Lincoln Boyette (Cornerstone Classical)
3. #14 Sam Madden (South Walton)
4. #16 Will Lundgren (North Bay Haven)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #19 Sebastian Overland (Baker County); #21 Austin Weise (Yulee)
Opening round match to watch: Weise vs. Wyatt Elixson (Union County)
Kabra says: This might just be the most open - and deepest - weight class this weekend. With no wrestler ranked about #12 and nine total ranked wrestlers, it’s about as wide open a race as we have seen. Musso avenged one of his losses in the district final against Boyette to improve his series record against him this season to 2-1.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 Bear Siegal (North Bay Haven)
2. #4 Jordan Haigler (Florida High)
3. #13 Lucas Comora (Bolles)
4. #24 Jaden Cody (Marianna)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #20 Alexander McKay (Trinity Christian); Tyler Curry (Yulee)
Opening round match to watch: McKay vs. Corbin Segrest (Bay)
Kabra says: If there’s a potential final match to circle as a can’t miss, it would be this one. Siegal and Haigler have met three times this season and each one has been close. The North Bay Haven senior is 2-1 in the series, winning 8-7 in region duals and 7-6 in the quarterfinals of the Colby Singletary. Haigler earned his victory in the George Mulligan final, winning 4-0.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Calvin Ross (Wewahitchka)
2. #17 Landon Slater (Suwannee)
3. #22 Roy Hughes (Marianna)
4. #23 Anthony Ramey (North Bay Haven)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #24 Colt Richter (Fernandina Beach); Luke Gray (Yulee)
Opening round match to watch: Gray vs. Gavin Mitchell (Wakulla)
Kabra says: Ross is one of the contender for a state title this year the returning state placer is a solid favorite here. Slater owns a technical fall win this season of Ramey and they could meet in the bottom half semifinal.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Brett Bearden (Bolles)
2. #3 Blake Barodte (Wakulla)
3. #8 Bryce Mangum (West Nassau)
4. #11 Lashawn Powell (Cornerstone Classical)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Cody Johnson (South Walton); Anthony Williams (Baker County)
Opening round match to watch: Zach Karpf (University Christian) vs. Cody Johnson (South Walton)
Kabra says: Bearden and Barodte put on a great semifinal match in this tournament last year with the Bolles sophomore advancing to the final with a 8-4 decision. We see the two of them renewing their region rivalry, this time in the final. Mangum has had a solid senior season and would like to get into the mix here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Holden Corbin (Suwannee)
2. #7 Taylor Davenport (Baldwin)
3. #10 George Elbahri (Bishop Kenny)
4. #17 Ben Sundstrom (South Walton)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #18 James Hardy (Wewahitchka); #20 Kaleb Self (Cornerstone Classical)
Opening round match to watch: Hardy vs. Jordan Perez (Baker County)
Kabra says: Corbin and Davenport met in last year’s region tournament too, and the Suwannee senior won by a major decision on his way to eventually placing at state. This season, Corbin has won both meetings by a fall and he’s our pick here. Watch for that final sport with Sundstrom, Hardy, and Self all with the skillset to book a trip to Silver Spurs.