Region 2A-1: Preview and Predictions

FRIDAY-SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27-28, 2026 - at Lawton Chiles High School

Friday: Weigh-in: 1 p.m. | Wrestling starts: 2:30 p.m.

Saturday: Weigh-in: 8 a.m. | Wrestling starts: 9:30 a.m.

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 2A-1 will play out.

You can print the 2A-1 region bracket here. (PDF)

I've carefully predicted the four state qualifiers in the order that I think the 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).

These previews and predictions are meant to bring excitement to one of the 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.

Kabra's Picks

1. #18 Jovanni Carraturo (Deltona)

2. #20 Jonathan Harp (Middleburg)

3. #21 Yancey McDonald (New Smyrna Beach)

4. #22 Jace Brechler (Niceville)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #25 Dyson Phillips (Crestview); Liam Soto (Clay)

Opening round match to watch: Phillips vs. Channing Vogel (Lincoln)

Kabra says: This region tournament kicks off with a wide-open weight class where you can make an argument for a whole collection of competitors to reach Silver Spurs. The one returning state qualifier is Carraturo and he won his district final over McDonald, so he’s our favorite heading in.

Kabra's Picks

1. #10 Jason Marsala (Chiles)

2. #12 Gavin Fisher (Middleburg)

3. #13 Michael Hovis (Gulf Breeze)

4. #15 Walter Howard (Beachside)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #21 Jonah Lee (Crestview); #22 Nathaniel King (Mosley)

Opening round match to watch: Lee vs. Xavier Palma (Leon)

Kabra says: Marsala and Fisher reached the 2A-2 district final but didn’t compete the match. Perhaps we will see that take place here. The road isn’t easy with district champs Hovis and Howard potentially standing in the way. We don’t have record of any of these four competing on the mat against each other this season.

Kabra's Picks

1. #2 Garrett Ferguson (Gulf Breeze)

2. #3 Dominik Baxter (Pace)

3. #9 Jacob Rivera (Winter Springs)

4. #16 Juan Torres (Lincoln)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #12 Calvin Wells (Clay); #22 Andrew Arsenault (Beachside)

Opening round match to watch: Bentley Williams (Middleburg) vs. Jabari Williams (Riverside)

Kabra says: It took a long time to get it, but two-time state placer Ferguson finally earned vengeance for a loss at the Super 32 Early Entry tournament to Baxter. The Gulf Breeze senior dominated their district final and could meet again here in the final. Torres may be severely underrated by us, so he could move up the podium on us and prove us wrong.

Kabra's Picks

1. #4 Ryder Cohen (Gulf Breeze)

2. #5 Joshua Waring (Pace)

3. #7 Nathan Harvey (Middleburg)

4. #8 Luke Rodriguez (Lincoln)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #14 Matthew Kowitski (Ponte Vedra); #15 Benjamin Mitts (Clay)

Opening round match to watch: Kowitski vs. Tanner Rogers (Ridgeview)

Kabra says: Cohen is 2-0 this season against Waring, including a 7-5 win in last week’s district final. Rodriguez in turn has a win over Cohen this season, but multiple losses to Harvey and a major decision defeat to Waring. So we’ll just say that the four wrestlers in the Top 8 should give us a great weekend of unexpected results.

Kabra's Picks

1. #5 Aden Cortez (Pace)

2. #6 Tyson Horel (Winter Springs)

3. #7 Isaac Vosburgh (Fort Walton Beach)

4. #8 Cash Trujillo (Ponte Vedra)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Terry Milam (Middleburg); #16 Langston Mills (St. Augustine)

Opening round match to watch: Mills vs. #20 Landon Willard (Clay)

Kabra says: We look at Cortez and Horel as a toss-up at the top, should they both get there. Vosbough and Trujillo both have losses to Cortez and Vosburgh has beaten Milam. So if this goes closer to chalk, our picks may look more like the final podium standings.

Kabra's Picks

1. #3 Rudley Villareal (Winter Springs)

2. #4 Devyn Hicks (New Smyrna Beach)

3. #18 Keegan Deeds (Gulf Breeze)

4. #22 Matthew Braddock (Fleming Island)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #23 Talon Wood (Pace); #25 Christian Patrick (Middleburg)

Opening round match to watch: Jayden Larson (Chiles) vs. Terry Marchman (Matanzas)

Kabra says: After winning the district final, Villareal now owns a 3-1 season series lead over Hicks and we could see them meeting for a fifth time here. Returning state qualifier Deeds has losses to both Villareal and Hicks but should find himself on the final podium here.

Kabra's Picks

1. #8 David Crilly (Arnold)

2. #13 Aiden Mills (St. Augustine)

3. #15 Toby Trumbower (Chiles)

4. #20 Christopher McKeel (Middleburg)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #18 Cyler Robinson (Columbia); #23 Ian Keith (Mosley)

Opening round match to watch: Isaiah Rickling (Pace) vs. #25 Justin Garay (Orange Park)

Kabra says: This is Crilly’s fourth region appearance and he looks poised to make his first trip to Kissimmee. The rest of the bracket is wide open and a challenging bracket give a little mystery as to which two will navigate the muddy waters of the consolation round here.

Kabra's Picks

1. #2 Merrick Miller (New Smyrna Beach)

2. #10 Micah Thomas (Middleburg)

3. #12 Dominic Iacobellis (Pace)

4. #14 Daniel De Almeida (Ponte Vedra)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #15 Asher Reaves (Clay); #19 Collver Hipp (Niceville)

Opening round match to watch: Reaves vs. William Zhane Smith (Columbia)

Kabra says: Two-time state qualifier Miller is the big favorite here but there’s plenty else to watch for here. Five wrestlers ranked from 10-19 will battle for three spots on the podium and while we give Thomas a slight edge to lead the charge, any combo of the five could fill the podium here.

Kabra's Picks

1. #4 Leyton Collazo (Gulf Breeze)

2. #7 Ayden Keys (Winter Springs)

3. #5 Calvyn St. Clair (Clay)

4. #8 Daniel Raines (Middleburg)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #11 Giancarlo Parrish (Pace); #14 Jayden Afonso (Beachside)

Opening round match to watch: Afonso vs. #22 Wesley Price (Mosley)

Kabra says: Collazo and St. Clair both have wins over Keys this season, but they’re on the same side of this bracket. The two haven’t met this season and if we had an official designation for their potential semifinal bout, it would be “toss-up.” Six wrestlers in the top 14 means a few will have harder roads to this podium.

Kabra's Picks

1. #4 Drew Holmquist (Clay)

2. #5 Hayden Smith (Chiles)

3. #11 Tagg Strickenberger (Pace)

4. #12 Julian Razavi (Arnold)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #13 Sky Wnetrzak (Gulf Breeze); #14 Logan Daley (New Smyrna Beach)

Opening round match to watch: Jayce Gainer (Seabreeze) vs. Evan Pallai (Beachside)

Kabra says: Returning state placer Holmquist gets the nod here as the favorite in a tough bracket. We expect the Clay senior and Smith to reach the finals, but four wrestlers ranked 11-14 will battle for the final two spots.

Kabra's Picks

1. #1 Jacob Rodriguez (Winter Springs)

2. #11 Brady Gifford (Niceville)

3. #12 Bowen Iorg (Pace)

4. #15 Drew Loveland (Clay)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #23 Isaac Strozier (Mainland); #25 Brandon Walsingham (Arnold)

Opening round match to watch: Levi Bradley (Chiles) vs. Bishop Reimers (Crestview)

Kabra says: Two-time state placer Rodriguez is the favorite and should pick up his second region title after winning his first one in 2024. Gifford’s district final win over Iorg sets him on the other side of the bracket and our pick to reach the final. The Pace senior owns a major decision win over Loveland.

Kabra's Picks

1. #2 Landon Martin (Clay)

2. #5 Landon Dickerson (New Smyrna Beach)

3. #11 Tajay Richards (Arnold)

4. #15 Keensdee Roseme (Middleburg)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #17 Jonah Perdue (Lincoln); #18 Andrew Hutton (Chiles)

Opening round match to watch: Desmon Hoover (Deltona) vs. Hutton

Kabra says: So this is one of our choices that we had to do some extra thinking on. Dickerson is 1-0 against Martin this season. The two wrestled in region duals and the New Smyrna Beach junior won 9-4. What we took into consideration was that Martin hadn’t been fully cleared and was only able to use one hand. The returning state placer is our pick here, but we really want the chance to see each battle at full strength in the final here.

Kabra's Picks

1. #4 Porter Loveland (Middleburg)

2. #10 Marco Gonzalez (Winter Springs)

3. #13 Xavier Williams (Columbia)

4. #14 Jackson Marchman (Matanzas)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #17 Rome Kendrick (Fort Walton Beach);#18 Tristen Steele (Mosley)

Opening round match to watch: Steele vs. Zane DePaula (Seabreeze)

Kabra says: Loveland placed third in the state last year and is poised to battle a spot that high on the podium this year. He’s our favorite here but the rest of the podium should be a dogfight with five wrestlers ranked between 10-8 battling it out.

Kabra's Picks

1. #4 Jayshawn McCleod (Clay)

2. #7 Eric Stouder (Fort Walton Beach)

3. #12 Daniel Clement (Lincoln)

4. #23 Garrett Davis (Ridgeview)

Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #22 Jonathan Walker (Riverside); #25 Logan Norris (Columbia)

Opening round match to watch: Daniel Lookadoo (St. Augustine) vs. Barry Schieber (Choctawhatchee)

Kabra says: If McCleod and Stouder reach the finals here, that’s one we’d pay to see. Both have massive potential in Class 2A and it’s tough to confidently pick a winner here.

Next

2026 Region 2A-2 Preview