Region 2A-3: Preview and Predictions
FRIDAY-SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27-28, 2026 - at Charlotte High School
Friday: Weigh-in: 10 a.m. | Wrestling starts: 12 p.m.
Saturday: Weigh-in: 8 a.m. | Wrestling starts: 10 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-3 will play out.
You can print the 2A-3 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.
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 Alexander Nassiff (Charlotte)
2. #6 Easton Balma (Riverdale)
3. #8 Kai Drapala (Manatee)
4. #10 Iam Kenly (Palmetto Ridge)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #11 Henry Johnson (Gulf Coast); #17 Andrew Bishop (North Fort Myers)
Opening round match to watch: Johnson vs. Bishop
Kabra says: This bracket contains nine ranked wrestlers and five are ranked in the Top 11. Nassif also has wins over all four of his top competitors, including four wins over Balma this season.
Kabra's Picks
1. #7 Joseph Obstaculo (Hollins)
2. #8 Caden Moore (Charlotte)
3. #9 Michael Maher (Riverdale)
4. #11 Kevin Estremera (Port Charlotte)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #18 Wyatt Alexander (North Fort Myers); Enzo Simons (Naples)
Opening round match to watch: Malachi Israel (Braden River) vs. Estremera
Kabra says: Obstaculo holds the edge heading into the weekend thanks to a 2-1 win over Moore this season. That meeting took place at the Captain Archer. Maher owns a pair of wins against Estremera and we project the two of them to meet for a third time in the consolation final.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Eric Bush (Riverdale)
2. #8 Aiden Sanders (Parrish)
3. #17 Chancey Alexander (Dunbar)
4. #18 Vince Wurtsbaugh (Mariner)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #19 Lochlyn Harris (Port Charlotte); #21 Jayden Russell (Braden River)
Opening round match to watch: Lorenzo D'Annunzio (Barron Collier) vs. Ethan Kieffer (Osceola Fundamental)
Kabra says: Returning state finalist Bush is a huge favorite in this bracket. Sanders is our pick to make the finals, but he’ll have to navigate a much tougher half of the bracket filled with podium-worthy wrestlers.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Kael Seneca (Fort Myers)
2. #9 Jaden Morales (Braden River)
3. #10 Tyler Jeskie (Barron Collier)
4. #21 Adan Estremara (Charlotte)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #11 Jaime Nunez (Naples); Ryan Boos (Mariner)
Opening round match to watch: Brody Belt (Parrish) vs. Peter Espinosa (Lely)
Kabra says: Three-time state qualifier Seneca is our pick to win a second straight region title here. Morales gets our nod as the other finalist and meanwhile a dangerous bracket means we could have a Top 11 wrestler not make the trip to Kissimmee.
Kabra's Picks
1. #4 Evan Cope (Charlotte)
2. #11 Jaxon Perry (Riverdale)
3. #19 Christopher Larin-Herrera (Manatee)
4. #24 Cameron Wiik (Fort Myers)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Oleksandr Komisarov (Barron Collier); Gabriel Wilson (Hollins)
Opening round match to watch: Jordan Marshall (Countryside) vs. Benjamin Collins (Morgan)
Kabra says: Cope, a returning state qualifier, has established himself as the big favorite here. The Charlotte junior is 4-0 against Perry this season and the Riverdale district runner-up is our pick to reach the finals here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Clinton Thompson (North Fort Myers)
2. #8 Logan Miller (Riverdale)
3. #10 Michael Soquita (Charlotte)
4. #14 Logan Chornoby (Pinellas Park)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Tyson Toretta (Parrish); Alex Sosa (Gulf Coast)
Opening round match to watch: Joan Rengifo (Hollins) vs. Rylan Horell (Palmetto Ridge)
Kabra says: Thompson placed in the state at this weight last season and comes in fresh from a district title win over Miller. With just four ranked wrestlers in the bracket here, the podium seems easier to pick, but there are a couple district champions that will try to mess that plan up.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Jake Austin (Charlotte)
2. #2 Jacob Fuentes (Braden River)
3. #4 Landon Murphy (North Fort Myers)
4. #11 Jack Creaser (Parrish)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #14 Vanden Sigmond (Naples); #21 Amarion Jackson (East Bay)
Opening round match to watch: Journey Ortiz (Ida Baker) vs. #22 Ethan Going (Hollins)
Kabra says: Two-time state champion Austin is about a big a favorite as you can have this year and he’s in a bracket with three of the top four in the state in it. Austin is 3-0 against Fuentes this season. A possible #2 vs. #4 looms in the semifinal here. When they met in the Ricky Gullett final, Fuentes blanked Murphy 7-0.
Kabra's Picks
1. #5 Angel Ojeda (Manatee)
2. #17 Isaac Maldonado (Immokalee)
3. #6 Toby Pearce (Mariner)
4. #20 Matthew Moon (Osceola Fundamental)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Jackson Ehrhart (Spoto); Yariel Tamayo (Golden Gate)
Opening round match to watch: Ehrhart vs. Darwin Pham (Port Charlotte)
Kabra says: We’ve gone back and forth on this one. Ojeda had a great offseason and is back on his stride at the most important time of the year. Pearce, ranked fourth of the district champions, came to Florida this year from Great Britain, where he is an English national champion. This is a semifinal to not miss.
Kabra's Picks
1. #9 Gabriele Nudi (North Fort Myers)
2. #12 Armand Laviola (Mariner)
3. #15 Brooks Cowan (St. Pete Northeast)
4. #17 Anthony Cuthbertson (Osceola Fundamental)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #20 Becket Smith (Manatee); #25 Aurelio Anzualda (Immokalee)
Opening round match to watch: Jason Barnes (Gulf Coast) vs. Cameron Ingerson (Hollins)
Kabra says: Nudi is the favorite here after a win over Laviola in the district final. Cowan has not faced either of the two and could be a wildcard here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Evan Rowe (Braden River)
2. #7 Hayden Hansford (Port Charlotte)
3. #8 Michael Hernandez (Charlotte)
4. #17 Keljon Franklin (Osceola Fundamental)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #19 Jayden Ryan (Countryside); Emiliano Buenrostro (Bonita Springs)
Opening round match to watch: Ryan vs. Zachary Wells (Riverdale)
Kabra says: Rowe has had a terrific senior campaign and enters the weekend with a win over Hansford to make him the favorite. Hernandez finds himself on Rowe’s half of the bracket after losing his district final, but still expected to be the third best wrestler here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #4 Kalel Hernandez (North Fort Myers)
2. #6 Nikolai Krywko (Parrish)
3. #10 Maxwell Edwards (Barron Collier)
4. #13 Lucas Roberts (Port Charlotte)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #14 Quinton O'Driscoll (Pinellas Park); #19 Jayden Montgomery (Manatee)
Opening round match to watch: #21 Jovahnny Diaz (St. Pete Northeast) vs. #20 Pierce Hochstetler (Braden River)
Kabra says: Returning state placer Hernandez is the favorite here, but not a huge one as Krywko and Edwards have both shown promise of what they can accomplish. This isn’t a toss-up, we still think the North Fort Myers senior is the one to beat.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 West Lucas (North Fort Myers)
2. #6 Logan Pike (Braden River)
3. #16 Michael Reed (Middleton)
4. #20 Major Gilbert (Manatee)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #19 Ezequiel Pedraza (Cape Coral); #21 Ethan Harris (Fort Myers)
Opening round match to watch: Dominic Longano (Countryside) vs. Pedraza
Kabra says: When Lucas and Pike met in the Ricky Gullett Invitational final, the North Fort Myers sophomore controlled the match, winning by 15-0 margin for a technical fall. Lucas is the one to beat here. Four wrestlers ranked 16-21 will battle for the final two tickets to Kissimmee.
Kabra's Picks
1. #5 Freedom McDaniel (Braden River)
2. #8 Sebastian Corporan (Bonita Springs)
3. #19 Milo Moreno (Charlotte)
4. #22 Mar'Keyon Maxwell (Parrish)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #20 Ethan October (Dunbar); #23 Aydin Bayar (Port Charlotte)
Opening round match to watch: Tate Kelly (Gulf Coast) vs. Bayar
Kabra says: Returning state placer McDaniel is looking to improve upon his seventh-place finish in Florida last year. He’ll likely do so from the position of region qualifier as he is a formidable favorite here. McDaniel owns two major decision wins over Corporan this season. This is another bracket with a tight bunch of wrestlers battling for two state tournament spots.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Jaxon Newton (Charlotte)
2. #10 Daniel Iriarte (Riverdale)
3. Collin Paolillo (Osceola Fundamental)
4. Haydn Nibbelin (Naples)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Alberto Parra (Mariner); Nicolas Wilson (Port Charlotte)
Opening round match to watch: Ezekiel Jones (Pinellas Park) vs. Jacob Flores (East Lee County)
Kabra says: Newton, a two-time state finalist, is one of the biggest favorites in this tournament. He is 3-0 against Iriarte this season. While Newton might be closest thing to a sure thing pick, the rest of this podium might be the biggest question mark of this region.