David Beltran’s big-time win earns Wrestler of Week honor | Boys Team of the Week

. (Photo by Dan Ward/Ward Wrestling Live)

BY BRANT PARSONS — David Beltran expects to win big matches, that’s what he trains for.

The Coral Shores junior’s win at the 1A Kick-Off over a four-time state finalist and top-ranked wrestler in the state let the rest of the wrestling community know he can win those big matches too.

His performance did catch your attention, as he was voted Kabra Wrestling’s Reader’s Choice Wrestler of the Week after his performance in the season-opening tournament.

“The expectation is to win no matter who we are wrestling and I think David just thought about it as any other match and went out and did his thing,” Coral Shores coach Dante Jiovenetta said. “What David did didn’t surprise me.”

Jiovenetta has been working with Beltran since he was 10-years-old and he’s come to expect big things from him as he’s developed as a wrestler.

“I’ve seen him change over the years,” Jiovenetta said. “I’ve seen him develop big muscles and athletic stature, he wasn’t always this way. I’ve seen him mature, I’ve seen him grind, I’ve seen him suffer and most importantly I’ve seen him over come mountains of adversity. To say I’m proud of this young man as a coach is an understatement.”

The season still has 10 regular season weeks to go and then the grueling postseason to follow, so both Beltran and his coach know they’ll likely be seeing the same opponents multiple times and they need to be ready.

“f I know anything about St. John Newman wrestling and coach Blaine, those guys aren’t just champions but they’re a group of people that operate with integrity, grit, and honor,” Jiovenetta said. “It’s a dog fight we expect again and to come back harder and stronger in the meantime we will prepare.”

Beltran also is invested in his team’s success and leads by example in the weight room and the classroom. The extra workouts and lifts make Beltran a better wrestler, but they also set a mark for the other wrestlers in the room to follow.

Now they’ll try to match his successes on the mat too.

“David’s just a tough kid, I had a coach when I was a kid that said ‘some puppies bite and some puppies don’t’ and I think that rings true even today,” Jiovenetta said. “David bites.”

Kabra Wrestling’s ‘Team of the Week’

Team: Palm Harbor University: Put on a team display to win the Windham Rotunda Memorial.

106: Alexander Nassiff (Charlotte): Part of the championship parade for Captain Archer title winning Tarpons.

113: Chris Schnobrick (Olympic Heights): Knocked off the top-ranked wrestler in his weight class with a hard-fought 4-2 win in the H-Town finals.

120: Carter Rivera (St. Cloud): Had three wins over ranked opponents while going undefeated all weekend at the Barbara Pill Memorial.

126: Joshua Waring (Pace): His top-five win in the final at the Cam Brown Classic was part of a first-place finish by the Patriots.

132: Draven Thompson (Winter Haven): Made an early season statement with a commanding performance at the Danny Byron.

138: Mikah Ikeda (Episcopal): Started his season off with a 4-0 performance at Friday Knight Lights.

144: Bruce Li (Mater Lakes): One of five champions for the defending Class 1A state champion Bears.

150: Caden Krsul (Tampa Jesuit): The sophomore reached the top of the podium at the Ben Richards Memorial.

157: Howard Hill (St. Johns Country Day): Pinned the third-ranked wrestler in the finals of the Class 1A Kickoff.

165: Marcus Bouie (Sandalwood): Finished in first place at the Arlington Optimist with a 7-3 over the No. 2 wrestler in his weight class.

175: David Beltran (Coral Shores): Stunned the top-ranked wrestler at the 1A Kick Off Invite.

190: Landon Dickerson (New Smyrna Beach): Won a tough weight class at the Captain Archer.

215: Peter Loveland (Middleburg): Put in a commanding performance to win at the Border Wars.

285: Alexander Allens (Key West): The Conchs' junior wrestler was impressive in winning the H-Town Throwdown.

Brant Parsons is the founder and executive editor of Kabra Wrestling. He has been covering high school wrestling in Florida since 2004. He can be reached at brant@kabrawrestling.com.