Teams to watch in Class 3A this coming season
BY BRANT PARSONS — At Kabra Wrestling, we started working on content for the 2026-2027 high school wrestling season before we even drove home from Kissimmee in March.
While working on the preview, a few teams have stood out as being ready for a big season.
These are teams that could see a large number of starters back from last year and we’ve picked to have a notable year.
Each team stands out for its own reasons and the only criteria we had in picking was that it couldn’t be a team that finished in the Top 10 at state last season.
BEACHSIDE BARACUDAS
The Barracudas enter their fifth season of competition and the first in Class 3A. State placer Howard leads a deep group of wrestlers that could come back next season that includes 10 region qualifiers.
BLOOMINGDALE BULLS
The Bulls have won two straight district titles and three in the last four seasons so success hasn’t been foreign to this group. Bringing back 12 starters and the second-highest district point total in Class 3A might open the door for some even bigger goals and levels for this program to climb to in 2026-27.
DOUGLAS EAGLES
The Eagles have won five straight district titles and nearly the entire line-up from last season’s district roster could be back this season. The district race will get tougher but the line-up is built for success under new head coach John Herl.
GOLEMAN GATORS
With two wrestlers returning who made the blood round and a room that could have 94.2% of its district points back, the Gators look poised to possibly punch some state tournament tickets in Florida’s toughest region and compete for their first team district title since 2019.
JUPITER WARRIORS
With over 200 district points back in the lineup this coming season, the five-time defending district champions bring back the most in their new district that got tougher with Fort Pierce Central and Martin County now in the mix.
MATANZAS PIRATES
As the Pirates head back to Class 3A for the first time since 2013, they’ll do so with a roster that could return its entire postseason lineup. Led by rising senior Marchman, Matanzas has a hungry group looking to build on last year’s revival.
PALM HARBOR UNIVERSITY HURRICANES
Five state qualifiers could return for the Hurricanes along with two blood round wrestlers from a season ago. This team picked up valuable experience and will be a strong preseason favorite in district 3A-11.
PALMETTO TIGERS
The Tigers bounced back after a graduating class that had punctuated it’s time at Palmetto with a district title had left with a strong season that could see over 90% of their district points come back. Underclassmen Reid and Daniels finished the season on the podium and Schlegel joined them in Kissimmee. Palmetto returns the second highest total points in their new district.
TOCOI CREEK TOROS
Three state placers and three more state qualifiers could return for the Toros, who are just a year removed from winning the school’s first district title. Nearly 93% of the district points could be back and they’ll combine with some talented wrestlers in the room who saw their season end early from injury.
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.
