Region 3A-2: Preview and Predictions
FRIDAY-SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27-28, 2026 - at Armwood High School
Friday: Weigh-in: 10 a.m. | Wrestling starts: 11:30 a.m.
Saturday: Weigh-in: 9 a.m. | Wrestling starts: 10:30 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 3A-2 will play out.
You can print the 3A-2 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. #1 Alzider Ortiz (Steinbrenner)
2. #12 Justin Rivers (East Lake)
3. #14 Paul Rios (Riverview)
4. #15 Willian Mesa (Bloomingdale)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #22 Aaron Rodriguez (Lakewood Ranch); #23 Cayden Colon (Sarasota Riverview)
Opening round match to watch: Mesa vs. #24 Isaiah Alonso (Palm Harbor University)
Kabra says: Ortiz is the heavy favorite in this weight class and an easy choice for the top of the podium here. The rest of the podium is intriguing with Rivers, Rios, and Mesa battling a trio of ranked wrestlers for the podium.
Kabra's Picks
1. #11 Jeffery Hartley (Palm Harbor University)
2. #14 Jose Nieves (Land O' Lakes)
3. #12 Michael Schlegel (Palmetto)
4. #15 Adam Long (Sarasota Riverview)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #16 Jayden Gomez (Bloomingdale); #19 Russell Yarbrough (Plant City)
Opening round match to watch: Noah Brown (Davenport) vs. Isaac Lainez (Armwood)
Kabra says: Hartley and Schlegel picked up district titles last week, including an avenge win for Schlegel in his final, and they’re on track to meet in the semifinals here in a bracket loaded with six ranked wrestlers between 11-19. Fellow district champions Gomez and Yarbourgh both have their sights on crashing the podium party, with Gomez owning an 11-5 decision should they meet.
Kabra's Picks
1. #4 Justo Medina (Davenport)
2. #9 Niccolo Pellicano (Venice)
3. #5 Brandon Lemke (Bloomingdale)
4. #10 David Cardullo (Palm Harbor University)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #17 Riley Craig (Palmetto); #22 Roein Lavine (Sickles)
Opening round match to watch: Maximus Leventry (Lennard) vs. Casey Coons (Lakewood Ranch)
Kabra says: All four district champions are in the Top 10 and could advance as a quartet to the state tournament. Medina owns an 11-8 win over Lemke and Pellicano outscored Cardullo 14-13 in their meeting so really, anything can happen here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #13 Andrew Taylor (George Jenkins)
2. #15 Anthony Villeneuve (Bloomingdale)
3. #14 Jayce Paz (Palm Harbor University)
4. #17 Dylan Marklin (Land O' Lakes)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #19 Landon Hill (Steinbrenner); Benjamin Burnett (Lennard)
Opening round match to watch: Burnett vs. Garcia
Kabra says: This one could go a variety of ways but we went with the one returning state qualifier Taylor to finish atop this podium. Taylor does have a win over Hill, but we don’t have any record of the George Jenkins junior facing Paz or Marklin this season. The rest of the potential podium has a history with Villeneuve owning a 8-5 win over Marklin and Marklin owning a 4-2 defeat of Hill.
Kabra's Picks
1. #4 Caleb Gauthier (Palm Harbor University)
2. #3 Draven Thompson (Winter Haven)
3. #5 Porter Daniels (Palmetto)
4. #9 Leonardo Perdomo (Bloomingdale)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #14 Derryck Sampedro (Strawberry Crest); #17 Brayden Newell (Steinbrenner)
Opening round match to watch: Christopher Francois (Davenport) vs. #24 Alejando Calzadilla (Fort Myers Gateway)
Kabra says: Four Top 10 wrestlers in the bracket and they’ll the four district champions and according to our records, they haven’t faced each other at all this season. It’s as much a pick ‘em as you can find this weekend. We went with the returning state placer Gauthier, who we think has the harder path the final. Thompson has shown he can compete and beat some of the best in the state this season and this final should be a great one. Of course Daniels and Perdomo both have the ability to find their way to a thrilling championship bout here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #7 Zach Berry (Palm Harbor University)
2. #12 James Aguilar (Riverview)
3. #17 Griffin Mize (Plant)
4. #21 Race Radcliffe (Bloomingdale)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #22 Javier Puchi (Sarasota Riverview); #23 Mason Zalud (Newsome)
Opening round match to watch: Puchi vs. Zalud
Kabra says: Returning state placer could meet returning state placer Aguilar in the final here. The two have a combined five state tournament appearances between the two and have not this season. Mize has wins against the rest of the ranked field and is our pick for third.
Kabra's Picks
1. #6 Kase Hopper (Venice)
2. #9 Grayson Lopez (Land O' Lakes)
3. #11 Chris Moore (Palm Harbor University)
4. #17 Kevin Harold (Ridge Community)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #18 Zavious Brown (George Jenkins); #19 Cody Heald (Riverview)
Opening round match to watch: #22 Heath Phillips (Lakewood Ranch) vs. Aiden Gomez (Winter Haven)
Kabra says: Three-time state qualifier and 2023 state placer Hopper is the one to beat in this bracket. District 6 champion Lopez is the one to beat in the bottom half but it could be a tricky path to the final. He could face Brown, who proved he’s capable of big wins at the Moskowitz and then a possible third meeting with Heald in the semifinals. Lopez is 2-0 between the two this season.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Massimo Pellicano (Venice)
2. #12 Bryce Vasquez (Fort Myers Gateway)
3. #15 Nicholas Aguilar (Riverview)
4. #16 Levi Wentz (Plant City)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #17 Cameron Mariner Po (Palm Harbor University); #19 Cooper Burden (Mitchell)
Opening round match to watch: Jayden Cain (Armwood) vs. Yanziel Pantoja (Bartow)
Kabra says: Returning state placer Pellicano is the only wrestler with experience in the state tournament, having qualified twice. He’s a healthy favorite here and our pick to win it. Vasquez is the wildcard to us without any matches against his top competition for second place. If the bracket plays out as we laid it out, Aguilar and Wentz would be meeting for the fifth time this season for third place. Aguilar owns a 3-1 season series edge.
Kabra's Picks
1. #4 Bryson Thompson (Winter Haven)
2. #6 Craig Odom (Fort Myers Gateway)
3. #11 Christian Medina (Venice)
4. #13 Cristian Gilkes (Steinbrenner)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #14 Jaden Wilson (Strawberry Crest); #16 Lorenzo Sanchez (Wiregrass Ranch)
Opening round match to watch: Medina vs. #21 Chase Plattner (Palm Harbor University)
Kabra says: Returning state placer Thompson looks to win his first region title and is our pick here. He has wrestled an ambitious schedule but has not seen Odom or Medina this season. A big quarterfinal looms with Medina and hard-charging Wilson set to possibly lock-up. If the bracket plays out as we project, a rematch between Gilkes and Medina could take place in the blood round. Gilkes won their in-season meeting.
Kabra's Picks
1. #8 Anthony Farnot (Fort Myers Gateway)
2. #9 Owen Nappi (North Port)
3. #14 Brandon Pantaleo (Sunlake)
4. #19 Gianni Valeriani (Plant City)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #22 Dana Law (Palmetto); #24 Logan Tedeschi (Land O' Lakes)
Opening round match to watch: Tedeschi vs. Jeremiah Roper (Plant)
Kabra says: Farnot and Nappi know each other well, having faced each other four times this season and each one decided by two points or less. Farnot won the first meeting, a 3-1 decision back in Week 2. Nappi then won the next two, 2-0 in a December dual and then 1-0 in the Moskowitz final. Last week, Farnot was on the winning side with a 4-2 decision in the district final. This one should be close but they’ll need to get over a few hurdles to get there.
Kabra's Picks
1. #9 Jackson Lietz (George Jenkins)
2. #7 Sheldon Fouche (Palm Harbor University)
3. #23 Jeremiah Day (Venice)
4. Landon Warnke (North Port)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Zach Saunders (Lakewood Ranch); Wilder Wilson (Steinbrenner)
Opening round match to watch: Gabriel Sniadecki (Haines City) vs. Elijah Greene (Sumner)
Kabra says: Fouche and Lietz enter the weekend as the favorites to meet in the final. Lietz owns the head-to-head battle (but is lower in rankings due to other results in a crazy weight class) this season, winning 8-3 in a dual back in January. Over the summer, Fouche won a meeting between the two by fall. No matter how this meeting could play out, we think it will be a good one.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Raymond Shaw (George Jenkins)
2. #2 Luke Palukaitis (Steinbrenner)
3. #16 Tristan Murray (Land O' Lakes)
4. #19 Jackson Pearce (East Lake)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #23 Titus Rasmussen (Alonso); Ty Thompson (Lennard)
Opening round match to watch: Brandon Kitzke (Newsome) vs. Pearce
Kabra says: Shaw enters as a favorite here - and next weekend - to repeat as a champion. Not to take anything away from the amazing season for Palukaitis, but the George Jenkins senior has been on another level this season and owns a pinfall win between the two. We like the depth of district 3A-6 here with 3A-7 champion Thompson trying to break up the party.
Kabra's Picks
1. #10 Devon Young (North Port)
2. #15 Toby Horner (Palm Harbor University)
3. #25 AJ Forcucci (Plant City)
4. Rowland Rodriguez (Fort Myers Gateway)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Zion Felder (Sumner); Gabe Abde (East Lake)
Opening round match to watch: Rodriguez vs. Anthony Hidalgo (Bloomingdale)
Kabra says: One of the tougher brackets to pick. Young owns a 7-1 win over Horner that gives him the edge in our pick. Young is the long returning state qualifier in the bracket. The rest of the podium is up for grabs.
Kabra's Picks
1. #4 Trenton Lindsey (Sunlake)
2. #5 Demo Vogiatzis (East Lake)
3. #14 Ryan Reid (Palmetto)
4. #15 Lauden Simon (Sarasota)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #17 Tyese Atkins (Plant City); #20 Christopher Marqueen (Palm Harbor University)
Opening round match to watch: Levi Peeples (Bartow) vs. Marqueen
Kabra says: Lindsey and Vogiatzis met last week in the district final and the Sunlake senior earned a 1-0 victory. If they meet again, expect another razor thin match. We also project a district final rematch in the third place match with Reid holding a 2-0 season lead between the two. Watch for district champions Atkins and #21 Zion Dennie (Wharton) to have a say in how this plays out.