Region 3A-4: Preview and Predictions
FRIDAY-SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27-28, 2026 - at South Dade 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 3A-4 will play out.
You can print the 3A-4 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. #5 Alejandro Ravelo (SW Miami)
2. #7 Misael Guerrero (Homestead)
3. #8 Edier Estrada (Miami Southridge)
4. #9 Michiah Gillins (South Plantation)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #13 Jai Diaz (Doral Academy); #18 Ray Healy (South Dade)
Opening round match to watch: Diaz vs. Healy
Kabra says: Ravelo earned the spot for Southwest Miami and then won a challenging district title. All of those foes are back again this weekend with Gillins tossed into the mix to try and knock the senior off.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Bryan Morales (South Dade)
2. #3 Donovan Jenkins (South Plantation)
3. #4 Tyler Metellus (Monarch)
4. #13 Abigail Gonzalez (Miami Southridge)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #6 Brandon Canaval (SW Miami); #21 Hunter Torres (Columbus)
Opening round match to watch: Rashad Lansey (South Broward) vs. Leonardo Rodriguez (Miami Beach)
Kabra says: Morales enters as the 3-seed, but our pick. The 2024 state champion hasn’t faced his top two competitors here, so it does lead to a near toss-up at the top. One of the hardest things to do this week was to find a suitable place for Gonzalez in the ranking. How do you judge one of the best lightweight girls wrestlers in the country against the Region of Doom? We aren’t sure, but based on how tough this bracket is, we see a potential #4 vs. #6 blood round bout which could open up another spot on the podium for…
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Lazaro Soto (SW Miami)
2. #7 Enzo Carrazana (Doral Academy)
3. #8 Janmichael Broche (Braddock)
4. #11 Lincoln Derby (South Plantation)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #13 Nicolas Nieminen (Western); #18 Maxwell Golden (Monarch)
Opening round match to watch: Nieminen vs. Jonathan Ceballos (Goleman)
Kabra says: Soto has been everything and more this season and the wrestler sports a 52-0 record heading into the weekend. He’s the favorite, but the match to watch may come on Friday evening when Carrazana and Broche could meet in the quarterfinals.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Jovanni Tovar (Miami Southridge)
2. #2 Dominic Rodriguez (Columbus)
3. #4 Gary Jackson (Miami Palmetto)
4. #5 Jose Callava (South Dade)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #7 Antonio Morales (SW Miami); #11 Naidrick Saint-Fleur (South Plantation)
Opening round match to watch: #12 Leonardo Mendoza (Miami High) vs. Jonathan Carrero (Cypress Bay)
Kabra says: As Dan Ward says, “death, taxes, and Tovar.” The Miami Southridge sophomore is one of the biggest favorites in the state next weekend and he’s our expected champion here. This weight class isn’t worth overlooking though, with five in the top seven and seven in the top 12, a lot of state-quality wrestlers will be going home. This bracket picks up its intensity in quarterfinals when you could see a #2 vs. #5 match in the bottom of the bracket. Rodriguez owns a 2-0 season series lead.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Guillermo Jaramillo (South Dade)
2. #2 Alfredo Cheang (Miami Southridge)
3. #6 Sebastian Gonzalez (SW Miami)
4. #11 Lajuan Ingraham (Miami Beach)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #15 Daniel Siles (Doral Academy); #25 Ronnie Tannariello (Monarch)
Opening round match to watch: Adam Shuker (Coral Springs) vs. Davian Lopez (Hialeah Gardens)
Kabra says: Cheang won his first meeting with Jaramillo, a 12-10 win at the Braves Invitational. Since then, South Dade’s returning state champion won by a major decision at the GMAC and pinned the Southridge grappler in the district final.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Illia Kyryianenko (South Broward)
2. #5 Gregory Jackson (Miami Palmetto)
3. #2 Stefano Garcia (Miami Southridge)
4. #6 Bryan Garcia (SW Miami)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #8 Kaleb Williams (South Dade); #15 Santiago Caro (Douglas)
Opening round match to watch: Alan Bradley (Cooper City) vs. Michael Capote (Hialeah Gardens)
Kabra says: Kyryianenko is undefeated during his two years of high school competition and the defending state champion looks set to win a second region title. On the backend here, we could see a #6 vs. #8 match in the blood round.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Jovani Solis (South Dade)
2. #2 Rocco Ruiz (Columbus)
3. #4 Ivan Kyryianenko (South Broward)
4. #5 Mateus Sgai (Doral Academy)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #7 Ericson Coney (Miami Southridge); #10 Aston Claxon (Flanagan)
Opening round match to watch: #14 Jonathan Diaz (SW Miami) vs. #23 Caden Ankele (Taravella)
Kabra says: This may be one of the hardest weight classes this weekend in the state - and yet the favorite is also one of the biggest in the state. We like Solis to continue his dominance in Class 3A here but the rest of his bracket is a toss-up with 11 ranked wrestlers going at it, including six in the top 10 and nine in the top 15. Kyryianenko’s perfect season last year ended in the blood round here, he’ll be working to remedy that this weekend.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Armand Williams (South Dade)
2. #6 Matthew Padgett (Miami Palmetto)
3. #7 Nelson Hued (SW Miami)
4. #8 Ricky Montalvan (Doral Academy)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #9 Adlan Dzhabrailov (Miami Beach); #13 Alcides Martinez (Columbus)
Opening round match to watch: Dzhabrailov vs. Hued
Kabra says: Defending state champion Williams is the favorite going into the weekend, but how the rest of this bracket plays out will start to be determined right at the start. An opening round Top 10 match-up between Hued and Dzhabrailov could start shaping how this bracket shakes out. Hued won the meeting between the two by major decision.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Didier Novoa (SW Miami)
2. #3 Tomas Campian (Columbus)
3. #5 Imran Dzhabrailov (Miami Beach)
4. #19 Corey Lester (Homestead)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #20 Cameron Haines (South Dade); #25 Mason Gonzalez (Cypress Bay)
Opening round match to watch: Alex Johnson (Fort Lauderdale) vs. Haines
Kabra says: When Novoa and Campian met in the GMAC finals, the Southwest senior cruised to a 10-0 major decision. They may renew pleasantries in the final here. Watch for that coveted fourth spot on the podium, this bracket is littered with capable wrestlers to make it there.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Tyree Graham (South Dade)
2. #2 Andres Rojas (Miami Southridge)
3. #3 Drake Bonney (Miami Palmetto)
4. #11 Julian Sierra (Columbus)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #15 Jayden Cunningham (South Broward); #20 Bryan Gudino (Goleman)
Opening round match to watch: Gudino vs. Chrishon Donaldson (Nova)
Kabra says: Returning state champion Graham has been one of the steadiest big time wrestlers in the state this year and it shouldn’t change here. 3A-15 district champion Sierra earned a potential quarterfinal match with #2 Rojas that could have some bracket changing potential.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 Connor Bonney (Miami Palmetto)
2. #4 Jonathan Moreno (South Dade)
3. #8 Danny Merida (Miami Southridge)
4. #10 Chase Boyd (South Plantation)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #11 Xander Ortiz (Nova); #13 Nicholas Velazco (Columbus)
Opening round match to watch: Daniel Jaramillo (Hialeah Gardens) vs. Jaheim Dawkins (Monarch)
Kabra says: Returning state champion Bonney edged Moreno in the 3A-16 district final 5-3. Both wrestlers are two-time state placers and while they’ll likely face each other again here, their quest ends on a bigger podium. With nine ranked wrestlers and 6 of them in the top 13, some really good wrestlers will be staying home in this weight class.
Kabra's Picks
1. #6 Daniel Sanchez (Miami Southridge)
2. #9 Maverick Lorminey (South Plantation)
3. #13 Immanuel Reid (Piper)
4. #17 Damian Nunez (Hialeah Gardens)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #18 Tedrick Lee (Columbus); #21 Nathaniel Hunninghan (Nova)
Opening round match to watch: #22 Pablo Sifuentes (South Dade) vs. Matthew Tangarife (Monarch)
Kabra says: We have the district champs all going through to the state tournament - we just have them in a different order than the seeding does. One to watch in this bracket is returning state placer Lee, who lost to Nunez in the district final.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 Christian Soto (Miami Southridge)
2. #8 Sebastian Morera (South Dade)
3. #9 Anthony Romero (SW Miami)
4. #12 Adam Cantu (Hialeah Gardens)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #16 Tod Mancini (South Plantation); #19 Nicholas Raney (Homestead)
Opening round match to watch: Raney vs. Aiden Loriston (Monarch)
Kabra says: Last year’s state finalist Soto is the favorite here to win his first region title. Morera is now 3-0 against Romero on the season.
Kabra's Picks
1. #18 Gabriel Ortiz (SW Miami)
2. #19 Chase Brightup (Cooper City)
3. #22 Diddier Castillo Carril (Monarch)
4. #24 Jonathan Rogers (South Plantation)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Angel Raymond (South Broward) vs. Gabriel Pena (Hialeah Gardens)
Opening round match to watch: Daniel Hora (Doral Academy) vs. Raymond
Kabra says: The most wide open bracket in the region and the one with the least amount of region experience with just four wrestlers who were here last year. We’re going with Ortiz, but any of the three district champions could prevail here.