On the Mat: Kiwanis Invitational recap

Springstead's Thomas Ellerbee was one of nine Eagle champs at Kiwanis. (Courtesy of the St. Petersburg Times) 

This past weekend’s 28th annual Kiwanis Invitational at Hernando gave us one of our first chances to see some of the area’s top grapplers before midseason. Springstead (317.5 points) won its fourth consecutive team title at the event, but we’re using the results as a barometer for where some of the contenders stand at this point in the season.

Weight class by weight class, let’s take a look at what we saw from some of the standouts. All of our rankings come from the Scout.com Florida Wrestling Polls.

103 pounds
Richie Bliss (Springstead), No. 2 in Class 2A: After winning the Class 2A state title as a sophomore, Bliss seems well on his way towards repeating this time around. He easily defeated Crystal River’s David Vreeland (No. 6 in Class 1A) by technical fall in the championship final, the only time he didn’t pin an opponent during the entire tournament.

Nathan Vandam (Zephyrhills), Honorable Mention in Class 2A: Vandam finished third at Kiwanis after being pinned in only 3:26 by Vreeland in the first round. He rebounded to win the rest of his matches. He was challenged only once after that opening loss, by Sunlake’s John Ortiz in the consolation semifinals.

Tyler Forand (Nature Coast), No. 3 in Class 1A: Forand still hasn’t made weight yet for 103, but when he does, he should be a real force. At 112, he placed fourth in a good field. The Nature Coast junior fell by major decision 12-0 in the consolation finals to Pasco’s J.P. Gamez.

Sammy Connor (Bloomingdale), Honorable Mention in Class 3A: Connor missed another tournament due to injury, and according to reports, is expected to be back in early January. Because of his time off, he has slipped from No. 5 to out of the top ten in the latest Scout.com rankings.

112 pounds
Jarod Carpenter (Gulf), No. 9 in Class 1A: Carpenter was inconsistent last season as he battled injury and expectations, but the Buccaneer senior showed his meddle by pinning Gamez in 5:34 in the Kiwanis semifinals and then battling Belleview’s Gabe Portillo (No. 9 in Class 2A), a state contender, to a 10-5 loss in the final.

J.P. Gamez (Pasco), No. 5 in Class 1A: Gamez was well on his way to dominating the field before he ran into Carpenter. That pin loss didn’t slow Gamez for long though. He bounced back to outpoint his next two opponents by a combined 29-2 and finish in third place.

119 pounds
Anthony Ayers (Gulf), No. 1 in Class 1A: Breezing through a decent field, Ayers proved that he is ready for the challenge of being a state favorite going into this season. He had no issues with either Springstead’s Sean Redman (1:07 pin) in the semifinals or Zephyrhills’ Nick Hynes in the finals (8-1 decision).

Nick Hynes (Zephyrhills), No. 3 in Class 2A: Hynes finished second, where he was projected to finish in the tournament before it began, but he can’t be entirely happy with how things went. In the semifinals, Land O’Lakes Justin McKay nearly defeated Hynes, taking the 2008 state placer to overtime before falling 7-5.

Sean Redman (Springstead), Honorable Mention in Class 2A: In a lineup where he isn’t faced with a lot of pressure, Redman will have an opportunity to go far if he continues this kind of focus. The Eagle sophomore finished third at Kiwanis, but his bronze medal came at the expense of a forfeit in the consolation finals because on injury to McKay.

Justin McKay (Land O’Lakes), No. 8 in Class 2A: McKay might have shown the most out of anyone in this weight class. He challenged Hynes to the bitter end before falling, and after pulling a muscle in his back in that match, pinned Dunnellon’s Doug Patterson to make it to the consolation final. Land O’Lakes coach Jason Carpenter decided to pull his wrestler, but McKay made a statement about his toughness.

125 pounds
Virgil Toms (Springstead), No. 6 in Class 2A: After transferring from Ocala-Forest to Springstead, many assumed Toms, who placed at state last season, would be nearly unbeatable. At Kiwanis, we saw how untrue that was. While he did win the title with a pin of Nature Coast’s Scott Cronin in 4:50, he couldn’t have been happy with his performance early.

Scott Cronin (Nature Coast), No. 9 in Class 1A: Cronin was a millimeter from one of the biggest upsets of the young season when he nearly pinned Toms in the first period of their championship match. The Shark senior was eventually bested in the final period, but the bout should have given him the confidence he needs going forward to hang with anyone.

R.J. O’Connor (Gulf), No. 2 in Class 1A: O’Connor still has yet to wrestle this season and wasn’t at Kiwanis. Gulf coach Travis DeWalt said his hiatus was for disciplinary reasons. When asked if he was practicing and if it would affect him later on in the season, DeWalt said no. O’Connor is eligible to return to full team activities on Jan. 2.

Kevin Engle (Land O’Lakes), Honorable Mention in Class 2A: Engle wasn’t at Kiwanis. Land O’Lakes coach Jason Carpenter has spoken to Engle, a senior with eyes on the Ivy League, and he may not even compete this season. While Carpenter expected him to emerge as a program leader this season, “Kevin’s life isn’t defined by wrestling like a lot of kids.”

130 pounds
Nick Soto (Springstead), No. 1 in Class 2A:  Soto was the most dominant grappler of the entire tournament. He pinned every opponent in front of him and none of his matches saw the fourth minute. Facing Ocala-Trinity Catholic’s Quincy Hoppell (No. 4 in Class 1A at 125 pounds) in the championship final, Soto pinned the state qualifier in 1:06.

Josh Isom (Gulf), No. 3 in Class 1A: Isom’s Kiwanis weekend was very disappointing. Expected to compete for a medal, the Buccaneer senior was unable to make waves on a big stage. He was pinned by Belleview’s unranked Josh Dhanpat in the second round in only 1:49. Lecanto’s Sam Arcadipane (Honorable Mention in Class 2A at 135 pounds) crushed him in the consolation semifinals 11-0.

Robert Smith (Pasco), Honorable Mention in Class 1A: Smith was one of Soto’s victims when he was pinned by the Springstead star in the second round in 2:27. His weekend was ended when Pasco coach Mark DeAugustino pulled the plug in the consolation bracket because on an unspecified injury.

135 pounds
Cody Ross (Springstead), No. 1 in Class 2A: Until the final, Ross never experienced the second period in any of his first three matches at Kiwanis. He dominated North Marion’s Zack Hurst in the championship final (Honorable Mention in Class 2A at 130 pounds) for a 17-6 major decision. It was Ross’s second consecutive Kiwanis gold.

Brennan Stack (Land O’Lakes), Honorable Mention in Class 2A: Stack lost by a point in his first match and suffered an injury along the way, forcing him to forfeit his second match in the consolation bracket. He may take off this weekend at the Gulf Holiday Duals to get back into shape for January.

140 pounds
Daniel Pritz (Hernando), No. 1 in Class 1A: Pritz won the 145-pound title at Kiwanis, his first gold medal at his home tournament. He was quoted after the tournament saying that this title was second only to a state title in his mind. However, after a mid-match forfeit from Pasco’s Trevor Drake, he was frustrated with how his senior effort ended.

Sam Colon (Springstead), Honorable Mention in Class 2A: Colon has made some significant strides in the wrestling room under the tutelage of Springstead coaches Eric Swensen and Sal Basile, and that was never more evident than it was in the final at Kiwanis. Colon had never previously won a singles tournament before, but he showed no jitters pinning Sunlake’s Luke Peterson in the final in only 1:09.

Luke Peterson (Sunlake), Honorable Mention in Class 2A: Peterson, who is working under former River Ridge coach and first-year Sunlake coach Russ Schenk, is hoping that he will take some big steps before the postseason. The title match at Kiwanis should have been a stepping stone to that, but Colon dominated from the opening whistle.

Trevor Drake (Pasco), Honorable Mention in Class 1A: Drake flip-flopped with teammate Marcus Hicks at Kiwanis at the 140- and 145-pound weight classes. Drake made it all the way to finals at 145 pounds before injury defaulting to Hernando’s Pritz down 8-2 at the time. There were no previous signs of injury, and Pritz was not happy about the way the match ended.

145 pounds
Marcus Hicks (Pasco), Honorable Mention in Class 1A: After suffering an unspecified injury in a victory over Dunnellon’s Brandan Wilson in the second round, Hicks forfeited his next two matches, including a semifinal against eventual 140-pound champ Colon. Hicks is one of only a few senior in the Pirate lineup.

Earl Burns (River Ridge), Honorable Mention in Class 2A: Competing in the 152-pound weight class, Burns pinned his first two opponents before running into Gulf’s Ladarious Jackson in the semifinals. After another pin in the consolation semifinals, he finished fourth thanks to a 14-4 major decision loss to Hernando’s Zach Pritz.

152 pounds
Ladarious Jackson (Gulf), No. 1 in Class 1A: In the most highly anticipated championship match of Kiwanis, Jackson found himself lined up against another No. 1-ranked wrestler this early in the season. Last season, Gulf coach Travis DeWalt questioned Jackson’s focus. He turned it into a state runner-up finish. After a scare against Landgraff, Jackson won the match in the waning moments.

Shawn Landgraff (Springstead), No. 1 in Class 2A: Landgraff is a different wrestler than he’s been in years past and with a 6-4 lead in the final minute of the championship match with Jackson, he proved it. The title seemed to be his before a quick change in momentum in the final seconds. This week at the Gulf Holiday Duals, he should get his chance to even the score. Wrestling in the 160-pound weight class, Acosta ran into Springstead’s Thomas Ellerbee in the semifinals and fell 6-3. Ellerbee was the eventual champ. After some hard fought victories in the consolation bracket, he was still able come out with a bronze medal at the tournament. One of those wins was a 8-5 decision over Dunnellon’s Steven Delgado (Honorable Mention in Class 1A at 160 pounds).

Zach Pritz (Hernando), No. 6 in Class 1A: Coming off of a long season on the gridiron, Pritz is still in football shape, and that disadvantage was enough to put him behind against Landgraff in the semifinals. He was still able to relay his talent and strength into a dominant third-place finish.

160 pounds
Thomas Ellerbee (Springstead), No. 6 in Class 2A: Ellerbee reminds us of former Springstead 160-pounder Thad Klenovich. With the right amount of focus, he could find himself contending for a medal at state. He knocked off two formidable opponents in Jefferson’s Acosta (6-3 decision) and Gulf’s Mike Mesagno (3-2 decision) on his way to the title. Both matches were very close.

Mike Mesagno (Gulf), No. 5 in Class 1A: Last season, Mesagno struggled with consistency. If Kiwanis is any indication, he may be overcoming that label. The Buccaneer senior pinned all three of his opponents before losing a war with Ellerbee in the championship match.

Chris Padilla (Robinson), No. 10 in Class 1A: Padilla competed at 171 pounds and was defeated by technical fall in the semifinals by Springstead’s Casey Quinn. He eventually ended up finishing fourth after falling 3-1 to Gulf’s Jacob Ritter in the consolation final. He struggled against the elite wrestlers in the bracket, but Padilla wrestled fearlessly.

Nick Popolillo (Wesley Chapel), Honorable Mention in Class 1A: After being pinned by River Ridge’s Burns in the second round, Popolillo looked overwhelmed physically in his match with Hernando’s Zach Pritz in the 152-pound bracket. His loss to Pritz in the consolation semifinals derailed any shot at placing this past weekend.

171 pounds
Jacob Ritter (Gulf), No. 3 in Class 1A: Ritter strolled into the semifinals after two easy pins at Kiwanis. However, River Ridge’s Landon Vannata bested the Buccaneer senior 9-3 there. The two should see each other multiple times this season and Ritter will have a lot of tests during the regular to warm him up for late January and February.

Casey Quinn (Springstead), No. 6 in Class 2A: This was our first chance to see Quinn, who transferred into Springstead after qualifying for state in New Hampshire last season. The short Springstead sophomore breezed into the final, but once he got there, he had problems with Vannata. In the short span of his final match, Quinn looked a little frustrated with his opponent.

Landon Vannata (River Ridge), No. 7 in Class 2A: In his senior season, Vannata looks like he’s on a mission. While many expected Springstead’s cream of the crop to rise to the top, the Royal Knight senior had no desire to settle for second. After dispatching Gulf’s Ritter, he was as determined as ever in his first career bout with Springstead’s Quinn.

189 pounds
Andrew Herr (Springstead), No. 7 in Class 2A: While Herr doesn’t seem to have the same killer instinct that former Springstead 189-pounders like Mike Heagney and Scott Wern had, he does have the ability to succeed. This weight class was probably the softest at Kiwanis, and Herr took advantage. His wins over River Ridge’s Jake Horning (9-7 decision in overtime) and Nature Coast’s Jeff Gilbert (5-1 decision) could translate into bigger and better things down the road.

Jake Horning (River Ridge), Honorable Mention in Class 2A: As the fourth seed in the tournament, Horning got lined up on the same side of the bracket as Herr. The seeding was debatable, but the 9-7 overtime loss was Horning’s final match. He forfeited his remaining match in the consolation bracket.

215 pounds
Jeff Gilbert (Nature Coast), Honorable Mention in Class 1A: Gilbert made weight at 189 pounds and relayed that drop in weight class into a spot in the championship match against Springstead’s Herr. Gilbert was strong enough to hold his own defensively in the championship match, but his inability to come up with any of kind of offense cost him in the end.

D.J. Woods (Robinson), No. 7 in Class 1A: The depth of the 215-pound weight class at Kiwanis cost Woods a top three finish. The tall, strong Knight senior was disposed by Mitchell’s Ryan Brosnan (13-10 decision) in the semifinals and by Bloomingdale’s Zach Vath (6-5 decision) in the consolation final. Woods has all the physical tools to do more than qualify for states. He needs to focus if he’s going to contend.

Kenny Cox (Springstead), Honorable Mention in Class 2A: Coming off an injury, Cox was able to pick up his second consecutive Kiwanis title at 215 pounds. The Springstead senior only needed to win three matches to win the championship, including pinning Bloomingdale’s Vath in only 1:48 in the semifinals. His strength should only improve going forward, and his state experience makes him dangerous.

Chris Palasky (Gulf), Honorable Mention in Class 1A: Palasky either pinned his opponent or was pinned himself at Kiwanis. Every match the Buccaneer junior was involved in ended early, but his first period loss at the hands of Mitchell’s Brosnan (1:36) and second period loss to Bloomingdale’s Vath (2:36) speak volumes. He’ll need to improve defensively against tough competition going forward.

Zach Vath (Bloomingdale), Honorable Mention in Class 3A: The only wrestler to even rival Vath last weekend was Springstead’s Cox (1:48 pin). He went 4-1 for the tournament with three pins. His 6-5 victory over Robinson’s Woods in the consolation final was one of the best matches of the entire tournament.

285 pounds
John Dreggors (Springstead), No. 10 in Class 2A: Dreggors was looking forward to his match with North Marion’s Matt Pringle (No. 3 in Class 2A) in the Kiwanis final. He pinned Pringle in their district final last season, but it was Pringle who placed at state. The Eagle sophomore was looking to prove a point. With a second period pin, he did. Pringle attempted to pull Dreggors over the top of him, but the Citrus transfer reversed it for the win.

Casper Mendiola (Robinson), Honorable Mention in Class 1A: Mendiola struggled against a deep field at heavyweight last weekend. In the first round, he was pinned in under a minute by North Marion’s Pringle. After two pins himself in the consolation bracket, Mendiola was again pinned – this time by Nature Coast’s Greg Jarque.

Donovan Berardi (River Ridge), Honorable Mention in Class 2A: Berardi, who disappointed last postseason, has been one of the most dangerous Suncoast heavyweights the past couple of seasons. He had a decent run at Kiwanis, falling in the consolation semifinals to eventual third place winner Jefferson’s Lonnie Robinson.

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