Somerset’s Blasucci, Douglas’ Gendason are Broward Wrestling Coaches of Year

Joe Blasucci’s boys’ wrestling team at Somerset Academy made a late push to win a state title.

Kenneth Gendason, meanwhile, saw his girls team at Stoneman Douglas win the inaugural county team title and watched one of his star pupils win her second consecutive state title.

As such, Blasucci and Gendason are the Miami Herald’s Broward Wrestling Coaches of the Year.

For Blasucci and Somerset, this marks the school’s second state title and the fourth time in the past five years they finished in the top-two as a team in Class 1A.

Three Somerset wrestlers won individual state titles in Jake Austin (113 pounds), Jovani Solis (132 pounds) and Kendrick Hodge (165 pounds). Three others had top four finishes in Matteo Gonzalez (120 pounds, third place), Luis Bellon (150 pounds, fourth place) and Noah Perez (175 pounds, third place).

Meanwhile, Gendason’s girls team at Stoneman Douglas established itself as the top team in Broward County.

In addition to having the only girls wrestler from the county to win a state title in two-time champion Gabriela Caro, the Eagles won the inaugural BCAA team championship. Five Douglas wrestlers won in their respective weight class (Haasini Vattikuti, 110; Grace Mackenzie, 115; Mickayla Sugrano, 120; Addison Mcmahaon, 125; Caro, 130).

Stoneman Douglas also finished runner-up in District 14 and was 10th at the Region 4 meet, which was the top finish at the meet among Broward Schools (South Broward was second in 15th place).