South Dade continues wrestling dynasty with sixth consecutive state title
Just how long will this dynasty last? Who knows.
For the sixth consecutive year, the South Dade wrestling program sits on top of the mountain looking down at everyone else the state of Florida has thrown its way.
South Dade, expected to have its five-peat threatened by Orange Park Fleming Island this year, was never seriously challenged and cruised to another Class 3A state championship on Saturday night at Silver Spurs Arena.
The Bucs finished more than 100 points ahead of second place Fleming Island with 197.5 points while Southwest and Columbus turned in solid showings with third- and fourth-place finishes, respectively.
In what has started to almost become routine, there they were, Bucs wrestlers and coaches up on the podium, posing with an assortment of medals and trophies including the big one for the team state title.
Not only is it now six in a row and counting for the Bucs, but also marked the program’s 14th championship — or 16th, if you include the two duel meet titles which the state began officially sanctioning a year ago.
In terms of consecutive and overall titles, the Bucs are by themselves in second place all-time but still well behind long-time state powerhouse Brandon, which has 28 total and an eye-popping 17 in a row from 2001-2017.
“Another great job by the kids and it’s really something how we keep this thing going,” head coach Vic Balmeceda said. “You have to love what you do and I really love doing what I do. Behind every good coach is an even better assistant coach and Humberto Reyna has been just as big a part of this as me. He works so hard with those kids at a young age, it just works.”
The Bucs, as they have done the previous five years, pretty much had things wrapped up before the Saturday night finals even began. Four of their five competing in finals won state titles. Joshua Swan had to settle for second when he fell to undefeated and two-time defending state champion Malyka Hines of Kissimmee Osceola 1-0 in the 138 finals.
While Balmeceda. a former high school and college wrestler who has been part of the South Dade coaching staff since 1994 and now been part of 14 state title teams, two as an assistant and 12 as a head coach has enjoyed many big moments, his biggest may have come midway through the evening.
That’s when he watched his son Brevin wrap up one of the most decorated individual careers in Miami-Dade County history.
Brevin Balmeceda, who began wrestling varsity in seventh grade and is one of two wrestlers in Miami-Dade County history to win a state title as an eighth grader (while at Keys Gate Charter), closed things on Saturday night shutting out TyLynn Lukens of Bradenton Manatee 7-0 to win the 160 lbs. weight class.
It marked his fourth state title in five years, completed a 61-1 record this season, a 343-18 career record and five national individual national titles, including the only South Florida wrestler to win the Super 32 National Challenge.
Father and son shared an emotional moment, embracing on the mat just after the final whistle sounded.
“So many emotions going through me right now I don’t even know how to describe it,” said Brevin Balmeceda, who will complete collegiately for national powerhouse Oklahoma State. “ All this hard work I’ve put into the sport over the last six years has made me not only a better athlete but a better person. What a great experience.”
“To be honest, it was almost more of a relief than anything,” said Vic Balmeceda over his son’s high school career coming to a close. “ I was probably more sentimental when he won his first one in eighth grade because it’s really gotten tough down the stretch. The more he kept winning the monkey on his back almost became like a gorilla and he started feeling that pressure.
“As much as you want to be one of the top wrestlers in the nation, there’s an expectation level that comes with that that can be tough to handle but Brevin has done that. I’m not only proud of him as a wrestler but as a son for how he has conducted himself both on and off the mat.”
But this was a lot more than just the Balmecedas on Saturday night. Two other South Dade wrestlers repeated as state champions. Bretli Reyna defeated Joseph Gonzalez of Oviedo Hagerty 3-2 in overtime to win the 132 lbs weight class for his second straight title while Todd Perry easily handled Jake Finken of Lithia Newsome 13-8 in the 170s final.
Tyler Orta was the other South Dade champion, edging Steve Chopek of Clearwater Countryside 3-2 to win the 126 title.
Southwest wins two titles
Elsewhere in Dade, after having to settle for runnerup medals a year ago, it was redemption night for a pair of Southwest wrestlers, Julian Hernandez and Adrian Vidaud.
With his father Gus, a 1989 state champion at Southwest, proudly looking on, Hernandez defeated Joshua Contreras of Winter Springs 5-1 to win the 145s. An hour later, Vidaud won a 3-2 overtime thriller over Marco Bragado of Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast.
“I was devastated when I lost last year but it was a matter of sticking with it and staying the course,” said Hernandez. “It’s really hard to make it all the way back to this point. What an awesome moment and for my dad to be hear and share it with me is so cool.”
Southridge’s Johnny Lovett also closed out an outstanding career when he not only successfully defended his state championship in the 152 lbs. weight class but also completed a perfect season, going 58-0. In the only all-Dade finals matchup of the night, Lovett easily defeated Coral Park’s Steven Villalobos 16-7.
“Just amazing,” said Lovett, who is off to Central Michigan. “I’ve worked so hard since my ninth grade year to do what I’ve done and I’m just so thankful to my coaches and my family for all of their support. I had set a goal at the beginning of the season to not only go undefeated and not get taken down and let anybody score on me with a takedown.”
Lovett’s teammate Christophe Busitil also made the finals (113 lbs) but dropped an 8-1 decision to defending state champion Noah Wadle of Bradenton Manatee.
Carmine Dascoli was the lone Columbus wrestler to make the finals but he had an even bigger task, taking on two-time defending state champ Anthony Burburija of Clearwater Countryside in the 195 finals. Dascoli lasted only 32 seconds before he was pinned.
Mater Lakes makes history
In Class 1A, it was a historic night for Mater Lakes Academy.
Before Saturday, no wrestler had ever even made it to the finals in the history of the program and two, Nicholas Luna (120 lbs.) and Omar Armengol (132) both made it to center stage.
And it was Luna who really put himself into the history books when he became the first Mater Lakes wrestler to ever win a state title when he defeated Vincenzo Napolitana of Delray American Heritage 9-4 to win the 120 lbs. weight class.
Armengol didn’t have quite as happy an ending, falling 6-4 to St Pete Admiral Farragut’s Caleb Lemmons in the 132s, but the combined performance of the two was good enough to give head coach Brandon Neifeld and the Bears a best-ever fourth place finish with 95 points.
“This is just so amazing right now, I can’t believe this has happened,” said Luna, so out of breath from the excitement he could barely talk. “All these years of hard work and to be the first in school history to do it, it just means the world to me. I’m privileged and honored.”
Broward county gets one title
Somerset Academy sophomore Skyler Caban was the lone Broward County survivor, winning the Class 1A, 113-pound title over Kyle Hopkins by injury default. It was his first state title.
Caban (60-5) led the match 6-3 midway through the third period when his opponent was injured and was taken off the mat on a stretcher.
“It was unfortunate, but at the end of the day the final score was 6-3,” Caban said. “I believe, had the match been completed, I still would have won.”
John Pope of St. Thomas Aquinas was prepared to become the only wrestler from Broward to bring home the title as undefeated state champ.
Unfortunately, the senior who is headed the University of Kentucky to play football was derailed in his semifinal heavyweight match against Curtis Ruff of Sanford Seminole 9-2 in double overtime.
Pope tied the score at 2-2 late in the third period sending the match in extra time. Mistakes proved costly for Pope going forward.
“I didn’t stand up and that was my problem,” said Pope. “I was able to tie it up with a minute left in the third and couldn’t take advantage after that. In double overtime I messed up, getting too high on him and that’s what ruined the match for me.”
He also lost on his consolation match 3-2 and would finish the tournament in fifth placed.
Cardinal Gibbons freshman Jonathan Ley (44-3) was an expected winner at 145-pounds in Class 1A, but instead lost to Chris Rivera of Lake Highland Prep 3-1.
“I had been training every day to prepare this moment,” said Ley. “I didn’t believe at first this would be where I’m at. My coach motivated me to believe in myself.”
Ley, who was a district, regional and BCAA County champ struggled through the match to gain advantage
Justin Maynard was attempting to become the first wrestler from South Broward to win a state title at 152 pounds since Ivan Lopunchansky did so in 2008. He fell in the championship match 15-0.
Nicholas Benton of Somerset had hoped to join Raekwon Reggler (2014-15) of Somerset to win a championship at 182-pounds, but he lost 10-4 in the championship match to Lake Highland Prep’s Kai Bele.
Championship Results (Dade and Broward only)
3A
113: Noah Wadle (Bradenton Manatee) d. Christopher Busitil (Southridge) 8-1; 126: Tyler Orta (South Dade) d. Steve Chopek (Clearwater Countryside) 3-2; 132: Bretli Reyna (South Dade) d. Joseph Gonzalez (Oviedo Hagerty) 3-2 (OT); 138: Malyka Hines (Kissimmee Osceola) d. Joshua Swan (South Dade) 1-0; 145: Julian Hernandez (Southwest) d. Joshua Contreras (Winter Springs) 5-1; 152: Johnny Lovett (Southridge) d. Steven Villalobos (Coral Park) 16-7; 160: Brevin Balmeceda (South Dade) d. TyLynn Lukens (Bradenton Manatee) 7-0; 170: Todd Perry (South Dade) d. Jake Finken (Lithia Newsome) 13-8; 182: Adrian Vidaud (Southwest) d. Marco Bragado (Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast) 3-2 (OT); 195: Anthony Burburija (Clearwater Countryside) d. Carmine Dascoli (Columbus) fall, 0:32.
2A
152: Lucas Willis (Charlotte) d. Justin Maynard (South Broward 15-0.
1A
113:Skyler Caban (Somerset) d. Kyler Hopkins (Episcopal), inj; 120: Nicholas Luna (Mater Lakes) d. Vincenzo Napolitana (Delray American Heritage) 9-4; 132: Caleb Lemmons (St. Pete Admiral Farragut) d. Omar Armengol (Mater Lakes) 6-4; 145: Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep) d. Jonathan Ley (Gibbons) 3-1; 182: Kai Bele (Lake Highland Prep) d. Nicholas Benton (Somerset) 10-4
Third-place consolation results (Dade and Broward only)
3A
106 – Alex Couto (Coral Park) d. Adrian Morales (South Dade) 3-1; 113: Jacob Delgado (South Dade) d. Robert Dusendang (Columbus) 3-2; 120: Charles Huffman (Columbus) d. Adrian Neco (South Dade) maj. dec. 10-0; 126: Dylan Burton (Aquinas) d. Justin Valdes (Columbus) 8-7; 138: Matthew Phillips (Winter Springs) d. Angel Sanchez (North Miami) 13-5; 145: Ethan Woods (Oviedo Hagerty) d. Eric Temes (South Dade) 1-0; 160: Rowdy Forsberg (Winter Springs) d. Leorge Llanes (Coral Park) 8-1; 170: Logan Perkins (Oviedo Hagerty) d. Dreyson Rolle (Ferguson) Inj. Default.
1A
160 – Ryan Cody (Oviedo Masters Academy) d. Nestor Nunez (Mater Lakes) 3-1; 170: Shane Cannon (Cardinal Gibbons) d. Alex Cruz (Delray American Heritage) 13-4; 182: Devicq Thompson-Alexander (Rockledge) d. Damiami Castro (Cardinal Gibbons), fall, 0:53; 220: Ray Lugo (Monsignor Pace) d. Chase Thompson (Delray American Heritage) 5-3; 285: Jamon Goodwin (Jacksonville Raines) d. Dixon Gordon (Edison) 3-1.
Team standings (top 10)
3A
1. South Dade 197.
2. Orange Park Fleming Island 96.0
3. Southwest 89.0
4. Columbus 86.0
5. Winter Springs 84.0
6. Oviedo Hagerty 83.0
7. Kissimmee Osceola 83.0
8. Bradenton Manatee 79.0
9. Clearwater Countryside 74.0
10. Coral Park 71.0
1A
1. Lake Highland Prep 269.0
2. Delray American Heritage 116.5
3. Cardinal Gibbons 96.0
4. Mater Lakes 95.0
5. Somerset Academy 93.5
6. Wakulla 85.5
7. Tampa Prep 62.5
8. Florida High 62.0
9. Rockledge 61.5
10. Hernando 54.0
This story was originally published March 9, 2019 at 11:58 PM.