Wrestling runs in the family for state contender Michael Mocco. Plus lacrosse, tennis & more
District tournament wrestling begins, and Broward and Miami Dade counties once again have some good wrestling talent.
Heading to the north end of Broward County, very interested to learn about 8th grader Michael Mocco.
This 14-year-old for Coral Springs Charter School is 37-1 this season at the high school varsity level. He won the BCAA Tournament at 182-pounds and was named one of three Most Outstanding Wrestlers of that Broward county event.
Mocco is a very familiar name to amateur wrestling. His father, Steve, a former U.S. Olympian, is the wrestling coach at the prestigious American Top Team in nearby Coconut Creek.
Dad leads Mocco Wrestling at ATT, which is open to adults and youth at all levels. Michael is one of the club’s prized students. Younger brother, Peter, too. Peter is a 6th grader at Coral Springs Charter and placed third at the recent Broward JV Tournament.
Last season Michael wrestled varsity for CSC at 152 pounds as a 7th grader. A district runner-up, he went 18-11 and was one win away from qualifying for state.
He elevated his game this season.
CSC Coach Eric Perez said: “I am constantly impressed by how such a young man could have such a firm grasp on wrestling knowledge, match strategy and mat awareness. If he continues to work hard, the sky is the limit on what he will be able to accomplish.”
The fruit does not fall far from the tree.
Steve Mocco trains all the top pro and amateur MMA fighters in wrestling at American Top Team, too. He is considered one of the top wrestling coaches.
Dad’s background: Steve Mocco -- a two-time NCAA national champion, four-time finalist and Dan Hodge Trophy winner -- competed for college wrestling powers Iowa and Oklahoma State. He finished fifth at the 2008 Summer Olympics in freestyle wrestling and won the Pan American title three times. He coached at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
College prospects already, Michael was born in Oklahoma and wants to wrestle at Oklahoma State, and Peter, birthed in Iowa, would like to wrestle for Iowa, keeping it all in the family.
Speaking of that family, mom, Katie, was a track standout, who runs the family and the business. Steve and Katie also have three daughters, Mary, 10, Anna, 7, and Julia 2. Mary and Anna train in wrestling there, too. Julia is their biggest fan.
Fun Fact: Josh Silveiro won a state championship in wrestling at 189 pounds in 2011 for Cardinal Gibbons High School. His younger brother, Jeiko, was a state qualifier. Josh makes his pro MMA debut on Friday in the PFL MMA Challenger Series on fubo TV from Universal Studios Orlando. Josh trains at American Top Team where his dad, Conan, is the co-founder, working with Mocco and the Mocco boys.
More wrestling
McArthur High School won the Burns-Harris Select Duals Wrestling Tournament at Deerfield Beach High School
Results: McArthur 36, Royal Palm Beach 15; McArthur 42, Dillard 21; McArthur 54, Deerfield Beach 12; Dillard 30, Deerfield Beach 12; Dillard 27, Royal Palm Beach 18; Royal Palm Beach 24, Deerfield Beach 18.
Flanagan and Stranahan withdrew from the event because of illness and injuries.
Lacrosse
GIRLS: Cardinal Gibbons 15, Miami Country Day 10: Makenna Conley 6 goals; Emma Neclerio 12 saves; Game Ball recipient Jenna Haupert 10 draw controls.
GIRLS: Copper City 7, South Plantation 6: Ella Ferre Roberts 13 saves; Grace O’Malley 3 goals, 1 assist; Marina Royal 1 goal, 1 assist; Cameron Sen 1 goal, 3 draw controls; Alsu Raymanova 5 draw controls; Mackenzie Sauer 1 goal.
BOYS: Ransom Everglades 11, North Broward Prep 8: RE: Jack Rivas Vazquez 6 goals, 2 assists; Brendan Dyke 2 goals; Ryan Beinstock 2 goals; Robbie Barnett 1 goal. NBP: Evan Finkle 3 goals; Austin Smith 2 goals.
Tennis
GIRLS: Doral Academy 5, American Heritage 2: No.1 Natalie Block (AH) d. Estefania Gonzolez 8-6; No.2 Vasilina Andronov (AH) d. Brenda Yoris 8-3; No.3 Valeria Centeno (DOR) d. Grace Odom-Montbrun 8-1; No.4 Alba Martinez (DOR) d. Angela Duan 8-2; No.5 Patricia Palencia (DOR) d. Livia Kaufman 8-0. Doubles: No.1 Estefania G./Patricia P. (DOR) d. Natalie B./Vasilina A. 8-6; No.2 Valeria C./Alba M. (DOR) d. Grace O./Angela D. 8-0.
GIRLS: Palmetto 7, Coral Gables 0: No.1 Jett Coetzee d. Avery Felix 4-1, 4-0; No.2 Ameia Sorey d. Andreina Gonzalez 5-3, 4-0; No.3 Alexa Schull d. Samantha Cawley 4-1, 4-0; No.4 Brooke Revuelta d. Isa Barros 4-0, 4-0; No.5 Mia Sorrentino d. Georgia Rail 4-0, 4-0. Doubles: No.1 Jett Coetze/Alexa Schull d. Felix/Gonzalez 4-0, 4-0; No.2 Brooke Revuelta/Ameia Sorey d. Cawley/Barrios 4-0, 4-0. PLM (2-0).
GIRLS: Riviera Prep 7, LaSalle 0: No.1 Sasha Kilgour d. Isabella Rojas 8-0; No.2 Milagros Lardiez d. Mariana Naranjo 8-0; No.3 Leyla Kilgour d. Isabella Puglisi 8-1; No.4 Maria De La O d. Ramina Gutierrez 8-0; No.5 Isabella Paradisi d. Krystal Rodriguez 8-0. Doubles: No.1 Lardiez/De La O d. Naranjo/Puglisi 8-0; No.2 Annabella Fernandez/L.Kilgour d. Gutierrez/Rodriguez 8-1. RP (2-0).
GIRLS: True North 7, Carrollton 0: Daniela Chica 8-0; Stephanie Hylton 8-0; Catalina Chow 8-0.
BOYS: Doral Academy 7, American Heritage 0: No.1 Facundo Olmedo d. Daniel Naylor 8-6; No.2 Greyson Williams d. Charles Goldwyn 8-3; No.3 Peyton Williams d. Danila Dembouski 8-1; No.4 Ezequiel Bela Plaza d. Harshith Kakumani 8-1; No.5 Andres Rodriguez d. Gregory Chapman 8-0. Doubles: No.1 Facundo O./Issac G. d. Daniel N./Danila D. 8-2; No.2 Greyson W./Peyton W. d. Charles G./Harshith K. 8-1.
BOYS: Gulliver Prep 5, Palmer Trinity 0: No.1 Pierce Garbett d. Alejandro Enewan 8-2; No.2 Sasha Colleu d. Jose Correa 8-0; No.3 Timeo Milon d. Nicolás Rodríguez 8-0; No.4 Oliver Lee d. Sebastian Guaqueta 8-1; No.5 Nico Verdu d. Alex Fabel 8-0.
BOYS: Palmetto 6, Coral Gables 1: No.1 Sebastian Munoz (PLM) d. Michael Evelyn 4-2, 4-0; No.2 Felipe Ramos (CG) d. Alessandro Munoz 3-5, 5-3 (10-4); No.3 Henry Stoller (PLM) d. Adriano Guarino 5-3, 4-2; No.4 Alessio Guarino (PLM) d. Maxine Kaufmann 4-2, 4-1; No.5 Kenny Delsi (PLM) d. Maxim Carra 4-1, 4-1. Doubles: No.1 Munoz/Munoz (PLM) d. Evelyn/Stoller 4-2, 4-2; No.2. Adriano Guarino/Alessio Guarino (PLM) d. Ramos/Peter d Allen Court 4-2, 4-2. PLM (2-0).
BOYS: True North 6, Belen 0: Brennon Chow 8-0; Caleb Chow 8-0; Zander Guevara 8-1.
Winter All County Ballots
Miami Herald All County ballots for Broward and Miami Dade winter high school varsity sports were emailed to athletic directors.
No ballots for competitive cheerleading and wrestling. Those will be determined by state results.
If you are a Broward and Miami Dade varsity basketball or soccer coach and did not get a ballot, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
Submit sports results
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have varsity results, top performers and stats for this column, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 11:02 PM.
