Leon County Boys Wrestlers Qualify for States

On Feb. 27 and Feb. 28, two separate regional wrestling tournaments took place involving multiple Leon County schools. Florida High and Godby competed in the 1A Region 1 tournament hosted by Bay Highschool while Chiles, Lincoln, and Leon competed in the 2A Region 1 tournament hosted by Chiles.

Florida High, 1A Region 1

On Feb. 27, the Florida High wrestling team continued their historic season winning their first regional title as a team in program history.

Florida High placed six wrestlers into the state tournament after a strong showing at regionals, with each athlete securing one of the guaranteed qualifying spots. Malik Leonard (113 pounds) and Wyatt Feltgen (120 pounds) each earned runner-up finishes to punch their tickets to states, while Jasper Croom (132), Sterling Hollingsworth (144), Terrence Hinson (157), and Jordan Haigler (175) all advanced with top-two finishes in their respective weight classes. By placing in the top four of their brackets, each wrestler secured a bid to compete at the state championships.

Four of those qualifiers didn’t just advance – they captured regional titles. Croom remained dominant at 132 pounds, defeating Jacob Justice of Freeport by technical fall in the championship match, while Hollingsworth claimed gold at 144 pounds with a sudden victory win over Jack Mulnix of North Bay Haven. Hinson controlled his championship bout at 157 pounds with a decisive 7-2 win against Camden Garcia of Providence School, and Haigler sealed the 175-pound title with an 8-5 decision over Bear Siegal of North Bay Haven. With four regional champions leading the way and two additional finalists advancing, Florida High heads to the state tournament with strong momentum and depth across multiple weight classes.

Chiles, 2A Region 1

Chiles advanced two wrestlers to the state tournament after strong performances at regionals, with both earning guaranteed qualifying spots in their respective weight classes. Jason Marsala (113) and Hayden Smith (165) each secured bids to states by winning their brackets and finishing first overall.

Both qualifiers captured regional titles in dominant fashion. Marsala won the 113-pound championship with a pin over Walter Howard of Beachside in 2:49, while Smith claimed the 165-pound title with an impressive technical fall (19-3) over Julian Razavi of Arnold in just 1:29. With two regional champions leading the way, Chiles heads to the state tournament with momentum at the upper and lower middle weights.

Lincoln, 2A Region 1

Lincoln qualified three wrestlers for the state tournament, as Juan Torres (120), Luke Rodriguez (126), and Daniel Clement (285) each earned guaranteed spots by placing in the top four of their respective brackets.

Torres placed fourth at 120 pounds after falling in a tight 5-3 decision to Jacob Rivera of Winter Springs in the third-place match. Rodriguez also finished fourth at 126 pounds, dropping his placement match to Joshua Waring of Pace by major decision. Clement advanced with a runner-up finish at 285 pounds, falling in the championship match to Eric Stouder of Fort Walton Beach by major decision, 12-2. With one finalist and two additional state qualifiers, Lincoln will carry solid representation into the state tournament.

Leon, 2A Region 1

Leon sent three wrestlers to the regional tournament, with Xavier Palma (113), Zach Edward (138), and Jordan Willis (215) earning spots in the field. While none of the Lions were able to advance to the state championships, all three turned in competitive performances against a tough regional bracket.

Palma led the way with a 3-1 tournament record, narrowly missing a state bid, while Edward finished 2-1 in his matches. Willis battled through a full slate at 215 pounds, finishing with a 2-2 record.

The state wrestling tournaments for both 1A and 2A will take place on Mar. 5 through Mar. 7 at Silver Spurs Arena at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, FL.