The last time Osceola High didn’t win the Orange Belt Conference wrestling tournament, current county wrestlers were, at most, in diapers rather than singlets.
While the Kowboys have multiple wrestlers who will make deep runs at next month’s state tournament at the Silver Spurs Arena, it was host Harmony that showed its depth among the 14 weight classes Saturday in claiming the OBC title. The Longhorns won seven classes and tallied 254 points to top Osceola (293.5), Celebration (110.5), St. Cloud (68.5), Poinciana (60), Gateway (53), Liberty (44) and Tohopekaliga (13).
Harmony Head Coach Vic Lorenzano, who was at St. Cloud some 15 years the last time the Kowboys were topped in the county, said his team was confident and not phased by seeing Osceola singlets.
“We haven’t seen them this year, we’re on our ends of the county and we’re in our own events,” he said. “Our kids have seen some really tough kids from Lake Highland Prep, Winter Springs, Fleming Island, so they were prepared. The kids enjoyed it, and we came out healthy, so we feel good about the stretch run (district tournaments being Feb. 22).”
Their winners included senior Sean Seery, who tussled with state-ranked Wilfredo Martinez of St. Cloud and came away with a 1-0 victory at 160 pounds. Other winners were Aiden Poe (113, two pins and a major decision), Dylan Jones (126, three pins), John McNichols (132), Fletcher Small (145), Will Jacobson (170) and Juan Gomez (195).
Osceola’s wins came from Cooper Haase (106, two pins), George Duncan (120), Jaekus Hines (138), Adriel Martinez (145), Nolin Eaddy (182) and Dylan Ruiz (220).
Poinciana got a win at 285 from Quaylen Hill, who signed a scholarship earlier in the week as part of Florida Memorial University’s first football program.
Celebration got runner-up medals from Kyler Peraza at 113, Chase McBroom at 132, Jeremiah Cirino at 145, and Marquese Carter at 195, and third by Kaluv Peterson at 126 and Elijah Sankitts at 160.
Harmony will wrestle Boone on Thursday for Senior Night to honor those like Jones and Seery before hosting districts on Feb. 22.
