Typically, the state meet for wrestling is an annual celebration for Hernando County in the sport that it has produced the most consistent success.
However, Friday and Saturday’s FHSAA Finals at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee won’t go down as one of the more memorable showings for the county’s grapplers, at least not for positive reasons.
Out of 14 participants, just two managed to collect a state medal, as Weeki Wachee’s Donte Young and Hernando’s Abel Terkovich each snagged the final spot on the award podium by placing sixth. Hornet and Leopard wrestlers, as well as those from Nature Coast, competed in the Class 1A meet.
The senior Young went 3-2 at 170 pounds, with three pins. He started his tournament run with a pin of Homestead-Keys Gate’s Aryam Bonnin in 1:04 before dropping a 16-7 major decision to Tallahassee-Florida High’s Will Haigler. In the consolation bracket, he defeated Cocoa-Space Coast’s Johnathon Pankow (34 seconds) and Marianna’s Cole Maddox (44 seconds).
Julian Georgescu of Fort Lauderdale-Cardinal Gibbons pinned Young in 2:02, then Haigler captured a rematch in the fifth-place bout, 12-7.
Terkovich, another senior, followed a similar pattern at 195 by winning his opening match against Fort Myers-Dunbar’s Judah Bertolotti (10-5), followed by a 4:21 loss to Green Cove Springs-Clay’s Kaleb Collins. He beat Brandon Isnardi of Naples-Lely (55 seconds) and Largo-Indian Rocks Christian’s Selbourne Steward (6-5), then fell to Florida High’s Cam Brown (6-3) and Coral Springs Charter’s Jon Moltimer (5-2).
Nature Coast senior Anthony Contegiacomo, a state runner-up in 2015, went 1-2 at 220, and Weeki Wachee senior Dean Brooks, a state placer as a junior, was 1-2 at 285.
Traditional state power Springstead struggled in the 2A meet, with Vinny D’Alessandro (120), Travis Williams (152) and Brandon Burgess (182) all going 1-2.
So far this prep baseball season, the five public school programs have been difficult to separate. Hernando’s recent schedule has proven that much, with the Leopards (6-4), having lost to Nature Coast before beating Springstead the previous week, defeating Central on Tuesday (5-1), then falling to Weeki Wachee on Thursday (3-0 in 11 innings).
“All the teams really in the county, on any given night,” Hernando head coach Tim Sims said last week. “It’s worth the price to come watch our county play each other because they’re going to be excellent games.”
Nature Coast (9-1) started off the week with a 1-0 victory over Springstead on Monday, and added a 13-1 win against Hudson on Thursday and 8-5 triumph at Ridgewood on Friday. The Sharks sit atop Class 5A, District 7 with a 7-1 mark.
Central (7-2 overall, 4-2 5A-7) rebounded from the loss at Hernando with a 14-5 win at Crystal River on Thursday. Springstead (8-3 overall, 7-0 6A-6) bounced back after the Nature Coast defeat with victories over Citrus on Tuesday (8-5) and Lecanto on Friday (3-2).
In softball, Nature Coast (12-1) notched shutouts over Gulf on Tuesday (9-0) and Fivay on Friday (15-0). Springstead (10-1) won over Citrus on Tuesday (7-1) and Hernando on Thursday (4-2).
Despite the loss to the Lady Eagles, the Lady Leopards (5-5) thumped Fivay on Tuesday, 14-0, and Ridgewood on Friday, 13-2.
Nature Coast’s boys tennis team remained unbeaten, improving to 12-0 with 6-1 wins over Hernando on Tuesday and River Ridge on Wednesday, and a 7-0 victory over Central on Thursday. Dakota Willey and Hunter Schwefringhaus are both 10-0 in singles play.
The Lady Sharks, led by Nicole Remedio (9-1), had wins over River Ridge on Wednesday, 6-1, and Central on Thursday, 5-2, following a 5-2 loss to Hernando on Tuesday, moving to 7-4 overall.
Nature Coast’s girls track and field team finished first at Friday’s South Sumter Raider Invitational with 89 team points, while the boys were third with 71. Ashley Gentz led the field in the 400 meter (1:00.03), plus Willie Coffey won the boys discus with a 49-1 and DeShawn Smith captured the 100 in 11.41.
Gentz, Eboni Johnson, Kaitlyn Pierce and Amanda Leyden grabbed the top spot in the 4×400 relay, combining for a 4:21.78. Hernando’s Trevor Foley crossed the finish line first in the 1,600 with a time of 4:42.66 and the 3,200 running a 10:34.90.
Follow Chris Bernhardt Jr. on Twitter @cpbernhardtjr.