3 area wrestlers win regional titles, 10 qualify for state championships

Three area wrestlers captured regional titles, while seven more qualified for the state championships at the FHSAA Region 1-2A championship on Feb. 28 at Tallahassee Chiles.

Gulf Breeze's Garrett Ferguson (120 pounds), Ryder Cohen (126) and Pace's Aden Cortez (132) won regional titles. The Dolphins' Keegan Deeds (138) and Leyton Collazo (157) and the Patriots' Dominik Baxter (120), Joshua Waring (126), Talon Wood (138) and Bowen Iorg (175) will join the above trio at the 2A state championship, which will take place March 5-7 at Osceola Heritage Park at Kissimmee.

Pace was the area's highest placing team at regionals, finishing third with 136.5 points. Gulf Breeze finished seventh with 100.5 points.

Middleburg won the regional title with 161.5 points, beating Clay by 18 points. Pace previously beat Middleburg on its way to the Region 1-2A dual title.

Below is a full list of area wrestlers who qualified for the state championship as well as their path get there.

Gulf Breeze

Garrett Ferguson (1st, 120)

• Round of 16: Fall over St. Augustine's Orion Howlett, 0:38
• Quarterfinals: Tech over Beachside's Andrew Arsenault, 18-0
• Semifinals: Decision over Winter Springs' Jacob Rivera, 12-8
• Championship: Decision over Pace's Dominik Baxter, 9-6

Ryder Cohen (1st, 126)

• Round of 16: Fall over St. Augustine's Noah Lee, 2:48
• Quarterfinals: Tech fall over Clay's Ben Mitts, 18-3
• Semifinals: Major decision over Lincoln's Luke Rodriguez, 10-2
• Championship: Decision over Middleburg's Nathan Harvey, 12-5

Keegan Deeds (3rd, 138)

• Round of 16: Fall over Edward H. White's Kier Mangram, 1:18
• Quarterfinals: Fall over Chiles' Jayden Larson, 1:32
• Semifinals: Loss via decision to New Smyrna Beach's Devin Hicks, 5-1
• Consolation semifinals: Fall over Niceville's Rene Purugganan, 2:54
• 3rd place match: Tech fall over Pace's Talon Wood, 16-0

Leyton Collazo (3rd, 157)

• Round of 16: Fall over Orange Park's Moises Acosta, 4:00
• Quarterfinals: Fall over New Smyrna Beach's Casten Thacker, 5:49
• Semifinals: Loss via decision to Clay's Calvyn St. Clair, 9-7
• Consolation semifinal: Fall over Winter Springs' Ayden Keys, 3:04
• 3rd place match: Fall over New Smyrna Beach's Casten Thacker, 3:33

Pace

Dominik Baxter (2nd, 120)

• Round of 16: Tech fall over Matanzas Zayden Stoetzel, 19-1
• Quarterfinals: Fall over Clay's Calvin Wells, 4:46
• Semifinals: Decision over Lincoln's Juan Torres, 4-2
• Championship: Loss via decision to Gulf Breeze's Garrett Ferguson, 9-6

Joshua Waring (3rd, 126)

• Round of 16: Decision over New Smyrna Beach's Case Mangini, 9-4
• Quarterfinals: Major decision over Ponte Vedra's Matthew Kowitski, 10-1
• Semifinals: Loss via decision to Middleburg's Nathan Harvey, 11-8
• Consolation semifinals: Major decision over Milton's Aiden Herbert, 12-0
• Third place match: Major decision over Lincoln's Luke Rodriguez, 10-0

Aden Cortez (1st, 132)

• Round of 16: Fall over Chiles' Braden Faris, 1:18
• Quarterfinals: Decision over Orange Park's Elijah Grant, 12-6
• Semifinals: Tech fall over Middleburg's Terry Milam, 18-0
• Championship: Decision over Ponte Vedra's Cash Trujillo, 6-1

Talon Wood (4th, 138)

• Round of 16: Fall over Beachside's Bryce Holden, 1:55
• Quarterfinals: Major decision over Middleburg's Christian Patrick, 12-3
• Semifinals: Loss via tech fall to Winter Springs' Rudley Villareal, 17-2
• Consolation semfinals: Decision over Fleming Island's Matthew Braddock, 10-4
• 3rd place match: Loss via tech fall to Gulf Breeze's Keegan Deeds, 16-0

Isaiah Rickling (4th, 144)

• Round of 16: Fall over Orange Park's Justin Garay, 2:46
• Quarterfinals: Loss via decision to Middleburg's Christian McKeel, 6-0
• Consolation Round 2: Fall over Beachside's Trokhym Tkakchenko, 2:00
• Consolation Round 3: Tech fall over Lincoln's David Lopeman, 15-0
• Consolation semifinal: Major decision over Fort Walton Beach's Mathew Martinez, 19-5
• 3rd place match: Loss via fall to Middleburg's Christian McKeel, 2:52

Bowen Iorg (3rd, 175)

Round of 16: Fall over Middleburg's Samuel Craven, 1:02

Quarterfinals: Fall over Clay's Drew Loveland, 3:25

Semifinals: Loss via tech fall to Winter Springs' Jacob Rodriguez, 15-0

Consolation semifinals: Major decision over Mainland's Isaac Strozier, 11-0

3rd place match: Decision over Arnold's Brandon Walsingham, 12-10

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Area wrestlers win regional titles, qualify for state