Falcon Flex: Jensen Beach wrestling wins 1A FHSAA Duals Championship

After spotting Clay High School 12 points going into Saturday's FHSAA 1A wrestling state dual championship, Jensen Beach knew it had to bring its best if it had any chance to win.

The effort by the Falcons was complete and historic as Jensen Beach downed Clay 42-21 to become the first public school to win a 1A wrestling duals title in the fifth year of the competition Saturday at Osceola High School in Kissimmee.

The road to state was daunting but rewarding for the Falcons in the regional tournament. Jensen Beach knocked out defending state champion Somerset Academy and in thrilling fashion defeated Cardinal Gibbons thanks to a clinching pin from Malachi Harriel to advance to the state quarterfinals for the third time.

Dispatching Mater Lakes 36-27 on Friday to earn a berth to Saturday's state semifinal, Jensen Beach spotted Palm Bay three forfeits in the lineup, but three critical wins via pin from Gian Ortiz, Jonny Dobbs and Matt O’Hara helped the Falcons win the match 38-30 and clinch their spot into the state final.

Against Clay, Jensen Beach forfeited at 220 and 285 pounds but was nearly flawless up and down the rest of the lineup.

Sebastian Degennaro (106 pounds), Ryan Duguay (132 pounds) and Jewell Williams (138 pounds) all scored wins via pin to earn six valuable points.

Ortiz at 113 pounds, Ryan Mooney at 120 pounds, Dobbs at 126 pounds, Dylan Fox at 152 pounds, Duke Byfield at 160 pounds, Nate Sopotnick at 170 pounds and O'Hara at 195 pounds all won their matches via decision or majority decision to help bring home a state title back to Martin County.

The Falcons became the first 1A program from a public school to win the state duals after Lake Highland Prep won three in a row from 2018-2020 and Somerset Academy took the title last season. Jensen Beach, under head coach Tom McMath, now has the hardware they've been seeking to further validate their place as one of the top wrestling programs in the state.

"We were just dialed in, the kids wrestled the way they know how and dominated," McMath said. "They knew what they wanted and they knew what they wanted to do, they were here to do something and I just couldn't be prouder of them."

The importance of the return to the lineup of Dobbs proved to be a difference maker.

The state champion at 126 pounds in 1A last year, Dobbs had been sidelined all season witha knee injury. He went a 3-for-3 in his matches over the course of two days, defeating two opponents ranked inside the top 10 at 126 pounds, according to KabraWrestling.com, and won a hard-fought 5-3 decision over Clay's Gunner Ivey in the state final.

"If we don't have him, you're giving away 18 points (in the final). You're not winning state giving away 18 points," McMath said. "Winning in the regional quarters without him, beating Gibbons and Somerset without him, you put a state champ back in our lineup, it definitely gave us some life."

Bolstered by a program at full strength and coming off of one the biggest days in Jensen Beach wrestling history, attention will now turn to preparing for the traditional wrestling postseason as the Falcons will have a handful of meets to gear up for.

"We're going to enjoy tonight, it was a special day," McMath said. "This team's a special group of individuals and for the program, we've been around for a long time and to actually come through and for this team to get the job done, it means the world to the program."

FHSAA 1A State Dual Championship

Jensen Beach 42, Clay 21

195: Matt O`Hara (JB) d. Kedtric Wilbon via decision 11-4; 220: Robert Tyre (C) wins via forfeit; 285: Ethan Daniels (C) wins via forfeit; 106: Sebastian Degennaro (JB) d. Jacob Bucci via pin, 1:26; 113: Gian Ortiz (JB) d. Braden Glavin via decision 13-6; 120: Ryan Mooney (JB) d. Maverick Rainwater via majority deciison 9-1; 126: Jonny Dobbs (JB) d. Gunner Ivey via decision 5-3; 132: Ryan Duguay (JB) d. Madisyn Blackburn via pin, 1:09; 138: Jewell Williams (JB) d. Xavier Logan via pin 3:40; 145: Josh Kumpf (C) d. Colton Byrd via pin, 1:46; 152: Dylan Fox (JB) d. Luke Boree via decision 3-0; 160: Duke Byfield (JB) d. Luca Fiannca via majority decision 9-1; 170: Nate Sopotnick (JB) d. Ethan Larsen via majority decision 11-1; 182: Dominic Martin (C) d.. Malachi Harriel via decision 7-1.

FHSAA 1A State Dual Semifinal

Jensen Beach 38, Palm Bay 30

106: Sebastian Degennaro (JB) wins via forfeit; 113: Gian Ortiz (JB) d. Logan Delos Santos via pin, 3:12; 120: Ryan Mooney (JB) d. Shaver Jackson via decision 6-2; 126: Jonny Dobbs (JB) d. Jose Perez via pin, 1:36; 132: Ronald Theilacker (PB) d. Ryan Duguay via decision 7-2; 138: Jewell Williams (JB) d. Jamarion Stokes via techincal fall 16-1; 145: Colton Byrd (JB) d. Avery Jackson via decision 7-4; 152: Dylan Fox (JB) d. Nathan Furman via decision 6-3; 160: Zachary Emery-Foster (PB) wins via forfeit; 170: Brycen Turner (PB) wins via forfeit; 182: Octavion Osby (PB) d. Malachi Harriel (JB) via pin, 0:49; 195: Caleo Carrera (PB) d. Connor Ferreira via decision 5-3; 220: Matt O`Hara (JB) d. Christopher Brunson via pin, 1:51; 285: Carlos Gerardino (PB) wins via forfeit

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Jensen Beach wrestling defeats Clay in finals of 1A FHSAA State Duals