Vote for the SBLive Florida Boys Wrestler of the Week Upper Weights

Pick from these 8 defending state champions heading back to the state finals this week

Bill Kemp | Feb 27, 2024

Vote for the SBLive Florida Boys Wrestler of the Week Upper Weights /

The FHSAA wrestling finals begin Thursday and run through Saturday. The Finals are scheduled for 4:15 p.m. Saturday.

Below are eight boys that won state championships this past season and have qualified for the state finals this year.

Vote for which boys wrestler you feel has the best chance to win another state championship this year.

Here are the nominees:

Gavin Nolan, Clearwater Central Catholic, Junior

He won the 1A 132-pound state title last year at Cardinal Gibbons and now qualifies at 150. He has posted a 41-2 record this year.

Draven McCall, Tampa Jesuit, Junior

He won the 2A 138-pound state title last year and now qualifies at 150. He has posted a 23-2 record this year.

Anderson Heap from Osceola wins the 150-pound championship against Dallas Russell of Jefferson on Saturday at the Knockout Christmas Classic at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. — Anderson Heap from Osceola wins the 150-pound championship against Dallas Russell of Jefferson at the Knockout Christmas Classic at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. / Bill Kemp

Anderson Heap, Osceola, Senior

He won the 3A 145-pound state title last year and now qualifies at 150. He has posted a 54-5 record this year.

Kendrick Hodge, Somerset, Senior

He won the 1A 160-pound state title last year and now qualifies at 165. He has posted a 51-3 record this year.

Elijah Penton, Winter Springs, Senior

He won the 2A 170-pound state title last year and now qualifies at 175. He has posted a 44-5 record this year.

Kendrick Hodge from Somerset advances to the finals with this semifinal win against Grayson Santee of Buford during a 165-pound match on Saturday at the Knockout Christmas Classic at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. — Kendrick Hodge from Somerset advances to the finals with this semifinal win against Grayson Santee of Buford during a 165-pound match at the Knockout Christmas Classic at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. / Bill Kemp

Michael Mocco, Cardinal Gibbons, Sophomore

He won the 1A 195-pound state title last year and now qualifies at 215. He has posted a 37-2 record this year.

David Mercado, North Bay Haven, Senior

He won the 1A 220-pound state title last year and now qualifies at 190. He has posted a 48-0 record this year.

Sawyer Bartelt, South Dade, Senior

He won the 3A 220-pound state title last year and now qualifies at 215. He has posted a 35-0 record this year.

Sawyer Bartelt from South Dade works his way to a semifinals win against Kaleb Ivie from Merritt Island in a 215-pound match on Saturday at the Knockout Christmas Classic at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. — Sawyer Bartelt from South Dade works his way to semifinals win against Kaleb Ivie from Merritt Island in a 215-pound match at the Knockout Christmas Classic at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. / Bill Kemp

Published Feb 27, 2024

BILL KEMP

Bill Kemp is an award-winning sports journalist at the state and national levels. Over the course of 25 years, he’s covered more than 4,000 sporting events including the NFL regular season, playoffs and Super Bowls, Major League Baseball regular season and spring training, NASCAR racing at Daytona and Talladega International Speedways and major college football regular seasons and bowl games. He was named by the Associated Press Sports Editors as a Top 10 sports columnist and Top 3 by the Alabama Press Association for best sports column and sports page design. He has served as preps editor at the Lakeland Ledger as well as sports editor at five different newspapers in Florida and Alabama. He has been published in dozens of newspapers including USA Today, the Miami Herald, the Orlando Sentinel, the Jacksonville Times Union and the Tampa Bay Times. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida. He has been writing for SBLive Sports since 2022.