1. South Dade - Not only does this team posses those unique qualies of arrogance and attitude that are needed to be the best but they also have one of the best ever strategic minds at the helm, Coach KW (Coach Balmaceda is not that bad either LOL). If any coach can make their team peak at the right time and have them all believing that it is them against the world it is Coach Balmaceda. His kids have a way of stepping up in big matches and tournaments that I have not seen since the old Husk/Southridge days. No team or idividual can come close to matching the South Dade boys athletic ability as well their seasoned mentality when it comes to big matches and big moments. Best team ever? Maybe, let's not forget the New England Patriots. The Dirty South has to finish with the team state title for this to truly be a great team or season.
2. American - I know in the past his teams have fallen flat at regionals but seeing what is happening at Hialeah with two great former area wrestlers now coaching there makes me wonder if Osorio was the problem. In one year his new team placed 3 at GMAC and had 6 in the finals. Corrrect me if I am wrong but I don't remember any of his Hialeah teams performing that well at GMAC. There is something different about his new team as well as the demeanor of the dynamic duo of Osorio and Baez. I will be the first to say, "I believe", so I will step out and say that they will shock everyone by taking second at the regional tournament. They seem to be well stacked with talent at everyweight and they wrestled like grizzled seasoned veterans at the GMAC tournament. Taking that into consideration as well as their dominating performance at their district tournament forces me to pick them second at the regional tournament.
3. Braddock - My man Tejada. Never in the conversation as one of the best coaches to grace our sport but he is definitetly one of the best. Every year you see them get pummeled by other teams in their duo meets and then without warning BOOM they show up and shock everyone by scoring massive points in wrestle backs and qualifying nobody's to the big dance. Yes, they have the wonder twins and they are impressive as hell. You can no longer say that Gabriel Chandler is the bad twin. They are both dominating their weight classes and now have their supporting cast at the right weights and working on all cylinders. Montoto, Villalobos, Fitz, Medina, and the whole rest of them will once again shock Dade county. While they are kicking ass and taking names people will still talk about Balmaceda, Osorio, Husk, Johnson, and others while Tejada quietly goes about his business and creating champions. Why hasn't this man ever won coach of the year honors?
2. American - I know in the past his teams have fallen flat at regionals but seeing what is happening at Hialeah with two great former area wrestlers now coaching there makes me wonder if Osorio was the problem. In one year his new team placed 3 at GMAC and had 6 in the finals. Corrrect me if I am wrong but I don't remember any of his Hialeah teams performing that well at GMAC. There is something different about his new team as well as the demeanor of the dynamic duo of Osorio and Baez. I will be the first to say, "I believe", so I will step out and say that they will shock everyone by taking second at the regional tournament. They seem to be well stacked with talent at everyweight and they wrestled like grizzled seasoned veterans at the GMAC tournament. Taking that into consideration as well as their dominating performance at their district tournament forces me to pick them second at the regional tournament.
3. Braddock - My man Tejada. Never in the conversation as one of the best coaches to grace our sport but he is definitetly one of the best. Every year you see them get pummeled by other teams in their duo meets and then without warning BOOM they show up and shock everyone by scoring massive points in wrestle backs and qualifying nobody's to the big dance. Yes, they have the wonder twins and they are impressive as hell. You can no longer say that Gabriel Chandler is the bad twin. They are both dominating their weight classes and now have their supporting cast at the right weights and working on all cylinders. Montoto, Villalobos, Fitz, Medina, and the whole rest of them will once again shock Dade county. While they are kicking ass and taking names people will still talk about Balmaceda, Osorio, Husk, Johnson, and others while Tejada quietly goes about his business and creating champions. Why hasn't this man ever won coach of the year honors?
4. Columbus - The Godfather has seen his best days and kids pass him by. He has done a great job with the kids at the Explorer factory but there still missing that grit and attitude that only comes from a well seasoned street kid. He now coaches silver spoon kids who for the most part will jump into their Lexus after the regional tournament and head to the Keys to forget yet another regretful season. Gulisien seems to be the only true tough kid he has and he is at a stacked weight class. I bet the poor kid wishes he had gone to 125. There is a very good chance that Gulisien stays home this year. Rio is a great wrestler but has never shown signs of peaking at the right time. Furthermore he looks like a kid who just can't wait for the season to be over so he can enjoy a huge meal at one of those expensive restaurants in the south. Husk's heavies are formidable but the poor guys look dead tired and at times lost out there in big matches. Makes you wonder if all those tournaments with 1A schools really backfired on them as the Spider or KW mentioned before. The fact that they have so many kids will give them the points they need to hold off a team that peaked at GMAC.
5. Southridge - I am not privy to the inside workings of the Johnson machine but man talk about a Jekel and Hyde identity problem. First they lose to the then bumbling Bulldogs of Braddock then they come right back and destroy the Americans in an impressive fashion. They follow that performance up with a second or third place finish at some obscure tournament where Columbus boasted their newly minted first place trophy. Then they quickly turn around and place second at one of the toughest tournaments in the state, the GMAC. Reading the newspaper results and then watching them live takes me back to old Vince Lombardi when he said, "What the hell is going on here". Now they show up to districts missing so many kids that I can only exclaim "what the hell is going on here". I am not sure where their at or what the story or truth might be, needless to say that it will hurt them at the regional tournament. Lastly, they move Morales up to 130 just to be humiliated and out classed by Metellus in their district final meeting. Now Morales has to go thru Nates of Hialeah, Gulisien of Columbus, and or Ramirez of South West just to make it to the big dance. All this and people are openly questioning Morales and his heart and passion for the sport as well as winning. The Spartans only have Passmore and Plain in the finals and that is if Passmore can once again dance around a very angry and disgruntled Garcia from American.
5. Southridge - I am not privy to the inside workings of the Johnson machine but man talk about a Jekel and Hyde identity problem. First they lose to the then bumbling Bulldogs of Braddock then they come right back and destroy the Americans in an impressive fashion. They follow that performance up with a second or third place finish at some obscure tournament where Columbus boasted their newly minted first place trophy. Then they quickly turn around and place second at one of the toughest tournaments in the state, the GMAC. Reading the newspaper results and then watching them live takes me back to old Vince Lombardi when he said, "What the hell is going on here". Now they show up to districts missing so many kids that I can only exclaim "what the hell is going on here". I am not sure where their at or what the story or truth might be, needless to say that it will hurt them at the regional tournament. Lastly, they move Morales up to 130 just to be humiliated and out classed by Metellus in their district final meeting. Now Morales has to go thru Nates of Hialeah, Gulisien of Columbus, and or Ramirez of South West just to make it to the big dance. All this and people are openly questioning Morales and his heart and passion for the sport as well as winning. The Spartans only have Passmore and Plain in the finals and that is if Passmore can once again dance around a very angry and disgruntled Garcia from American.
3 comments:
two things you got right. SD Rocks. tejada is great. problems husk is not done. southridge will rise again. WHERE THE HELL IS HOMESTEAD.
Moon Knight,
Not to bad on the predictions. I probably would have agreed with you.
1. SD I take no credit for what they have done this year or what they did last weekend. That is all Coach B and Duck. Yes I had Tico and Shawn for 1 year in middle school, but Tico was already a proven talent and Shawn didn't learn his freakish strength from me. I love those kids and I did miss having 7 of them stuffed in my van for the road trips, but my car smells a whole lot better this year, than the last 2 seasons. Balmeceda's mind works alot better than people think.
2. American, The new surroundings gave Osorio a chance to change some of the things that had gone wrong the past 3 years with his Hialeah teams. He was also able to tap into that talent that was already wrestling for American and take some of them to the next level.
3. Columbus Managed to improve on the 4 SQ from the GMAC tournament and get 6 through to the big dance. You are wrong about Rio, he is peaking and wrestling great right now. Not cutting the weight has a lot to do with it. In previous seasons I think the weight cutting has gotten to him, but this year I expect him to place in Lakeland. Nodar seems to be the only one losing a step. Wethy and Davis getting out I would consider small upsets. Davis did beat both King and Lilly so he earned his trip. Wethy was pushed to Ultimate Tiebreak by Klekothaf Pal and I was not expecting him to get past Arauz, but Wethy had more gas in the tank and was able to finish.
4. Braddock The Big 3 did what they had to do, Eric, Gabe, and Mario finished where they were expected to. Medina I think could have place higher, but he is a little bit undersized. Villalobos should have qualified for States, but he seemed lost in the match to get to States. I think he would have had a similar tough path if he would have stayed at 140 as well. Fitz was in a crazy weight class and his 4th place finish last week didn't help. Pineyro was in a tough weight class and the 3 weeks off in late December didn't help his timing.
5 Southridge Team just lost its steam after GMAC. Not taking Dunn and Chunga to District cost them points at Regions. The McCray vs Chiniro match was a tough one, but Lilly should have beaten Davis to give Johnson 6 qualifiers for States. But Joey suprised everyone, except himself by beating Nates and Gulesian.
Coach KW,
Thank you for your insight and corrections. I also feel that I was wrong about Rio and Morales eventhough I also believe that the referee had something to do with both his victories. He did not belong in the finals with Metellus. I wonder how it will play out at the State Tournament.
You have to agree that the Spider sure had his team ready and they did wrestle like grizzled veterans. I am now a fan. That 135 pound match for the right to go to state was awesome. I felt bad for the Miami High kid but what a match. I was surprised to see American get such a quick turna around under their new coaches. Now we all have to eat some crow and wash it down with some of Osorio's urine LOL.
I was also right about Braddock and Tejada. What a guy and what a team. They battled their hearts out. Villalobos just ran into the 145 version of the man beast. How did he lose to Watson. Are those twins incredible or what. They just seem to never get tired. A total pleasure to watch them.
I was VERY wrong about Columbus not being able to keep up. Those boys stepped up and claimed 2nd place until the bitter end. I was pleasently surprised and admire the godfather for getting those kids up for this tournament. They qualified 6 to the big dance and that is 3rd among teams here in dade.
South Dade was just being South Dade. Dominating and giving everyone a glimps of what happens when you cross and athlete with wrestling prowess and desire. An awesome spectacle to see the line ups for the finals.
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