Every year after the high school season ends TFWR names the TFWR Wrestler of the Year, Coach of the Year and Coaches Wife of the Year. This year I am pleased to announce our winners.
2023-2024 1A Female Wrestler of the Year:
This was the hardest award to figure out. The reason it was so difficult to choose the winner is because there were many great girls to choose from. So I started looking at season records and many of the girls who won state titles this year had perfect, undefeated records. So, I had to then look at each of their brackets at the state tournament to see how they won their matches. Only one girl was undefeated AND pinned every girl she wrestled at the state championships. That girl is Mya Bethel of North Miami HS. Mya dominated the state tournament by pinning every girl she wrestled. Most were quick pins in the very first period! We had another girl go undefeated in Florida this season, but she had one blemish on her record from a loss to a girl from the state of Missouri. That girl is Mariah Mills, who also pinned her way through the state tournament. So due to the fact that Mya pinned her way through the state tournament AND had a perfect record, she is the 2023-2024 1A Female Wrestler of the Year. It was a very close one here, as Mariah Mills was very worthy of the award as well as numerous others who won state titles. But how can you not go with the undefeated state champion who was able to pin every girl she wrestled at the state tournament in the first period? You can’t!! I am pleased to name Mya Bethel as your 2023-2024 Female Wrestler of the Year.
2023-2024 1A TFWR Wrestler of the Year:
Peter Mocco of Coral Springs Charter School 8th grader finished with a perfect 17-0 record as he won the 190 pound 1A State Title. Mocco is in the 8th grade, but wrestles at a weight class usually dominated by Juniors and Seniors. He proved grade level doesn’t matter much, no matter what weight class you’re competing in. Peter Mocco beat some extremely tough and much older wrestlers enroute to winning his state title as an 8th grader.
2023-2024 2A TFWR Wrestler of the Year:
Elijah Lowe of Lake Gibson HS 12th grader finished the season with a 49-7 record. After losing a total of six times in a row to defending state champion Roman Lermer of Tampa Jesuit, Lowe avenged his losses in the state finals, knocking off Lermer by a score of 4-2 to win the 2A 120 pound State Title. Elijah Lowe represents his school and family with the utmost respect and class. He will always give all the glory to God and at a young age, has his priorities right where they should be. He’s a great kid and worked very hard, putting in many extra hours to win his state title. He has since signed with the University of Tennessee-Chatanooga and will wrestle for The Mocs!
2023-2024 3A TFWR Wrestler of the Year:
Isfandier Sharipov of Osceola (Kissimmee) finished the season with a 32-6 record. Enroute to his state title at 132 pounds, Sharipov knocked off #1 ranked Sammy Marvel of Wellington HS. In the state finals with 10 seconds remaining in the match, he was able to secure a takedown to seal the deal over #2 ranked Dillon Smith of Miami Southwest HS. Sharipov was the #8 ranked wrestler at 132 pounds in 3A and knocked off the #1 and #2 ranked guys to win his state title. He proved rankings don’t mean a thing and if you want it bad enough, you’ll go out there and find a way!
2023-2024 1A TFWR Coach of the Year:
Coach Joe Blasucci and his Somerset Academy Panther wrestlers won the state title as a team at the 2023-2024 IBT State Championships at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida. Somerset scored 156 1/2 points to take the team title over Miami’s Mater Lakes who scored 152 points. Somerset was trailing and by the end of the night they had come from behind with some key wins to win the title. Coach Blasucci has a way of speaking to his kids in a way that they can understand. He gets them to perform at their very best at the right times! Coach Joe Blasucci is your TFWR 1A Coach of the Year.
2023-2024 2A TFWR Coach of the Year:
Coach Sal Basile and his Tampa Jesuit Tigers proved to the entire state why they are the #1 2A team in the state. The Tigers outscored Lake Gibson HS by 54 1/2 points to win the team title at Silver Spurs Arena. Tampa Jesuit scored 201 team points to Lake Gibson’s 146 1/2 points. Coach Sal Basile was able to get his state qualifiers to peak at the perfect time and they rewarded their coach by winning the state title over their rivals, LGHS. Coach Basile has proved to be one of the best coaches in the state and some would argue in the country as well. In August, The National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Florida Chapter will be inducting Coach Basile into the Hall of Fame! This is an honor in which he has deserved for many years now. Coach Sal Basile of Tampa Jesuit HS is your TFWR 2A Coach of the Year.
2023-2024 3A TFWR Coach of the Year:
Coach Victor Balmeceda is no stranger to state titles, as he has won 25 of them! South Dade HS is a perennial powerhouse program year in and year out. Vic Balmeceda has been winning state titles for a long time now. His very first was in 1995. He has won 19 IBT state team titles, 11 in a row at this point. He’s won 6 out of the last 7 Dual State titles as well! He has coached countless individual state and national champions throughout the years, including his own sons. Brevin, his oldest son was coached by him to FOUR high school state titles and he even won the prestigious Super 32 Belt. He went on to win TWO NAIA National Collegiate titles to add to the numerous high school state and national titles he’s collected. This past season he coached his youngest son Gavin to the 3A 165 pound state title. That chapter was closed with Gavin jumping into his fathers arms. It was a very special moment for their whole family. Coach Victor Balmeceda has already been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame-Florida Chapter as well as his alma mater, Miami Southwest’s Hall of Fame. When you have the credentials that Coach Vic currently has and then you win your 11th state IBT title in a row and also the Dual Team State Title in the same season, it’s hard not to be named the 3A TFWR Coach of the Year! I am very pleased to announce Coach Vic Balmeceda as the 2023-2024 3A Coach of the Year.
2023-2024 Coaches Wife of the Year:
One of the most demanding jobs in the sport of wrestling is that of a high school wrestling coaches wife. These incredible women must endure so much during the high school wrestling season. Some of them must make a huge sacrifice and commitment every single month out the year. These women are married to coaches who do not coach part time. They coach all year round. They have a summer club they run and travel with all over the country in the off season to get them prepared for the following season. One of those coaches is Coach Cezar Sharbono of Braden River HS and All-American Wrestling Academy. His wife, Tina Sharbono is the epitome of the ultimate “Coaches Wife”. Not only will you find her in every gymnasium and arena that her husband is coaching in, but many times you’ll see her in a chair on the mat coaching as well! Yes, Tina is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to wrestling and the rules. If Cezar is coaching on a mat and another one of his wrestlers is up on a different mat, Tina will slide into the coaches seat and take the reigns. I have seen her do this numerous times and she’s very good at it too. On top of this, Tina treats every single wrestler as if she birthed them herself. She cooks for them, does their laundry at times when needed and has them over to celebrate holidays with her family. Not too many coahes wives love what they do as much as Tina Sharbono. I have known her for at least 21 years when our sons wrestled at the same time. Many times they were teammates on travel or national teams. She has always treated my sons as if they were family and I know she does that for many others as well. I am very happy to name Tina Sharbono as the 2023-2024 Coaches Wife of the Year!!