By: Ricky “Cheese” Marcus
Every year we have teams traveling out of state to get their best kids in front of the nations top wrestlers and to get an opportunity to scrap with the best of the best. I love it and I think more Florida teams should try and travel out of state. The Ironman [Ohio], Beast of the East [Delaware], Doc Buchannan [California], Escape the Rock [Pennsylvania] and a few others are some of the top tournaments Florida teams travel to in order to see the best competition. Well, right here in our own backyard we have arguably one of the toughest tournaments in the Southeast and maybe top 5 toughest in the country with The Knockout. Osceola HS started this event about 10 years ago and each year it grows bigger with teams from all over the Southeast in attendance.
I have been to numerous Knockout’s over the years. My own son competed there twice, not placing his junior year and placing 2nd during his senior year. The first time he wrestled at The Knockout he was at 145 pounds, which at the time was said to be the toughest weight class at the tournament. They had 8 or 9 state champions and numerous state placers, with my son being one of the state placers in that bracket. Just to give you an example of how tough that 145 pound bracket was that year, my son was in the blood round and his opponent was a 2X state champion! How often do you see 2X state champions wrestling in the blood round of a tournament? Unless it’s a huge national level tournament, not too often. This is one example of just how tough Florida’s Knockout wrestling tournament really is. Every year I watch as state champions get knocked off left and right, and some do not even place!!
At the 2022 Knockout there will be many tough teams from all over the country, mostly from the Southeast though. This year we have teams from Ohio, New Jersey and West Virginia as well. Here is the list of out of state teams scheduled for this years Knockout:
1. Point Pleasant [West Virginia]
2. Thomson [Alabama]
3. Buford [Georgia]
4. Cass [Georgia]
5. West Laurens [Georgia]
6. Hillcrest [South Carolina]
7. Woodland [Georgia]
8. Jefferson [Georgia]
9. Vestavia Hills [Alabama]
10. Hilton Head [South Carolina]
11. Hewitt Trussville [Alabama]
12. Lakeway Christian [Tenn.]
13. Archbishop Rummel [Louisiana]
14. West Forsyth [Georgia]
15. Columbus [Georgia]
16. Mount Pisgah [Georgia]
17. Trinity-Louisville [Kentucky]
18. Summit [Tenn.]
19. Dobyns-Bennett [Tenn.]
20. North Paulding [Georgia]
21. Saint Francis [Georgia]
22. Carrolton [Georgia]
23. Flowery Branch [Georgia]
24. Mill Creek [Georgia]
25. Spring Valley [West Virginia]
26. Saint Vincent/Saint Mary [Ohio]
27. High Point [New Jersey]
Here are the FLORIDA TEAMS who will be in attendance:
- South Dade
- Tampa Jesuit
- Jensen Beach
- Miami Southwest
- First Baptist-Naples
- Palmetto Ridge
- Lake Gibson
- Somerset
- Osceola
- Palm Bay
- Fort Pierce Central
- Winter Springs
- Mariner Lemon Bay
- Barron-Collier
- Riverdale
- Matanzas
- Mater Lakes
- Hagerty
- Fort Myers
- Satellite
- Orlando-Freedom
- Cypress “BAD” Bay
- Buchholz
- Doral
- Southridge
- Springstead
- Treasure Coast
- Bartram Trail
- Hernando
- Auburndale
- Clearwater Central Catholic
- Venice
- Countryside
- Miami Beach