- April 25, 2024
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On championship evening, the only remaining wrestlers were finalists, and Flagler Palm Coast had two – Kaz Maia and Michael DeAugustino – still alive in the 152- and 120-divisions on Saturday, Mar. 5, at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.
First up was DeAugustino. After swapping leads with his opponent in the first two rounds, the matched seemed as if was heading into overtime, until DeAugustino’s challenger scored a take down with less than 10 seconds to secure the title.
Despite the loss, the sophomore has placed in two straight seasons, going from fourth to runner-up, and he will most likely be projected to win a state title his next two years, barring any injuries.
A finished rivalry
Maia stormed through all of his matches for an eighth and final match against rival Winter Springs’ James Nereim, the projected state final rematch. After exchanging leads, Maia was forced to concede the after dislocating his elbow. He was taken to the local hospital, and is now recovering from his injury.
Maia finished the season with a 54-2 record, both losses coming by way of Nereim, in the state and regional final. He is a two-time state runner-up, and, over the course of his career, Maia amassed 143 wins.
A top-tier team
With their finalist getting runner-up finishes, the Bulldogs took eighth out of 134 Class 3A schools, their second straight Top 10 finish, and they have placed nine wrestlers on the podium in the last two seasons.
State placers
Avery Holden: The Flagler Palm Coast sophomore placed fifth in the 113-pound division. After an early loss, he fought his way back to end up on the podium. Holder finished the season with a 46-6 record.
Evyn Insalaco: Insalaco placed also placed fifth, which was his third state-place finish. Insalaco finished his season with a 58-7 record, and, for his career, he won a total of 198 matches.
Matanzas
Maverick Dennis: The Matanzas Pirate capped off an illustrious career with a sixth-place finish in the finals. Dennis finished the season with over 50 wins and 105 for his career. He also broke his older brother, Shane’s, school record for pins with 33.
Jordin Castanheira: Castanheira also placed sixth and he too finished with over 50 wins on the season. Like Dennis, he also passed the 100-wins mark with 116, and he falls just short of Dennis’ pin record.
