Flagler Palm Coast’s annual winter wrestling extravaganza is set for Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-26, at the E.W. Andy Anderson Athletic Center with 30 teams from across Florida slated to participate.
Both FPC, which missed winning the 2017 team title by a few points, and Matanzas are on the card for the double-elimination event. It will also be the Rotary tournament debut for the fledgling team from First Baptist Christian Academy in Bunnell.
The first matches are set for 3 p.m. Friday with two rounds of the championship bracket expected to set the semi-finals in 14 weight classes. There will also be at least two rounds of consolation bracket wrestlebacks.
The semi-finals are set to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday followed by more wrestleback action on three mats to set the finals for 6 p.m.. The top six placers will win medals, with special trophies for Most Outstanding Wrestler, Most Outstanding Lightweight, Most Outstanding Heavyweight and team trophies to the first and second place teams.
In addition to local schools, the tournament will feature the defending Class 1A state champion squad from Lake Highland Prep in Orlando. Volusia County participants include Seabreeze and New Smyrna Beach, and there will be teams from St. Johns County including Creekside, Bartram Trail, St. Augustine and Pedro Menendez.
Orlando area schools will include Lake Howell, Winter Springs, Orlando Jones, Boone and Harmony. Jacksonville schools will include Sandalwood, Mandarin, Robert E. Lee, Neptune Beach Fletcher, Bishop Kenny, Oakleaf and Bolles School. Other participants expected from outside the area are Crawfordville Wakulla. Titusville Astronaut, Fort Pierce, Treasure Coast, West Nassau. Springstead and Suwannee.