- December 13, 2025
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Coaching high school wrestling is, strictly in terms of pay, not a full-time job for Cezar Sharbono.
He only gets financially compensated for the time of year which the Florida High School Athletic Association dictates as in-season.
That doesn’t mean he just sits around in the offseason. He’s plenty busy.
Sharbono takes three weeks off after the state tournament, but every other week, the mat is on his mind.
He’s poured everything he has into the Braden River High team since taking the reins in 2020.
“You can’t run a wrestling program for three months out of the year and think you’re going to be a successful program,” Sharbono said. “It’s not that kind of sport. Kids need to actually buy in and be involved in it year-round.”
Such commitment has paid dividends. Last season, the Pirates sent eight wrestlers to the FHSAA Class 2A individual state championship, a record number for the program. They had only ever qualified five at most in any year beforehand.
That’s not the only sign of growth under Sharbono’s tutelage. Braden River’s roster was just five athletes deep in 2016-17, but entering the 2025-26 season, 37 are participating.
The sixth-year coach also guided the first undefeated state champion in school history, Jessey Colas, who claimed gold in the 182-pound weight class in 2023. Colas was the second state champion ever for the Pirates following Brendan Bengtsson’s 285-pound victory in 2018.
“Everybody asks me all the time, ‘You’re a teacher. How do you make ends meet?’” said Sharbono, who also teaches at Louise R. Johnson School of International Studies. “My other job is wrestling.”
History continues to favor the Pirates. They hope the months ahead will be similarly kind.
Five of their state qualifiers from a year ago have returned following the graduations of Matthew Ireland, Israel Clark and Scott Cook. Ireland placed fourth in the 120-pound class, though his two fellow seniors didn’t reach the podium.
Freedom McDaniel — a junior — is among that core of continuity. As a defensive end/tackle for the Braden River football, wrestling wasn’t his primary sport of choice at first. He joined with the intention of bettering his technique on the gridiron.
In 2024-25, he was one of just two Pirates to place at the state tournament, coming in seventh and winning three bouts in the 215-pound class. His priorities as an athlete have changed.
“I’m putting wrestling over football,” McDaniel said. “I play on the line of scrimmage, and when you look to the upper levels — even when you go Division III or JUCO — the people who are playing those positions are 6-foot-2, 250 pounds. I’m just not that big.”
Sharbono’s program has provided an avenue where McDaniel's 5-foot-8 stature isn’t a limitation. He’s leveraged to become a winner, and now, has a goal of finishing in the top three at the state tournament.
The snatch single was McDaniel’s signature move as a sophomore, but opponents have had time to get familiar with his tendencies. They’ll be prepared for that this season.
He spent the preseason working on other takedowns, as well as defending them.
Amid that individual pursuit to enhance his skillset, he’s also committed to the team around him. He is happy to embrace the role of an upperclassman.
“Now that I’m growing up, I can actually say that I’m one of the elders on the team, and I get to watch everybody progress,” McDaniel said. “That’s just a fun experience, watching somebody come in not even knowing what a sprawl is, and they’re making it to their first season, and they actually know a little bit of what they’re doing.”
A trio of seniors are right alongside him, each looking to not only qualify for the state tournament once more, but to take the next step and place. Jayden Russell, Jacob Fuentes and Evan Rowe will compete in the 120-, 144- and 165-pound classes, respectively, this season.
History remains up for grabs as the program continues to make it.
Braden River is still searching for its first girls place-winner. In 2024-25, Karlianna Arteaga became the second girls state qualifier in Pirates history, making waves in the 190-pound class as a sophomore.
Entering her junior year, she’s worked on lower-body takedowns, looking to differentiate herself in a weight class known for upper-body moves. The expectations she will face as a proven returner aren’t a burden. They excite her.
“Just feeling that sense of accomplishment and having some pressure on me (is exciting),” Arteaga said. “Now that I’ve qualified, people want to see how far I can go.”
There were four girls on the roster when she was a freshman. Part of her wrestling journey has been becoming an advocate and going around the school to recruit others.
With the aid of those efforts, the girls’ contingent is 10-deep entering this season. Sharbono expects juniors Presley Vogt and Alexis Hutter to reach the state tournament and vie for a medal in the 115/120-pound and 135-pound classes, respectively.
The months ahead will offer an opportunity for the Pirates to keep building.
“I can’t imagine myself anywhere else. Switching schools is not a thing,” Arteaga said. “It might be a solo sport, but this team is supportive… it feels like family.”
