- March 10, 2026
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Jacob Fuentes started wrestling in ninth grade. It wasn't something he took seriously, though, until the following year.
The now-senior always felt like an outlier when in the company of Florida's elite. He noticed how many of them had joined the sport at 7 or 8 years old.
Starting late just never hindered his pursuit of the endgame. Nothing would.
"Non-stop, no matter ups and downs — hurt or not — I made sure that there was one outcome," Fuentes said. "And it was making it to the state finals."
Placing second in Class 2A at 144 pounds, Fuentes brought home silver for Braden River High wrestling at the FHSAA individual state championships. But he was far from the only Pirate to earn a medal March 7 at Kissimmee's Silver Spurs Arena.
Five of the team's eight qualifiers finished top-six in their respective weight classes. Senior Evan Rowe was third at 165 pounds, junior Freedom McDaniel placed fourth at 215 and senior Jaden Morales earned sixth at 126.
Alexis Hutter — a junior — entered unprecedented territory with her own performance. She became the first girl in Braden River High's history to place at the state meet with a sixth at 135 pounds.
"I just wanted to go to states, and I didn't expect to place at all," said Hutter, who was the No. 4 seed. "So going into it, I wasn't that confident."
This season qualifies as the most successful Braden River has ever seen. The Pirates didn't ultimately lay claim to a state champion, but they had championship-caliber depth.
Last year, Braden River also sent eight wrestlers to the state meet. Only two placed — then-senior Matthew Ireland (fourth at 120 pounds) and then-sophomore McDaniel (seventh at 215).
The Pirates more than doubled that number of place winners in 2026. On the second day of the three-day meet, they had four representatives in the semifinals.
Not one of them joined the sport before high school.
"All my kids who placed this year I've had for two to three years, or three to four years," said Coach Cezar Sharbono. "They had to buy in, and these kids have."
It's a testament to the strength of the program. Having concluded his sixth season as coach, Sharbono has been instrumental in cultivating such a culture.
Something magical seems to happen inside their wrestling room. This year, it produced wrestlers who went toe-to-toe with the very best in the state.
Fuentes accomplished more than any of them.
As the No. 12 seed, he won his first three matches, defeating No. 5 junior Frank Muir of River Ridge, No. 4 junior Darion Shannon of Somerset and No. 9 junior Isaac Lowe of Lake Gibson.
Those successive upsets earned him a meeting with Charlotte sophomore Jake Austin — the No. 2 seed — who had won the 2A state title at 120 pounds a year prior. The Pirate lost the title bout by major decision, 13-0, to finish his senior season at 49-8.
"It was a hard match and I wouldn't be surprised if he's ranked nationally right now," Fuentes said. "I didn't get tech'd, I didn't get pinned, and I did try my hardest to leave everything on the mat. I had nothing to regret."
Rowe carried a team-high 58 victories into the state meet. Along with Hutter and McDaniel, he won regional and district titles earlier this individual postseason.
The No. 2-seeded senior notched his 59th and 60th wins to come within one of a finals berth. Eventual champion Kawayran Vazquez — a Jesuit junior — had the upper hand, though, in their semifinal match.
A 13-3 major decision ultimately went in Vazquez's favor. That pushed Rowe into the consolation bracket, where he defeated No. 1 senior Hayden Smith of Chiles and No. 11 sophomore Sidney Katz of Somerset to secure bronze.
"For Evan, a second-year wrestler, to even be able to compete at that level proves what kind of competitor and what kind of athlete he is," Sharbono said. "He's done huge things, and he was such a great part of the program."
Hutter missed out on the state meet entirely as a sophomore. She failed to qualify.
Earlier this postseason, she became Braden River's first girls regional champion and finished 31-5 overall in 2025-26. Junior Karliana Arteaga joined her in Kissimmee, but at 190 pounds, did not place.
Still, the Pirates' female contingent continues to grow with each passing season. More success isn't just possible next season — it's inevitable.
"I can very easily see myself with six girls at the state tournament next year," Sharbono said. "And three or four on the podium."
McDaniel (60-7) and Morales (60-9) earned their own medals with records of 3-2 and 3-3 at the state meet, respectively. The former reached the semifinals before falling to No. 1 Middleburg senior Porter Loveland.
Braden River graduates three of this season's five state placers, but McDaniel will be back. Big things should be in store for him after notching 60 wins as a junior.
For Fuentes, leaving the Pirates behind means passing the torch to his sister, freshman Amelia Parizo. His high school wrestling journey — like Rowe's and Morales' — has reached its end.
"(Me) making it to the state finals really opened her eyes," Fuentes said. "It's going to push her to do a lot more next year."
