FLEMING ISLAND - Fleming Island High's wrestling has long wrested the county powerhouse label from Clay High lately, but the two storied programs got a chance to flex a bit against each other in playoff mode; albeit without the fanfare of the previous decade of the Tussle of Muscle dual match series that filled both gymnasiums on mid-week Wednesdays.

"We know they will bring their best game to us and we know they are preparing for us to be at their best no matter where the season is," said Fleming Island wrestling coach P.J. Cobbert, after his Golden Eagles, ranked third state-wide in Class 2A behind defending 2A duals champions Lake Gibson and Tampa Jesuit, beat Clay for the district. "In our county, where all the teams have improved more and more each year, the in-county matches can be pretty rugged, but we just do what we do."

Clay High wrestling coach Jim Reape, acknowledged that the annual Fleming Island vs. Clay dual meet, aptly called the Tussle of Muscle, will be scrapped due to both teams being in the same district.

"Even without the crowds and excitement we got with the dual match in past years, anytime these two teams get together, it's going to be the best team in north Florida and we know that's what we are going against," said Reape. "They were trained, in shape and physical just like a match with the gym packed. It's always a great match and that it is only eight miles away is even better."

At Fleming Island on Thurs., Jan. 4, Fleming Island took care of business to advance to the region 1-2A championship tournament on Thurs., Jan. 11 at Oakleaf High School with a 37-15 win over Clay. Oakleaf, with their district title in December will also be a top contender at the region 1-2A meet in their home gym while Clay and Middleburg, runner-ups in both districts, will join the fray to give Oakleaf High a chance to highlight wrestling prowess in Clay County.

Oakleaf coach Mark Detoro, a Clay High teammate of Cobbert during the Jim Reape years in 1A for decades, sees the Thursday match as a turning point for area programs.

"Having us, Middleburg, Oakleaf and Fleming Island all together next week will ratchet up the intensity, no question about it," said Reape. "We are close but lost a few matches by a few points here tonight. I think the difference is their overall team confidence. We had our chances."

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Region 1-2A Duals Wrestling Championships

At Oakleaf HS, Thurs., Jan. 11

(in bracket is Class 2A rank)

At Gulf Breeze: Fort Walton Beach vs. Tallahassee Lincoln (7th; Chiles (17th) vs. Gulf Breeze (19th)

At Oakleaf: Middleburg (11th, District 3-2A runnerup) vs. Fleming Island (3rd, District 4-2A champion); Clay (13th, District 4-2A runnerup) vs. Oakleaf (District 3-2A champion); winners wrestle after first round at OHS to advance to region final at Osceola HS on January 19. Final Four matches are on January 20 at Osceola HS.

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In the Kabra Wrestling state rankings for Duals competition in Class 2A, Fleming Island is third, Middleburg is 11th, and Clay is 13th. Oakleaf is not listed in the top 20, but that does not deter Detoro.

"Who would have thought just five years ago that a region championship would be held in Clay County with four Clay County schools in the mix," said Detoro, who bested a much-improved Middleburg team under another up-and-coming young coach in Coll Robertson in that district championship match in December. "Middleburg has one of their biggest squads in years with Coll bringing the wins in and Clay will always be competitive. Us and Oakleaf, are building up our program as well. I have a few hammers out here."

While district matchups highlight the Christmas break excitement, the Joe Bees Memorial Invitational at Yulee High School on Sat., Jan. 6, put an extra exclamation point on the anticipated Thursday gala with the top three teams in that tournament; Fleming Island, Oakleaf and Middleburg in first, second and third, getting a first look at each other. Amongst the field were a handful of state-ranked Class 1A schools including host Yulee (11th), Bishop Kenny (16th) and Episcopal (18th) as well as South Walton, Cocoa and The Villages

"You see the guys looking at each other on the mats from the other schools and it's all good," said Detoro. "Everyone gets better with better competition and you can see it here. I think Thursday will be one of the best county meets in a long time."

At Yulee's Joe Bees Memorial, Fleming Island outscored Oakleaf with 295-194.5 team points while Middleburg chased Oakleaf for third with 187.5 points. Yulee was fourth at 134.5.

In head to head matches at Yulee, in the championship finals, at 106; Middleburg's Gavin Fisher (32-1) beat Oakleaf's Connor Barnes (12-6) with a 6-3 decision; at 120, Fleming Island's Jordan Mukaddam (19-1) beat Middleburg's Grady Woodard (32-3) 6-1; at 150, Fleming Island's Kaden Schaefer (5-0) beat Middleburg's Wyatt Leduc (30-1) with a 12-4 major decision; at 157, Oakleaf's Ghais Cooper (12-4) beat Middleburg's Daniel Raines (17-4) in overtime 9-7; and, at 126, Oakleaf's Sebastian Bonachea (16-1) beat Fleming Island's Shane Duhaylungsod (14-4) with a 6-1 decision.

Middleburg's Tucker Cody, at 215, won his division with a pin over Episcopal's Lawson Perry.

For Fleming Island, also winning titles were Matthew Newman, at 113, who won a 7-5 decision over Cocoa's Cole Webb; Joseph Forte, at 132, beat Bolles Akshay Ketty 6-3; Laird Duhaylungsod beat Bryce Culp of Cocoa with a first period pin; Chris Chop at 175 beating Christopher Aud of Yulee 5-0.

For Oakleaf, Keon Barrientos, at 144, beat Nikita Chechkovsky of Tocoi Creek 6-3 for that title.

In the Fleming Island vs. Clay duals match, Fleming Island rolled to a quick 16-0 lead; pin by Laird Duhaylungsod, win to Tyler Frein, Kaden Schaefer, and Dylan Beck before Clay got a win from Landon Martin to get on the scoreboard. A pin to Chop preempted a 5-4 win from Clay's Will Kelly over Ladarius Jackson for a 22-6 tab. Clay's Jaden Bell rolled over Fleming Island's Kevin Reyes in 215, but eventually lost a 9-2 decision to 25-12.

Fleming Island freshman Calvin Wells went 7-0 with Mukaddam holding off an active attack from Clay's Vonte Burke for an 11-3 win to 34-12.

In the penultimate match, possibly the most anticipated, Shane Duhaylungsod held off a strong attack from Clay's Rylan Herrera for a tough 3-0 win with Clay's Drew Holmquist besting Joe Forte 6-0 for the final 37-15.