Josh DaSilveira symbolized everything that is Florida wrestling at last week’s National High School Coaches Association tournaments in Virginia Beach, Va.
Unknown and overlooked, the Barron Collier junior breezed through the competition en route to the Junior Nationals 189-pound title. Taken down just once, DaSilveira won his five matches by a combined 32-18 score.
While Florida produces more elite caliber wrestlers each year the state lacks the history of Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and so many other states. The result is somewhat of a cold shoulder for Florida newbies on the national stage.
But as DaSilveira can attest, talent trumps history and prestige.
“You have to be humble in this sport,” DaSilveira said. “You never know what’s going to happen; I wasn’t even seeded at this thing. … No matter what there’s always somebody who wants to beat you who is training hard.”
The Cougars standout opened the Junior Nationals with a 6-4 decision Wednesday against Mike Mirra, the No. 3 seed from Pennsylvania. DaSilveira followed up with a 5-2 decision against Utah’s Derek Thomas, a 7-1 decision against New Jersey’s Tyler Lyster and a 6-5 decision against Colorado’s Clint Myers to reach the finals.
“The state champ from Colorado, he was the first kid to take me down the whole tournament,” said DaSilveira, whose dominance continued in the championship.
Facing Phil Sprenkle, the No. 1 seed from Pennsylvania, DaSilveira scored an 8-6 decision. Sprenkle’s points came courtesy of three escapes, a reversal and a late stalling. It was the escape in the final 30 seconds of the second period, however, that almost turned the match.
“He hurt his ankle real bad in that last match … I think he’s going to be laid up for the next three or four weeks,” Barron coach Jeff Mustari said. “He got rolled and it popped; I mean it sounded like a tree branch. Fortunately he was able to suck it up and hold on in the third period.”
DaSilveira became just the second national champion from Collier County. Lely High’s Obenson Blanc won a Senior Nationals title in 2003.
“The most interesting thing about it all is Jeff Mustari,” Lely assistant coach Thom Popoli said. “There have been two national champions from Collier County … and both were coached by Jeff Mustari. To me, that says what an outstanding coach Jeff is.”
Barron’s Austin Vajen and D.J. Macyke also competed in the Junior Nationals, but the duo was a combined 0-4. Oviedo junior Jay Taylor, who edged DaSilveira 5-4 in the Class 2A state finals, placed second at 215 pounds.
Five Collier County wrestlers fared slightly better at the Senior Nationals. Barron 140 Richie Blasucci, Golden Gate heavyweight Raul Gonzalez, Lely 125 Wismit Moinius and Palmetto Ridge’s 119, Blaine Ison, and 130, Cody Singletary, each finished 2-2.
“Where does that put you, top 20? I’ll take it,” Popoli said. “I mean to be considered in the top 20 in the entire country is pretty good.
“In an era of Title IX where wrestling is disappearing from the landscape across the country, we’re doing our best to build it up in Collier County.”
The next national competition for Collier’s elite wrestlers likely will be June’s Disney Duals in Orlando. After that, some may travel to Fargo, N.D., for the Freestyle National Championships.
While DaSilveira plans to travel to Fargo he’s never competed in freestyle, which is more about position and strategy than the folkstyle of high school wrestling.
“We’ll make that transition to freestyle in about a month once the ankle feels better,” Mustari said. “We’ll see how he does, feel it out and then decide if we’ll send him out there.”
If the decision were up to DaSilveira, the tickets to Fargo would already be in hand. He referred to the Junior Nationals as the “first step of a journey.”
“Wherever it takes me I’ll do it,” DaSilveira said. “If it takes me to the Olympics, I’ll do it. If it takes me to NCAAs, I’ll do it. … I do this because I love it.
LOL.
