KEY WEST SENDS SIX TO STATES

Andre Otto Earns Regional Championship

Coach Chaz Jimenez’s trip to Kissimmee just got a bit more crowded. Three of his Lady Conchs earned a place in the brackets at the FHSAA 1A State Championships on March 2-4, and now three of his boys will join Sheyla Figueira, Ailee Briggs and Shannon Briggs following their performance at their regional wrestling championships.

Joining the inaugural girls’ team qualifiers is Ralph Riche, who entered the contest as the second seed. Riche was caught by surprise in the semis, placing him on a more difficult path to a coveted spot in the state brackets. Undeterred, Riche fought his way back, earning a third-place medal in Region 4 and a place at states. The second qualifying Conch was Abram Canet, who claimed fourth place in the region and a bid to states.

But it would be senior Andre Otto, ranked fourth heading into regionals, who stole the show. Otto wasted no time on the mats, winning four bouts in under 2 minutes in total. Otto’s wins included a forfeit and three pins, the second of which sent home the top seed in just 11 seconds.

There will not be any additional Keys wrestlers joining the Conchs at states this year, but it would be inaccurate to deem Coral Shores’ season anything but successful. Wrestling season may be over for the ’Canes, but the young team looks promising in the coming years. The five regional-qualifying ’Canes – Sebastian McCoy, Finn McDonough, Devin Smith, Jack Hill and Jayden Angel – are all just freshmen.