Making it count

Hunter Reed was on a mission. 

After falling to the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the state in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A FHSAA Wrestling Championships March 13, in Kissimmee, the Lakewood Ranch High sophomore calmly walked off the mat and turned his attention to a new task. 

Reed was prepared to battle his way back. 

Over the course of the next day-and-a-half Reed returned to the mat for wrestle backs, winning his next four matches to finish third in the 113-pound weight class. It was Reed’s second-consecutive medal after finishing second in the 106-pound weight class last season as a freshman. 

“I was kind of disappointed (when I lost) because I knew I could win (it all), but it put me on a mission,” Reed says. “I might not have been able to win, but I could win all the way up to third. 

“I was pleasantly pleased,” Reed says. “I wasn’t ecstatic, but I was happy.” 

Reed, who finished the season 59-2 and won both district and regional titles, was forced to move up a weight class this season after a summer growth spurt. 

“I was happy because I know I’m getting bigger,” Reed says. “I don’t like being small. It’s definitely hard (at 113) though because the strength is much higher. The regular season helped open my eyes a bit to what 113 is really like.” 

Reed spent the summer and the regular season training with teammate Dylan Cameron, who finished fourth in the state last year at 120 pounds. Being able to train with one another every day proved beneficial for both wrestlers as they headed into state competition. 

Cameron, a junior at Lakewood, also made a return trip to the state tournament. And similar to Reed, Cameron also wrestled in a tougher weight class. Cameron spent last season wrestling at 126 before dropping down to 120 for the state tournament. But this season, Cameron opted to stay at 126. 

After falling to the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the state in the quarterfinals, Cameron won his next three matches before falling in the final match of wrestle backs to finish fourth overall. Cameron, who also won a district title, finished the season 55-6. 

This week, Reed and Cameron traveled to Virginia Beach for the 26th annual NHSCA High School Nationals, March 27 through March 29. It’s the second straight season both Reed and Cameron have been invited to compete. 

“It means a lot knowing we are competing with the best wrestlers (in the country),” Reed says. “It makes me more confident in my overall ability.”