FWB hosts 6th Annual Beast of the Beach Wrestling tournament

FORT WALTON BEACH – In what has become an annual rite of the holiday season, Fort Walton Beach wrestling coach Tobi Marez and the Vikings will open their gym to a host of schools for the 6th Annual Beast of the Beach Duals tournament Friday.

This year’s tournament will feature its largest number of participating schools yet, as well as an altered format designed to get wrestlers even more mat time than in years past.

Sixteen schools, including area programs Choctawhatchee, Crestview, Fort Walton Beach and Niceville, will enter this weekend’s two-day tournament. Arnold, Bozeman, Florida High, Gulf Breeze, Haden (Ala.), Tallahassee Lincoln, Milton, Mosley, Marianna, Pace, Tate and Wakulla will also be on hand.

Unlike in the past, schools competing in this year’s event will be broken into three pools (A, B and C) today for what, essentially, will be a round robin tournament. Day 2 will bracket the top eight teams, based on today’s results, into the winners’ bracket with the next eight being slotted in the backside bracket. The top three teams will receive trophies.

Marez said the goal of this year’s formatting was to ensure each wrestler more matches – at least seven, no more than the state-mandated two-day total of 10 – and to make the event even more competitive.

“Pool wrestling sets you up for success,” Marez said, “if you do well in your pool, you have a chance to go for first, second or third. It gives us a chance to get good mat time for the wrestlers.”

Fort Walton Beach and Choctaw have been assigned to Pool A today, and will face off against one another at 10 a.m. to open this year’s meet. Haden, Gulf Breeze, Tate and Pace fill out the pool. Pool B, which begins wrestling at 3 p.m. today, consists of Crestview, Lincoln, Marianna, Milton and Florida High. Pool C, which also gets underway at 3 p.m., has Arnold, Wakulla, Bozeman, Niceville and Mosley.

This year’s total of 16 schools is six better than last year’s meet. According to Marez, next year’s event is tentatively set to involve 26 schools.

“It’s huge for us,” Marez said. “I think it’s good for the area and good for the kids. This tournament helps bring a little more attention to our sport and the kids.”

6th Annual Beast of the Beach

At Fort Walton Beach High School

Friday-Saturday

Pool A – wrestling begins at 10 a.m.

FWB, Choctaw, Haden, Gulf Breeze, Tate, Pace

Pool B – wrestling begins at 3 p.m.

Crestview, Lincoln, Marianna, Miltno, Florida High

Pool C – wrestling begins at 3 p.m.

Arnold, Wakulla, Bozeman, Niceville, Mosley

Follow Travis Downey on Twitter: @TravisDnwfdn