Three Brevard County high school basketball teams and 117 wrestlers are on the verge of making state tournament appearances.
Keon Smith shoots for Melbourne High during the first half against Hagerty.
Florida Prep will play at home Friday while Melbourne and Melbourne Central Catholic will travel for regional final boys basketball games.
Area wrestlers will split to compete in regional tournaments, with the 2-1A event for smaller schools being held at Titusville’s Eastern Florida State College campus gym.
Wrestling will begin at noon on Friday and then at 10 a.m. Saturday. Finals are tentatively set for 6 p.m. Astronaut and Space Coast both qualified 11 in the field of 14 weight classes, while Cocoa Beach and Rockledge sent 10 apiece.
Brevard’s regional wrestling qualifiers
The largest regional contingents belong to Merritt Island (13), Palm Bay (12), both of which will compete at Region 4-2A in Jensen Beach and Melbourne (12), headed to 2-3A in Lakeland.
For the Melbourne High boys basketball team, a state tournament trip would be a repeat event and the third in four seasons. The Bulldogs made their second-ever semifinals appearance a year ago in Class 7A. Now in 8A, Melbourne visits Tampa Sickles on Friday, and the winner will head to Lakeland for next week’s tournament.
The Lakeland Center will host the state tournament, which has been played in that building every year since 1996.
Florida Prep last made a state appearance in 2013 and won its fifth state title in 2007 as Florida Air Academy. Melbourne Central Catholic has made two state appearances, winning Class 2A in 1973.
Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Follow facebook.com/FLtoday.brianmccallum and @Brian_McCallum on Twitter.
Regional final basketball games
Friday
Class 8A: Melbourne at Tampa Sickles, 7 p.m.
Class 5A: Melbourne CC at Villages Charter, 7
Class 2A; Central Florida Christian at Florida, Prep, 7
Regional wrestling
Friday
Region 2-1A at Titusville EFSC, all day
Saturday
Region 2-1A at Titusville EFSC, 6 p.m. finals
High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/