PCHS Bulletin – Paige Harlow and Alyse Renda
Date Published – January 29, 2026
The boys wrestling team has been pushing themselves to new limits this season. They recently competed in the duals championship, falling one match shy of qualifying for states. However, they did take a second-place finish in the District Duals match on January 8.
Head Coach Tyler Small works alongside Assistant Coach Alex Boukheir to train the wrestlers six days a week as they work at sharpening their technique and focusing on upcoming meets.
“My favorite part about working with the team is helping the guys and girls succeed not only on the mat but off the mat and learn how to overcome adversity,” Boukheir said.
Boukheir started working alongside Small last year. Their teamwork has led to numerous improvements with the wrestling program. They have a great system that focuses on progress consistently, and the wrestlers have brought 100% effort to their season so far.
Small highlighted wrestlers Aiden Sanders (Sr.) and Nikolai Krywko (Gr.) as they continue to solidify their state ranking in their respective weight class.
Previous matches with success include the Coach Kelly Memorial Tournament where Sanders and Krywko both went undefeated 7-0. Not only did this help the team beat Manatee High School for the first time in program history, but they also beat wrestlers that were ranked top five in the state.
On December 6, the boys took a sixth-place team victory at the Ben Richards IBT. Wrestlers Krywko joined Mar-Keyon Maxwell (Sr.) with second-place finishes. Sanders was joined by Liam Tan (Sr.), and Angel Muniz (Sr.) for third-place finishes.
During winter break, the boys hosted their annual Bulls Duals on December 27. They took a third-place finish, falling just one match shy of defeating Brandon and Braden River High Schools.
After winter break, the boys took an impressive fourth place finish at the John Joyce Tournament on January 10. Sanders and Krywko continued to dominate by taking to the podium with second and first place finishes respectively. They were joined on the podium with fellow wrestlers Kenneth Goff (Jr.) for a second-place finish, as well as Jack Creaser (Jr.), Anthony Hernandez (Jr.), and Maxwell for third place finishes.
At the Moskowtiz IBT at George Jenkins High School on January 24, Creaser added his name to the season highlights. Small credited his accomplishments by saying he “knocked off several top 15 ranked opponents... he finished fifth in a bracket of 40 wrestlers.” Creaser is now ranked 12th in the state in his weight class.
The boys have a few more upcoming matches before their final championship season push with the Manatee County Championships scheduled on February 7 and the individual state championship series starting on February 19. They will also recognize their seniors in a duals match against Palmetto on February 4.