4A/3A Lower Weight Wrestler of the Year... Congrats to Drew Montgomery!

Northern-Calvert’s top-ranked 144-pound senior Drew Montgomery has achieved a remarkable standard as a Calvert County wrestler.

Montgomery ran his single-season record to 39-0 with his third straight Class 4A-3A state tournament title in four title-match berths in March, earned his 53rd consecutive victory and the school-record 175th triumph of his career.

Already a four-time champion in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference and regional tournaments, Montgomery’s accomplishment made him the Patriots’ first-ever three-time state title-winner and also their initial four-time finalist.

In addition, Montgomery is believed to be one of the most dominant and prolific wrestlers in the history of the Calvert County and SMAC districts since Calvert High’s Ryan Buff, who graduated in 2006 with a career record of 155-3.

A four-time SMAC and regional champion, Buff went 43-0 as a senior, 40-0 as a junior, 40-1 as a sophomore and 32-2 as a freshman, earning a pair of Class 2A-1A state titles as a senior and a junior, and two each in third place finishes at Class 4A-3A states as a sophomore and a freshman.

Montgomery dominated his first couple of state tournament bouts on consecutive falls of 17-2 and 19-2 before earning his third victory by a pin in 3:01 over Roosevelt's 13th-ranked junior Leo Foreman, a Prince George's County champion and regional runner-up with a record of 32-2 who rebounded to finish third at states.

Montgomery won his title match by a fall in 1:47 over 12th-ranked junior Jose Lazo of Reservoir, a Howard County champion who defeated Foreman, 10-7, in overtime of their previous weekend's Class 4A-3A South Regional title match.

Montgomery earned his eighth and ninth technical falls of the season giving him 17 for his career, decked his 26th and 27th opponents on the year for 112 career pins, and has been named Legacy Wrestling’s Lower Weight Wrestler Of The Year for his efforts.

“It’s an honor being named 4A/3A Lower Weight Wrestler Of The Year. It’s a nice accomplishment to end the year off with,” said Montgomery, a 3.7 student who will wrestle for Roanoke College. “The reason I’m going to Roanoke College is because it fits my personality the best and I like the way the team is run as a whole. The coaches can help me to achieve my goals.”

A state runner-up as a freshman, Montgomery became the first sophomore from Northern to win a state title, tied three others by winning his second crown as a junior, and surpassed any previous Patriots' wrestler by becoming a four-time state finalist as a senior.

The Patriots’ other two-time state champions are Jason Gabrielson in 1996 and 1997, Collin Leadbeter in 2006 and 2007, and Brant Leadbeter in 2012 and 2013.

Northern's second-year coach Cam Watkins is a former champion in the MIAA, private school states and Class 4A-3A State tournaments who was once a National Preps Tournament runner-up.

“Drew has done an incredible job by not only being a leader in the program, but also, continuing to do the things on and off the mat which make him a champion in life,” Watkins said. “Drew has set the bar high for all future Northern Wrestlers. We can only hope that the next wave of student athletes see Drew’s accomplishments on and off of the mat as a way to motivate themselves as they strive to be their best.”

As a junior, Montgomery won his third of an eventual four straight SMAC crowns with a 10-1 major decision over third-place Class 4A-3A state place winning senior Brian Davis of Calvert, who went on to complete his season with a record of 21-1 that included regional and Class 2A-1A state tournament titles.

Montgomery’s victories also include 16-1 technical fall victories over Arundel’s sixth-ranked senior Luca Brown, a two-time Anne Arundel County champion who has placed second and third at regions and twice finished fourth at states. Foreman finished third at states after defeating Brown, 6-2.

As a freshman, Montgomery went 44-1, losing his state title match, 4-2, to then-junior Ayden Smith of Springbrook, whose season ended with a record of 37-1.

The owner of a 53-match winning streak, Montgomery’s previous loss was a 4-2 decision on February 3, 2024 to second-ranked three-time Class 2A-1A state champion junior Jo Jo Gigliotti of South Carroll.

Montgomery avenged the loss to Gigliotti in the finals of January's War On The Shore Tournament, where he earned an overtime, 4-1 decision. The score was tied at 1-1 when Montgomery countered Gigliotti’s overtime shot for a three-point takedown.

The victory represented the school-record 150th for Montgomery, while the loss was the first in the high school career for Gigliotti to a Maryland public or private school wrestler during the high school regular or postseason. Giglittoi finished this, his junior year, with a record of 42-1,

“I’m planning on attending the National Tournament to watch Drew next season,” Watkins said. “I expect great things from Drew in the coming years at Roanoke.”

Northern's three-time state champion

Drew Montgomery

Norther's two-time state champions

Jason Gabrielson

Collin Leadbeter

Brant Leadbeter

Northern's Individual Champions

1996 Jason Gabrielson

1997 Jason Gabrielson

2004 Randy Oates

2006 Collin Leadbeter

2007 Collin Leadbeter

2009 Jeff Williams

2012 Brant Leadbeter

2013 Brant Leadbeter

2013 Eric Hoffman

2014 Brendan Coughlin

2022 Emma Hardeman

2022 Brianna Holcomb

2023 Brianna Holcomb

2023 Drew Montgomery

2024 Emily Boling

2024 Drew Montgomery

2025 Drew Montgomery