C. Milton Wright crowned fourth-ranked junior Aaron Moccia (175), 14th-ranked senior Kane Desch (120) and freshman Rory Sweeney (106) on Saturday among seven finalists and 10 wrestlers who finished within the top four of their weight classes.
The trio’s efforts helped the 29th-ranked Mustangs (239 points) to overcome runner-up Harford Tech (171) and dethrone third-place Rising Sun (153.5) for the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference tournament crown.
The Mustangs’ runners-up were seventh-ranked senior Devin Sweeney (165), 14th-ranked junior Cameron Stepp (285), senior Sean Downey (113) and junior Dylan Roche (144)
There was also a third-place finish from 15th-ranked senior Mitchell Nguyen (132), and fourth place efforts from juniors Jacob Cox (126) and Nathan Wetzel (215) as the Mustangs (17-7) rebounded from the previous weekend's, 37-24, Class 2A state dual semifinal loss to eventual champion Huntingtown.
Coached by John Thornton, a 1999 graduate of C. Milton Wright where the 6-foot-2 former state champion went 37-0 as a senior, the Mustangs were UCBAC and region champs in 2020, and regional finalists in four straight seasons in 2018, 19, 20 and 22.
"Our guys took a day to reflect on our loss at state duals," said Thornton, who twice earned county and regional titles and was a state champion as a freshman in Virginia. "Then we were ready to get back after it this week and get the next best thing, which was an UCBAC Championship. We have overcome a lot of adversity this year and this week was no exception."
The Mustangs were without ninth-ranked junior Jaxon Simms, who is out for the season after having placed first and second in the past two UCBAC tournaments.
"We found out on Thursday that we were going to be without our 190-pounder, who is also our captain and one of our best wrestlers," said Thornton of Simms. "He ended up in the hospital with appendicitis and had to have surgery. But he was there on Saturday all day cheering us on just two days after surgery, and I think it helped motivate our guys. He’s tough as nails."
The second-place Cobras crowned 18th-ranked senior Zaden Tablan (113) and senior Nikolai Chervak (144), while the third-place Tigers had champions in second-ranked junior Zach Garvin (165), 14th-ranked senior Elijah Farr (215) and 15th-ranked junior Adan Stewart (126).
Tablan ran his record on the year to 34-2 following his title match 17-0 technical fall against Downey, having improved on last year's third-place finish at UCBACs.
Farr is 32-2 following his 9-2 decision over North Harford senior Holden Young, which earned his fourth straight UCBAC crown as he looks to win a fourth straight regional title and improve on his third, fifth and sixth place finishes at the Class 2A-1A state tournament.
Garvin won a battle of defending champions, 7-2, over Devin Sweeney, improving his record on the year to 36-1 as he looks to improve on last year’s regional runner-up effort and fifth-place state finish.
Stewart is a repeat title-winner following his 22-4 title match technical fall over Havre de Grace junior Conner Birth, whose record slips to 35-4.
Fourth-place Aberdeen crowned 15th-ranked senior Liam Peterson (150) and seniors Edward Caldwell (138) and Chase Lineberry (157),
Lineberry improved on last year's runner-up finish, rose 30-2 with his fall in 3:49 against Bohemia Manor senior Josh Allen, and dropped Allen's record to 42-3.
Peterson improved on last year's third place finish, rose to 26-1 with his 57-second fall against North East senior Mason Boyd, and dropped Boy's record to 36-3. Caldwell improved his record on the year to 16-1 with his 21-5 technical fall against Bel Air junior Andrew Montalvo.
Other champions were Patterson Mill sophomore Cole Christian (132), North Harford junior Andrew Coakley (190) and Bel Air sophomore Owen Reilly (285).
Reilly improved on last year's third place finish, raising his record this season to 19-1 with his championship bout, 4-1 decision over Stepp, who slips to 30-4.
A sixth-place finisher last year, Coakley won his crown by 12-1 major decision over Havre de Grace junior Ayden Winter, while Christian scored a fall in 5:41 over Bel Air junior Dominic Gray.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference
1 C. Milton Wright 239.0
2 Harford Tech 171.0
3 Rising Sun 153.5
4 Aberdeen 135.5
106
1st Place Match
Rory Sweeney (C. Milton Wright) 16-12, Fr. over Austin Nielsen (Patterson Mill) 28-7, Jr. (Fall 4:34)
3rd Place Match
Caiden Hickey (North East) 27-11, Fr. over Vincent Darienzo (North Harford) 20-9, Fr. (M. For.)
5th Place Match
Ben Towne (Bel Air) 16-17, Fr. over () , . (Bye)
113
1st Place Match
Zaden Tablan (Harford Tech) 34-2, Sr. over Sean Downey (C. Milton Wright) 14-4, Jr. (TF-1.5 2:40 (17-0))
3rd Place Match
Hunter Pettorossi (North East) 31-5, Sr. over Gavin Contreras (Elkton) 23-11, Fr. (Fall 3:27)
5th Place Match
Benjamin Grabia (North Harford) 13-15, Jr. over Owen Vallowe (Patterson Mill) 16-22, Fr. (TF-1.5 5:00 (20-4))
120
1st Place Match
Kane Desch (C. Milton Wright) 21-2, Sr. over Brendon Brown (Havre de Grace) 22-8, So. (Fall 1:53)
3rd Place Match
Cody Galbreath (Edgewood) 22-14, Jr. over Tyshon Little (Harford Tech) 19-15, So. (Dec 10-3)
5th Place Match
Syhrell Lewis (North East) 29-10, Jr. over Alex Gray (Bel Air) 21-17, So. (TF-1.5 3:27 (17-0))
126
1st Place Match
Adan Stewart (Rising Sun) 27-7, Jr. over Conner Birth (Havre de Grace) 35-4, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:19 (22-4))
3rd Place Match
Cameron Moore (Harford Tech) 24-11, So. over Jacob Cox (C. Milton Wright) 23-15, Jr. (Dec 10-7)
5th Place Match
Cole Bursk (Bel Air) 12-13, Sr. over Aiden Fodel (Fallston) 18-11, Sr. (M. For.)
132
1st Place Match
Cole Christian (Patterson Mill) 30-6, So. over Dominic Gray (Bel Air) 29-5, Jr. (Fall 5:41)
3rd Place Match
Mitchell Nguyen (C. Milton Wright) 32-6, Sr. over Vincent Kirby (Havre de Grace) 28-6, So. (Fall 1:33)
5th Place Match
Jamere Napper (Edgewood) 29-11, Sr. over Mason Long (Rising Sun) 29-11, Jr. (Fall 1:38)
138
1st Place Match
Edward Caldwell (Aberdeen) 16-1, Sr. over Andrew Montalvo (Bel Air) 29-11, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:50 (21-5))
3rd Place Match
Sawyer Bell (Rising Sun) 29-10, Jr. over Tamer El Fiki (Perryville) 25-12, Jr. (Dec 8-1)
5th Place Match
Lucas Fongemie (Havre de Grace) 29-9, Jr. over Nathan Claypoole (Harford Tech) 16-15, Jr. (M. For.)
144
1st Place Match
Nikolai Chervak (Harford Tech) 32-6, Sr. over Dylan Roche (C. Milton Wright) 21-12, Jr. (Fall 4:32)
3rd Place Match
Joel Oyekanmi (Joppatowne) 39-1, Sr. over Christian Joglar (Patterson Mill) 19-16, Sr. (Dec 7-4)
5th Place Match
Grant Smith (Bel Air) 25-19, Sr. over Josiah Rose (Perryville) 21-13, Sr. (Dec 5-2)
150
1st Place Match
Liam Peterson (Aberdeen) 26-1, Sr. over Mason Boyd (North East) 36-3, Sr. (Fall 0:57)
3rd Place Match
Tyler Henderson (Rising Sun) 28-9, Jr. over Christian Donlick (Harford Tech) 21-16, Jr. (Fall 4:06)
5th Place Match
Joza Peters (C. Milton Wright) 15-20, Sr. over Hayden Fritsche (Havre de Grace) 15-12, Sr. (Dec 11-5)
157
1st Place Match
Chase Lineberry (Aberdeen) 30-2, Sr. over Josh Allen (Bohemia Manor) 42-3, Sr. (Fall 3:49)
3rd Place Match
Austin Horn (Rising Sun) 27-9, Jr. over Reed Trimble (Perryville) 27-12, Sr. (Dec 14-8)
5th Place Match
Slayton Samuels (Havre de Grace) 27-13, So. over Carson Windesheim (C. Milton Wright) 20-14, Jr. (MD 14-0)
165
1st Place Match
Zach Garvin (Rising Sun) 36-1, Jr. over Devin Sweeney (C. Milton Wright) 29-7, Sr. (Dec 7-2)
3rd Place Match
Landon Knaub (North East) 24-7, Sr. over David Thani (Aberdeen) 20-8, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:38 (18-1))
5th Place Match
Ian Lewis (North Harford) 21-11, Sr. over Ayden Brown (Joppatowne) 31-11, Fr. (Dec 8-3)
175
1st Place Match
Aaron Moccia (C. Milton Wright) 27-3, Jr. over Jahaan Fields (North East) 32-5, Sr. (Fall 1:55)
3rd Place Match
Jonathan Fletcher (Patterson Mill) 31-6, Jr. over Shane Tressler (Edgewood) 31-8, Sr. (MD 10-2)
5th Place Match
Michael Hillier (Aberdeen) 26-10, Sr. over Luke Dallaire (Harford Tech) 22-12, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:25 (16-1))
190
1st Place Match
Andrew Coakley (North Harford) 17-8, Jr. over Ayden Winter (Havre de Grace) 26-7, Jr. (MD 12-1)
3rd Place Match
Evan Conner (Fallston) 21-9, Sr. over Parker Sweeney (Harford Tech) 19-13, Jr. (Fall 2:11)
5th Place Match
Grant Akers (Aberdeen) 14-13, Jr. over James Denny (Edgewood) 9-13, Jr. (Fall 1:45)
215
1st Place Match
Elijah Farr (Rising Sun) 32-2, Sr. over Holden Young (North Harford) 31-8, Sr. (Dec 9-2)
3rd Place Match
Kelly Bryant (Joppatowne) 33-7, So. over Nathan Whetzel (C. Milton Wright) 22-13, Sr. (Dec 6-2)
5th Place Match
Kylon Mitchell (Perryville) 28-8, Sr. over Brett Semple (Havre de Grace) 27-11, Jr. (Dec 4-1)
285
1st Place Match
Owen Reilly (Bel Air) 19-1, So. over Cameron Stepp (C. Milton Wright) 30-4, Jr. (Dec 4-1)
3rd Place Match
Miles Putney (Edgewood) 32-4, Sr. over Kaleb Johnson (Rising Sun) 24-11, Sr. (TB-1 3-2)
5th Place Match
Jermiah Allen (North East) 31-6, Jr. over James Seifert (Harford Tech) 17-15, So. (TF-1.5 3:49 (16-1))
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