Curley Becomes Everyone's Knightmare

Sophomore Liam Rose (113) won the event for the second straight year, while 11th-ranked sophomore Evan Kaliakoudas (126) and sixth-ranked junior Oscar Davis (150) improved on last season’s runner-up and third place finishes as 20th-ranked Archbishop Curley won last weekend’s 14-team Knightmare Invitational at Parkville for the second straight year.

The trio was among five champions, nine finalists and 10 top grapplers who finished within the top three of their weight categories for the Friars, with freshmen Dominic Blocker (106) and Jack Bittinger (120) being the other title winners.

Runners-up were seniors Adeoluwa Adewuyi (175) and Bailen Boutz (190), junior Braylon Bradford (285) and freshmen Bradlee Anderson (157) as the Friars (265.5 points) outpaced second-place Poolesville (206.5).

Photo Credit: Asa Wexler (Thanks Asa!!)

Sophomore Josiah Williamson (215) finished third for the Friars, whose coach, Paul Boettcher, is a 1999 graduate of Archbishop Curley and a former Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association and private schools state champion.

“We took 13 Varsity wrestlers to the Knightmare Tournament at Parkville High School and we had a tournament-high nine finalists,” said Boettcher, who twice finished third at National Preps and earned fourth place at the National High School Coaches’ Association Tournament.

“Six of those wrestlers were competing in their first event as Curley varsity starters, and another was filling in for a sick starter, so we are not yet at full strength. Our 165 pounder is not yet certified for that weight. Of the 13 wrestlers, 12 placed in the top six. As a team, we completely outpaced the rest of the field.”

Rose earned a technical fall, a fall in 1:50 of his semifinal, and decked his championship rival in 96 seconds. Kaliakoudas had a pair of 15-0 technical falls, and Davis, pins in 75 seconds, 1:55 and 3:51.

Blocker earned an 18-0 technical fall and a championship pin in 3:31, and Bittinger, a pin in 1:44 and an 11-2 title match major decision over Carmen Mitchell of Chesapeake of Baltimore County.

The tournament was a successful one for a trio of title-winning Wexler siblings from Poolesville High. Twin-brothers, Asa (157) and Zoya (175) are juniors whose championships paced the Falcons’ boys, while their 170-pound freshman sister, Yael, was among five title-winners leading the Falcons’ girls (169 points) to their team crown ahead of second place Great Mills (126).

The brothers were joined on the podium by Falcons’ teammates Ethan Dimmerling (132) and Anthony Juarez (165).

Ranked eighth-ranked, Zoya is a returning champion in the Montgomery County and Class 2A-1A West Regional tournaments who was fourth at Class 2A-1A states last season. Asa was sixth in the counties and regions.

Zoya was named Outstanding Wrestler after nailing down pins in 62 seconds and 1:56 before scoring a 17-2 technical fall over Adewuyi

“It’s an incredible way to start the season. Winning the tournament and getting Outstanding Wrestler means a lot, but the best part was being there for my teammates and having them there for me. Our team is close like a family. Everyone’s support really drives me,” Zoya said.

“On the wrestling team, our motto is, ‘I believe.’ That mindset is what gets me through the tough matches. Skills and strength matter but believing in yourself is what really makes the difference. I’m grateful to my coaches.”

Asa pinned all three of his opponents in 55 seconds, 62 seconds and 4:31 of his title match with Anderson.

“This was my first tournament win of my high school career. I was excited to start off my first wrestling season as the new team captain.” Asa said. “A lot of new wrestlers have joined the varsity, and we had high hopes for this tournament. I’m proud of myself and of all of my teammates who placed within the top six.”

Asa was born with an autosomal recessive visual impairment called “achromatopsia,” a rare inherited eye disorder that affects color vision. Asa has utilized special visually impaired accommodations at Poolesville, where he is an honors student.

Asa and his opponents must begin a match by touching palms. Contact must be maintained throughout the match, and if contact is not maintained, the referee has to blow the whistle and stop the action in order to get the wrestlers back into contact.

“I was nervous while warming up for my finals match. Something I like to think about is how much my coach tells us we should never use the word ‘can’t,’” Asa said. “If I think I can’t win, then I have already lost. I walked onto the mat with an ‘I can’ mindset because the first step to success is believing in yourself.”

Dimmerling also pinned all three opponents in 2:25, 3:28 and 4:13, the latter in his title match with Blake’s 10th-ranked senior Brody Matson, who is a returning regional runner-up and placed third in last year’s Montgomery County tournament.

Juarez sandwiched a 6-3 semifinal decision between pins in 4:40 and 3:02, the last match being in his title bout with Chesapeake’s Joshua Martinez.

Third place Eastern Tech crowned a pair of champions in 15th-ranked senior Chase Ullman (144) and Mason Chesnavage (215), as did fourth-place Boys Latin in Cooper Monroe (138) and Carter Beck (285).

Ullman earned falls in 48 and 69 seconds before polishing off Dundalk’s Clayton Frasier by a 15-0 technical fall in their title match. Ullman is a two-time Baltimore County champion who has earned one regional crown in two appearances and placed third at Class 2A-1A states last season.

Chesnavage earned pins in 78 seconds and 5:05 before winning his championship match, 10-1, over Patapsco’s John Martin.

Monroe won the event for the second consecutive year by sandwiching a 7-2 semifinal decision between victories by 22-2 technical fall and a pin in 2:50 of his title match with Towson’s Ethan Grace.

Beck pinned all three opponents in the first period comprising those in 13 seconds, 1:54 and 1:47, the last coming against Bradford.

Lansdowne crowned ninth-ranked Chase Swiger (190), who earned falls in 95 and 96 seconds before scoring a 14-3 major decision over Boutz.

On the girls’ side, Yaels’ title-winning teammates were juniors Ava Shelburne (105) and Alina Fang (115) and sophomores Mary Tighe Dansbury (120) and Layla Tao (125), the latter being the niece of coach Chris Tao. Shelburne and Tao are ranked ninth, and Fang is ranked third. Yael was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Girls’ Tournament.

“This was my first match as a high schooler and on the varsity, so I was super nervous. I just kept thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, what if I mess up? What if I lose points for the team?’ But then I reminded myself that the worst thing that could happen was losing,” said Yael, who scored falls in 40 and 35 seconds, the latter in her title bout with sophomore Ariana Benato of Great Mills.

“There’s nothing more than that. I told myself that my goal shouldn’t be just to win. Winning is the cherry on top. My real goal should be to do my absolute best. Once I focused on that, everything felt clearer. I went out there, gave it everything I had, and, in the end, I did get that cherry on top, and I won.”

Rising Sun’s fourth-ranked senior Anna Farr (155), who has finished third at states the past two seasons, scored a 14-second fall to win the event for the second straight year.

Other highly-rated girls winning titles were third-ranked Edgewood senior Triniti Green (135), fifth-ranked Patapsco senior Gianna Guarnera (145) and eighth-ranked Parkville sophomore Erin Smith (100). Guarnera and Smith nailed down title-match falls in 61 and 52 seconds.

Blake High School crowned a pair of female wrestlers in senior Tiffany Ojeda (190) and sophomore Avah Taylor (235), who decked their title match rivals in 14 and 59 seconds.

Also winning titles in the girls’ tournament were Clarksburg freshman Elana Pelaez (110), Dundalk senior Emily Cabo (130) and Wheaton junior Kayla Buchanan (140).

Knightmare Invitational- Coed

1 Archbishop Curley 265.5

2 Poolesville 206.5

3 Eastern Tech 149.5

4 Boys` Latin 135.5

5 James Hubert Blake 126.0

6 Towson 115.5

7 Wheaton 99.0

8 Lansdowne 90.5

9 Dundalk 82.0

10 Chesapeake BC 70.0

11 Parkville 60.0

12 Patapsco 42.5

13 Pikesville 33.0

14 Jackson-Reed, DC 5.0

106

1st Place Match

Dominic Blocker (Curley) 2-0, over Glenn Lail (Lansdowne) 1-1, . (Fall 3:31)

3rd Place Match

Gavin Knuth (Poolesville) 3-1, over Javier Rojas-Dionicio (Dundalk) 2-2, . (Fall 2:45)

5th Place Match

Makhi Robinson (Parkville) 0-2,. over () , . (Bye)

113

1st Place Match

Liam Rose (Curley) 3-0, over Joel Verdier (Dundalk) 1-1, . (Fall 1:36)

3rd Place Match

Kevin Vasquez (Wheaton) 3-1, over Braylon Lawson (Towson) 2-2, . (Fall 2:45)

5th Place Match

Josh Miller (Poolesville) 1-2, over Douglas Black (James Hubert Blake) 1-3, . (SV-1 11-8)

120

1st Place Match

Jack Bittinger (Curley) 2-0, over Carmen Mitchell (Chesapeake) 2-1, . (MD 11-2)

3rd Place Match

Jonas Ritz (Eastern Tech) 3-1, over Enzo Rouhofer (Boys` Latin) 2-2, . (Fall 0:22)

5th Place Match

Thomas Askey (Towson) 1-2, over Kuzey Turan (Poolesville) 1-3, . (Fall 1:31)

126

1st Place Match

Evan Kaliakoudas (Curley) 2-0, over Eli Moy (James Hubert Blake) 2-1, . (TF-1.5 4:32 (15-0))

3rd Place Match

Adam Burton (Eastern Tech) 3-1, over Ali Elshafei (Dundalk) 1-2, . (Fall 1:56)

5th Place Match

Michael Willingham (Towson) 2-2, over Atharva Bengeri (Wheaton) 1-3, . (Fall 2:10)

132

1st Place Match

Ethan Dimmerling (Poolesville) 3-0, over Brody Matson (James Hubert Blake) 2-1, . (Fall 4:13)

3rd Place Match

Jayden Kautz (Parkville) 3-1, over Michael Zuart Vera (Lansdowne) 2-2, . (Dec 5-0)

5th Place Match

Kamryn Ginyard (Curley) 4-2,. over Derek Deras Peraza (Wheaton) 3-3, . (Fall 1:48)

138

1st Place Match

Cooper Monroe (Boys` Latin) 3-0, over Ethan Grace (Towson) 2-1, . (Fall 2:50)

3rd Place Match

Juris Lastimosa (Chesapeake) 3-1, over Brenden Hale (Lansdowne) 2-2, . (Dec 3-2)

5th Place Match

Matt Olivares (James Hubert Blake) 3-2, over Kyran Hockaday (Parkville) 3-3, . (Dec 10-5)

144

1st Place Match

Chase Ullmann (Eastern Tech) 3-0, over Clayton Frasier (Dundalk) 2-1, . (TF-1.5 2:19 (15-0))

3rd Place Match

Antoan Zaprianov**** (Wheaton) 3-1, over Ben Schneider (Poolesville) 2-2, . (Fall 0:13)

5th Place Match

Carlos Argueta (James Hubert Blake) 3-2, over J.D. Faro (Curley) 1-3, . (Fall 2:21)

150

1st Place Match

Oscar Davis (Curley) 3-0, over Nicolas Young (Towson) 2-1, . (Fall 3:51)

3rd Place Match

Matan Radel (Poolesville) 3-1, over Bence Morphet (Eastern Tech) 2-2, . (Dec 10-3)

5th Place Match

Alexander Tilleria (Wheaton) 4-2, over Finn Ladenson (Boys` Latin) 3-3, . (Fall 0:35)

157

1st Place Match

Asa Wexler (Poolesville) 3-0, over Bradlee Anderson (Curley) 2-1, . (Fall 4:31)

3rd Place Match

Korben Suskin (Towson) 3-1, over Kolawole Marville (Wheaton) 2-2, . (Fall 0:59)

5th Place Match

Kamryn Caldwell (Patapsco) 2-2, over Lucas Villatoro (James Hubert Blake) 1-3, . (Fall 2:11)

165

1st Place Match

Anthony Juarez (Poolesville) 3-0, over Joshua Martinez (Chesapeake) 2-1, . (Fall 3:02)

3rd Place Match

Mustapha Sesay (Towson) 3-1, over Taite Natabayashi (Eastern Tech) 2-2, . (Dec 9-4)

5th Place Match

Hudson Layne (Boys` Latin) 3-2, over Mung Khai (James Hubert Blake) 2-3, . (Fall 0:56)

175

1st Place Match

Zoya Wexler (Poolesville) 3-0, . over Adeoluwa Adewuyi (Curley) 2-1, . (TF-1.5 3:53 (17-2))

3rd Place Match

Jay Greene (Boys` Latin) 4-1, over Breon Johnson (Parkville) 2-2, . (Fall 1:43)

5th Place Match

Lucas McDougall (Eastern Tech) 2-2, over Jared Perez (James Hubert Blake) 1-3, . (Fall 4:18)

190

1st Place Match

Chase Swiger (Lansdowne) 3-0, over Bailen Boutz (Curley) 2-1, . (MD 14-3)

3rd Place Match

Wylee Tomehiemua (Pikesville) 5-1, over Samuel David-Adesua (Eastern Tech) 2-2, . (MD 13-5)

5th Place Match

Behr Schickler (Poolesville) 2-2, over Jakai Corsnitz (Parkville) 2-3, . (Fall 3:43)

215

1st Place Match

Mason Chesnavage (Eastern Tech) 3-0, over John Martin (Patapsco) 2-1, . (MD 10-1)

3rd Place Match

Josiah Williamson (Curley) 3-1, over Gianluca Radice (Poolesville) 2-2, . (Fall 4:48)

5th Place Match

Keno Brown (Boys` Latin) 3-2, over Aiden Gonzalez (Chesapeake) 1-3, . (Dec 7-1)

285

1st Place Match

Carter Beck (Boys` Latin) 3-0, over Braylon Bradford (Curley) 3-1, . (Fall 1:47)

3rd Place Match

Alex Soria-Espinoza (Lansdowne) 4-1, over Alejandro Marquez Garcia (James Hubert Blake) 2-2, . (Fall 4:46)

5th Place Match

Jamin Romero (Dundalk) 2-2, over Aoden Dickerson (Pikesville) 2-3, . (For.)

Knightmare Invitational: Female

1 Poolesville, MD Poolesville 169.0

2 Great Mills, MD Great Mills 126.0

3 James Hubert Blake 115.0

4 Patapsco, 102.5

5 Clarksburg 98.0

5 Wheaton 98.0

7 Dundalk 83.0

8 Jackson-Reed, DC 64.0

9 Parkville 59.5

10 Edgewood 46.5

11 Rising Sun43.5

12 Towson 26.0

13 Pikesville 7.0

100

1st Place Match

Erin Smith (Parkville) 2-0, So. over Maya Zapryanova (Wheaton) 1-1, So. (Fall 4:48)

3rd Place Match

Aditri Nair (Clarksburg) 1-1, Fr. over Danah Caponpon (Pikesville) 0-2, . (Fall 2:49)

105

1st Place Match

Ava Shelburne (Poolesville) 1-0, Jr. over Cecilia Guzman (Wheaton) 0-1, Fr. (Fall 0:35)

110

1st Place Match

Elana Pelaez (Clarksburg) 3-0, Fr. over May Brownstein (Rising Sun) 2-1, Jr. (Fall 0:52)

3rd Place Match

Sofia (Alba) Zhibri (Patapsco) 2-1, Jr. over Mariana Rodriguez Dodson (Edgewood) 1-2, Jr. (Fall 0:46)

5th Place Match

Rylee Ireland (Dundalk) 1-2, So. over () , . (For.)

115

1st Place Match

Alina Fang (Poolesville) 2-0, Jr. over Makenzie Saunders (Dundalk) 2-1, Fr. (Fall 1:58)

3rd Place Match

Amanda Eubanks (Parkville) 3-1, So. over Peyton Ellenburg (Patapsco) 2-2, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:17 (16-1))

5th Place Match

Isabella Rodriguez Dodson (Edgewood) 1-2, So. over Annaelle Adewi (Clarksburg) 1-3, Fr. (Fall 4:06)

120

1st Place Match

Mary Tighe Dansby (Poolesville) 3-0, So. over Yoselyn Ventura (James Hubert Blake) 2-1, So. (Fall 2:27)

3rd Place Match

Aliyah Aldabbagh (Patapsco) 3-1, Fr. over Caitlyn Esposito (Dundalk) 2-2, So. (Fall 0:41)

5th Place Match

Isabella Rosado-Lewis (Great Mills) 2-2, So. over Avery Pearl (Towson) 1-3, Fr. (Fall 3:00)

125

1st Place Match

Layla Tao (Poolesville) 2-0, So. over Cayla Walker (Dundalk) 1-1, So. (Fall 4:49)

3rd Place Match

Laila Osorio (James Hubert Blake) 3-1, Fr. over Breanna Evans (Great Mills) 1-2, So. (Fall 1:35)

5th Place Match

Yara Alkhadhar (Clarksburg) 2-2, Fr. over Madison Warren*** (Edgewood) 0-3, So. (Fall 1:42)

130

1st Place Match

Emily Cabo (Dundalk) 2-0, Sr. over Audrey Bowes (Great Mills) 1-1, Fr. (Fall 0:17)

3rd Place Match

Zoe Lewis (Jackson-Reed) 3-1, Jr. over Chloe Jadav (Clarksburg) 1-2, Fr. (Fall 1:34)

5th Place Match

Raine Lai (Patapsco) 2-2, Jr. over Ella Jackson (Poolesville) 0-3, So. (Fall 4:51)

135

1st Place Match

Triniti Green (Edgewood) 3-0, Sr. over Addison Hagen (Poolesville) 2-1, So. (Dec 10-3)

3rd Place Match

Keillean Gomez (Great Mills) 3-1, Jr. over Maya Szymanski (Jackson-Reed) 2-2, Jr. (Fall 4:43)

5th Place Match

Sophia Lopez-Flamenco (Wheaton) 2-2, Fr. over Savannah Lagana (Patapsco) 1-3, Fr. (Fall 3:00)

140

1st Place Match

Kayla Buchanan (Wheaton) 3-0, Jr. over Isa Zallman (Jackson-Reed) 2-1, So. (Fall 2:16)

3rd Place Match

Ta`siah Johnson (Patapsco) 3-1, So. over Isabella Aguirre (Clarksburg) 2-2, Fr. (Dec 16-9)

5th Place Match

Sofia Jeanes (Towson) 2-2, Fr. over Taylor Aitchison (Great Mills) 1-3, Sr. (Fall 0:53)

145

1st Place Match

Gianna Guarnera (Patapsco) 2-0, Sr. over Allison De La Rosa (Great Mills) 1-1, So. (Fall 1:01)

3rd Place Match

Judith Adeniji (Clarksburg) 3-1, Fr. over Sofia Gangemella (Poolesville) 2-2, Fr. (Fall 4:53)

5th Place Match

Megan Pham (James Hubert Blake) 1-2, Sr. over Genesis Carranza Beltran (Wheaton) 0-3, So. (Fall 0:53)

155

1st Place Match

Anna Farr (Rising Sun) 2-0, Sr. over Abbygail Lozano (Great Mills) 1-1, Jr. (Fall 0:14)

3rd Place Match

Maya Williams (Wheaton) 3-1, Jr. over Kelsey Kelley (Parkville) 2-2, Jr. (Fall 1:52)

5th Place Match

Meadow Tobar (James Hubert Blake) 1-2, Sr. over Vaia Rogers (Edgewood) 0-3, Jr. (Fall 1:59)

170

1st Place Match

Yael Wexler (Poolesville) 2-0, Fr. over Ariana Benato (Great Mills) 1-1, So. (Fall 0:35)

3rd Place Match

Angelina Devitt-Tapia (James Hubert Blake) 2-1, Fr. over Bintu Fadera (Wheaton) 1-2, So. (Fall 0:35)

5th Place Match

Nakayla Lebo (Parkville) 0-2, So. over () , . (Bye)

190

1st Place Match

Tiffany Ojeda (James Hubert Blake) 2-0, Sr. over Savannah Heyward (Jackson-Reed) 0-1, So. (Fall 0:14)

3rd Place Match

Viandra Bryan (Great Mills) 0-1, So. over () , . (Bye)

235

1st Place Match

Avah Taylor (James Hubert Blake) 2-0, So. over Lily Merino (Poolesville) 0-1, So. (Fall 0:59)

3rd Place Match

Mone` Blue (Towson) 0-1, Jr. over () , . (Bye)