Friends & Foes

Catonsville sophomore Owen Shelley entered the Springbrook gym minutes before 20th-ranked Long Reach sophomore Dominic Esposito’s 120-pound title match against South River’s 16th-ranked senior Trent Shipley in the Grapple At The Brook.

A week removed from a 4-2 loss to Shelley in the finals of the Davison Classic Tournament at Randallstown High, Esposito, nevertheless, ran over to and embraced his conqueror.

That’s because Owen and Dominic are friends and foes: Longtime buddies and training partners according to Esposito’s father, Tony, of the Columbia-based Vipers junior league program.

“I’ve coached both of them with the Vipers as teammates for four years. Our families hang out and even meet up on our beach vacations during the summer. Dom and Owen also train together year-round at the [Columbia-based] Headhunters [facility.] They’ve wrestled three times,” Tony Esposito said.

“In eighth grade, Dom won, 1-0. In ninth grade, Dom won, 2-1 at states. Owen won the last one, 4-2. It’s hard to find a tournament during the offseason where the two of them aren’t hanging out together the entire time. Before their match in the finals of the Davison Classic, their coaches had to tell them to stop hanging out.”

As a freshman, Esposito became only the Lightning's third-ever Howard County champion in advance of winning a Class 4A-3A South Region crown.

But in Shipley, Esposito faced a wrestler who had won a pair of Anne Arundel County titles in three championship berths, placed third, fourth and fifth at regions, and fifth at Class 4A-3A states.

Shelley positioned himself matside as Shipley squared up against Dominic Esposito, who had reached the finals following pins in 2:15 and 5:09.

Shipley’s first-period takedown earned a 3-0 lead entering the second period, where Esposito briefly evened the score at 3-3 with a takedown of his own. But Esposito trailed, 4-3, entering the third period after an escape by Shipley.

After choosing the bottom referee’s position to start the final period, Esposito tied the match at 4-4 with an escape before scoring a takedown for a 7-4 lead.

Shipley was within, 7-5, after an escape of his own, and, 7-6, after a stalling penalty against Esposito.

But Esposito managed the clock as time elapsed in his one-point victory and was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.

“Owen, his Dad, Cary, and his little brother, Evan, came to the tournament to cheer for Dom,” Tony Esposito said. “When Dom came off the mat after the match, Owen was the first person to greet him with a hug.”

And during Dominic Espositio’s post-match interview, Legacy Wrestling stepped aside and allowed Shelley to ask the questions.

“I knew Trent Shipley was an elite wrestler who had placed at states. He came out really aggressive and he got in on my legs just about every time from the neutral position,” Dominic Esposito told Shelley.

“But I just came into the match ready to be aggressive and to attack. I knew I had to re-attack. I kept getting him in that front headlock, trying to capitalize by getting behind and getting my three points for the takedown and that’s what paid off successfully in the end.”

Shelley is a returning Baltimore County tournament runner-up who was first in the Class 4A-3A North Regionals last year. Shelley has a record of 20-0 this year compared to Esposito’s of 21-1 with 15 pins and three technical falls.

Esposito finished last season with a record of 33-4, including a 2-2 mark at states. Shelley’s record of 31-5 a year ago included finishing 1-2 at states.

Shelley lost his state quarterfinal bout, 7-5, to Seneca Valley senior Isaiah Brewster, the eventual state runner-up following an overtime loss to Linganore senior Josh Arthur. Shelley was eliminated from states following a 2-1 loss to Esposito.

Esposito, in turn, was eliminated after losing his next bout, 6-1, to Walt Whitman’s Jabasie Trice, who is currently a 10th-ranked, 126-pound junior who split bouts with Brewster last season.

Esposito is coached by 2020 Atholton graduates Mike Altamirano and David Panda, the latter being a former Class 4A-3A state runner-up.

Esposito-Shelley IV won’t happen again this year since Catonsville remains in the Class 4A-3A and Long Reach has been reclassified into the Class 2A-1A.

“I’m undefeated in my county so far this season, and I wanna win my counties and get my second county title. Then it’ll be time for regionals,” Esposito told Shelley.

“I know there will be some great competition and some elite guys at regionals, but I’ll try to get my second regional title over back-to-back years. My ultimate goal is to place at states, but I wanna win it all this year.