Glenelg wins Howard County Championships

Glenelg’s 11th-ranked senior Phil Key (132) registered a fall in 1:46 and a 16-1 technical fall to reach Saturday’s finals, where he required an 8-7 decision over host Guilford Park’s Alvin Pinkney to secure his third Howard County title.

Key spent his sophomore year at eighth-ranked Loyola, where he was a runner-up in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament and placed fourth in the Maryland Independent Schools State Tournament.

“I was up 8-2 when I got caught with a reversal and went straight to my back to make it 8-7 in the second period. I chose neutral going into the third period and nobody got a takedown,” said Key, who has twice placed third at regions and finished sixth and fifth at Class 2A-1A states.

“Before the finals, we talked as a team about how we know that everyone’s going to come at us hard, and that was 100 percent the case. It was my first time wrestling [Pinkney,] and he was tough. We like the fact that everyone knows that we’re always going to be the toughest team in the county.”

Joining Key on the victory podium were fifth-ranked senior Josh Choi (150), 13th-ranked senior Jonathan Sexton (190), 21st-ranked junior Mason Knapp (285) and senior Daniel Bianco (157) among six finalists and nine Gladiators who finished within the top four of their weight classes.

Sophomore Quinn Hartner (120) was a runner-up, with third-place efforts from 15th-ranked sophomore James McCoy (175) and Josh Shin (165) and a fourth-place finish from junior Dwane Morgan (144) as the Gladiators (229.5 points) overcame second-place Hammond (194).

A returning county runner-up who was third at regions and fifth at states, Choi used a fall in 1:49 and a 14-6 major decision to reach the finals. That’s where he earned a 12-6 decision over Centennial Grady Conrad, who was also second at counties last season.

Sexton improved on last year’s runner-up finish following a 92-second pin, a 7-0 decision and a 2-1 title match victory over Hammond’s 14th-ranked senior Jaden Assah-Timothy, who had placed first and second at counties as a sophomore and junior.

After placing fifth at counties last year, Knapp pinned all three opponents comprising falls in 65 seconds, 3:34 and 2:59, the latter in his championship match with Akbar Mudasiru of Marriotts Ridge.

Bianco’s run comprised a fall in 2:59, a 13-12 decision and another by the score of 14-9 in his title bout with Hammond’s John Louie, who was fourth at counties last year.

The Gladiators won their second straight tournament crown and their seventh under 12th-year coach Matt Bichner, a Glenelg alumnus whose assistants include younger brother Dan.

Matt’s other assistants are National Preps champion Bailey Thomas (Good Counsel), National Prep All-American Doug Schenk (McDonogh), and Bill Smith, who coached Hammond to both the Class 2A-1A state dual meet and tournament titles in 1998.

The second-place Bears crowned a pair of seniors in seventh-ranked Xavier Nichols (215) and Zachary Terry (144), the latter earning the tournament’s Glenn L Devane Award as The Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Terry earned falls in 52 seconds and 2:00 before winning his championship bout by 25-10 technical fall over River Hill’s Vincent Bush. Armed with a record of 33-4 that includes 21 pins and four technical falls, Terry is making up for lost time after missing much of last year with a hand injury.

“I was very grateful to receive the Glenn L Devane Award. It feels great after the way my season ended last year. I broke my hand in December of last year and missed the rest of the season,” Terry said. “I worked hard all summer with my coaches to get ready, and all year long with my practice partners to be ready for this. After coming back from that injury, I’m very excited to wrestle at regions and states.”

Nichols won a pair of technical falls by identical scores of 19-4 and to go with a 76-second to reach the finals, where he earned a 16-4 major decision over Mount Hebron’s 12th-ranked senior Iyanuoluin Ogunsakin.

A year ago, Nichols was first at both counties and regions before finishing fifth at states, ending the season with a record of 42-5. Ogunsakin was a county runner-up for the second straight year after finishing third at regions last season.

“This is the second time I’ve wrestled him. The first time, I won by technical fall, so I knew exactly how to accomplish it once again,” Nichols said. “It feels exhilarating to win counties for the second time because it felt like I did what I needed to do. Now I’m looking forward to taking all three – including regions and states, which are up next.”

The 39th-ranked Oakland Mills Scorpions finished third, crowning a pair of three-time champions in top-ranked senior Raul Rodriguez (165) and junior Orlando Castelan-Cortez (138).

Rodriguez scored a 76-second pin and another in 3:53 before winning his title match by 16-5 major decision over River Hill’s Luca Selaru, who was third at counties and regions last year.

Rodriguez is on a mission to improve on last year’s runner-up finish at Class 4A-3A states, having earned his third county title placed second and first at regions.

After finishing fourth at regions last year, Castelan-Cortez’s four-bout victory run comprised pins in 49 seconds and 3:00 to go with major decisions by scores of 13-2 and 13-1.

Castelan-Cortez’s last victory was in the title match with Atholton’s Chase Garrison, who was fourth at counties and third at regions last year.

There were also repeat title-winners in eighth-ranked 14th-ranked sophomore Dominic Esposito (120) of Long Reach, senior Leo Saravia (126) of Guilford Park, and sophomore Milano Orduna (106) of Reservoir.

Esposito won by fall in 3:27 before handling Hartner by 19-3 technical fall. As a freshman, Esposito became only the Lightning's third-ever county champion in advance of winning a Class 4A-3A South Region crown.

“The county tournament was the final step in the process. I know that regionals are going to be tough, but I’m up to the challenge. My overall goal is to be a state champion,” Esposito said. “I’m really excited to win my second straight county title, but I’m even more proud of my teammates for the way they performed. We had one other finalist and two third-place finishers, so I’m excited for the future of our program.”

A season after making history as the first county champion for the Panthers’ third-year program, Saravia pinned consecutive rivals in 3:20 and 3:42 before using a 17-1 technical fall to reach the finals with his 100th-career win. Saravia won his title match by 8-1 decision over Ju-hwan Sim of Long Reach, who was fourth at counties last year.

Orduna will attempt next week to improve on last year’s fourth place finish at regions after earning his second straight crown on consecutive technical falls of 15-0 and 17-1 before winning his title match by 16-4 decision over Centennial’s Anthony Parbuoni.

“I’m just really grateful for my coaches, family and teammates,” Orduna said. “They’ve helped me a lot, and I’m just trying to keep improving every day.”

Other champions were Atholton’s 14th-ranked junior Thomas McKenzie (175) and River Hill’s Garrett Hayleck (113).

A year after being a county runner-up who finished second at regions last year, McKenzie’s dominant run comprised consecutive technical falls of 15-0 and 16-0 capped by a fall in 1:45 over Max Hargrove of Marriotts Ridge.

Hayleck completed his title run with a 62-second pin and consecutive decisions of 6-5 and 9-5, the latter in his championship bout with Howard’s Ander Acevedo.

Howard County Tournament Results

1 Glenelg 229.5

2 Hammond, 194.0

3 Oakland Mills 139.0

4 Marriotts Ridge 136.0

5 Atholton 134.0

6 Guilford Park 114.0

7 River Hill 113.5

8 Howard 101.0

9 Long Reach 99.5

10 Centennial 82.0

11 Reservoir 78.0

12 Mount Hebron 56.5

13 Wilde Lake 8.5

Tournament Results

Varsity - 106

1st Place Match

Milano Orduna (Reservoir) won by major decision over Anthony Parbuoni (Centennial) (Maj 15-4)

3rd Place Match

Gabe Garner (Long Reach) won by fall over Mikey Clark (Oakland Mills) (Fall 4:10)

5th Place Match

Adam James (Hammond) won by fall over Lukas Erskine (Atholton) (Fall 2:31)

7th Place Match

Justin Oh (Howard) won by major decision over Tyson Pope (Guilford Park) (Maj 15-3)

Varsity - 113

1st Place Match

Garrett Hayleck (River Hill) won by decision over Ander Acevedo (Howard) (Dec 9-5)

3rd Place Match

Justus Hwang (Centennial) won by fall over Luis Galo-Orellena (Guilford Park) (Fall 2:15)

5th Place Match

Sebastian Caceres-Alacron (Hammond) won by fall over Mason Sabedra Williams (Glenelg) (Fall 1:42)

7th Place Match

Jacob Albright (Marriotts Ridge) won by fall over Alpha Bah (Oakland Mills) (Fall 2:18)

Varsity - 120

1st Place Match

Dominic Esposito (Long Reach) won by tech fall over Quinn Hartner (Glenelg) (TF 19-3)

3rd Place Match

Anthony Bethancourt-Rosales (Reservoir) won by decision over Ramon Rodriguez (Oakland Mills) (Dec 7-0)

5th Place Match

Omar Asfari (Hammond) won by injury default over Nate Lee (Marriotts Ridge) (Inj. 0:00)

7th Place Match

() received a bye () (Bye)

Varsity - 126

1st Place Match

Leandro Saravia (Guilford Park) won by decision over Ju-hwan Sim (Long Reach) (Dec 8-1)

3rd Place Match

Brady Eldridge (Marriotts Ridge) won by major decision over Josh Wells (Howard) (Maj 17-9)

5th Place Match

Zach Frattali (Glenelg) won by injury default over David Small (Wilde Lake) (Inj. 0:00)

7th Place Match

Bryce Johnston (Centennial) won by fall over David Jameson (Oakland Mills) (Fall 2:02)

Varsity - 132

1st Place Match

Phil Key (Glenelg) won by decision over Alvin Pinkney (Guilford Park) (Dec 8-7)

3rd Place Match

Chase Darby (Atholton) won by decision over Jeremiah Jackson (Hammond) (Dec 8-1)

5th Place Match

Hunter McGrail (Howard) won by injury default over Adam Petrov (Long Reach) (Inj. 0:00)

7th Place Match

Laith Zaghari (River Hill) won by major decision over Christian Cha (Centennial) (Maj 14-5)

Varsity - 138

1st Place Match

Orland0 Castelan Cortez (Oakland Mills) won by major decision over Chase Garrison (Atholton) (Maj 13-1)

3rd Place Match

Eli Murphy (Hammond) won by decision over Timothy Zink (Mount Hebron) (Dec 10-4)

5th Place Match

Will Roman (Glenelg) won by decision over Jack Leska (River Hill) (Dec 10-5)

7th Place Match

Matthew Perez Espinoza (Guilford Park) won by fall over Santino Pinos (Marriotts Ridge) (Fall 1:57)

Varsity - 144

1st Place Match

Zachary Terry (Hammond) won by tech fall over Vincent Bush (River Hill) (TF 25-10)

3rd Place Match

Boden Pistorio (Marriotts Ridge) won by fall over Dwane Morgan Jr. (Glenelg) (Fall 0:34)

5th Place Match

McDonald Omonogor (Guilford Park) won by fall over Drew FitzGibbon (Atholton) (Fall 4:16)

7th Place Match

Jason Ace (Mount Hebron) won by decision over Matthew Cowen (Oakland Mills) (Dec 8-3)

Varsity - 150

1st Place Match

Josh Choi (Glenelg) won by decision over Grady Conrad (Centennial) (Dec 12-6)

3rd Place Match

Caiden Hargrove (Marriotts Ridge) won by decision over Samual Rivera-Cifuentes (Oakland Mills) (Dec 11-10)

5th Place Match

Kaiden Mair (Atholton) won by decision over Keyan Livengood (River Hill) (Dec 9-5)

7th Place Match

Connor McGovern (Hammond) won by tech fall over Cael Killo (Mount Hebron) (TF 25-8)

Varsity - 157

1st Place Match

Daniel Bianco (Glenelg) won by decision over John Louie (Hammond) (Dec 14-9)

3rd Place Match

Luis Mendez (Long Reach) won by fall over Sam Fribush (Reservoir) (Fall 1:12)

5th Place Match

Henry Phillips (Marriotts Ridge) won by fall over Nicolae Selaru (River Hill) (Fall 2:20)

7th Place Match

Wahid Musakhil (Oakland Mills) won by fall over Sebastian Lee (Atholton) (Fall 3:48)

Varsity - 165

1st Place Match

Raul Rodriguez (Oakland Mills) won by major decision over Luca Selaru (River Hill) (Maj 16-5)

3rd Place Match

Josh Shin (Glenelg) won by major decision over Ibrahim Farooqui (Reservoir) (Maj 13-5)

5th Place Match

Mischael Saint Vil (Hammond) won by fall over Lorenzo Jachero (Atholton) (Fall 1:43)

7th Place Match

Griffin Storrer (Mount Hebron) won by fall over Zeno Ban (Guilford Park) (Fall 2:37)

Varsity - 175

1st Place Match

Thomas MacKenzie (Atholton) won by fall over Max Hargrove (Marriotts Ridge) (Fall 1:45)

3rd Place Match

James McCoy (Glenelg) won by fall over Garrett McGrail (Howard) (Fall 2:39)

5th Place Match

Aiden York (Oakland Mills) won by tech fall over Cooper Dawson (Guilford Park) (TF 19-3)

7th Place Match

Noah Meck (Centennial) won by major decision over Ethan Graves (Hammond) (Maj 10-2)

Varsity - 190

1st Place Match

Jonathan Sexton (Glenelg) won by decision over Jaden Asaah-Timothy (Hammond) (Dec 2-1)

3rd Place Match

Yammen Qassem-Elkhateeb (Oakland Mills) won by decision over Abner Britez (Marriotts Ridge) (Dec 8-6)

5th Place Match

Antonio Galanakos (River Hill) won by fall over Damoy Dawson (Atholton) (Fall 3:38)

7th Place Match

Peyton Isacco (Howard) won by injury default over Aaron Gifford (Reservoir) (Inj. 0:00)

Varsity - 215

1st Place Match

Xavier Nichols (Hammond) won by major decision over Iyanuoluinmi Ogunsakin (Mount Hebron) (Maj 16-4)

3rd Place Match

Elijah Fields (Guilford Park) won by fall over Jay Masterson (Howard) (Fall 3:40)

5th Place Match

Ethan Britez (Marriotts Ridge) won by fall over Ezra Agboli (Atholton) (Fall 0:52)

7th Place Match

Caleb Ladson (Glenelg) won by medical forfeit over Kalen Mackall (Reservoir) (MFF)

Varsity - 285

1st Place Match

Mason Knapp (Glenelg) won by fall over Akbar Mudasiru (Marriotts Ridge) (Fall 2:59)

3rd Place Match

Zeke Funmilayo (Howard) won by fall over Brandon Skaggs (Atholton) (Fall 2:48)

5th Place Match

Brady Gaston (Long Reach) won by fall over Camden Houck (Mount Hebron) (Fall 4:27)

7th Place Match

Kyon Hariston (Hammond) won by fall over Ryan Smith (Reservoir) (Fall 0:39)