Overlea is a Great Preface for What is Coming

Calvert Hall senior Sisto Averno III is making up for lost time, and his opponents at last weekend’s Overlea Tournament paid the price.

Averno squeezed a semifinal forfeit between falls in 61 and 69 seconds before winning his 175-pound title by 10-1 major decision over Dulaney senior Roman Kaminski.

Averno was among five wrestlers who finished within the top four of their weight classes, being joined on the victory podium by sophomore teammate Joshua Jackson (132) as the Cardinals (183 points) narrowly overcame runner-up Oakland Mills (182) and third-place 27th-ranked Sparrows Point (180.5) for the crown in the 23-team event.

Finishing second were Cardinals were juniors Griffin Stewart (138) and Max Garland (285) as well as freshman Izaac Robertucci (157), with a fourth place finish from Cody Lehman (113).

“Over the last couple of weeks of this season I’m really trying to focus on wrestling loose and having fun,” said Averno, who improved his record on the year to 23-2 with 17 pins. “I feel like this tournament is a great preface for what is to come next month in the MIAAs and states.”

Ranked No. 2 by Legacy Wrestling, Averno was on a similar path as a junior last season after pinning McDonogh’s J.J. Dimonte in 74 seconds to win the 165-pound MIAA crown.

But Averno missed the following week’s private schools tournament after aggravating what became a season-ending injury.

“The week going into the MIAAs I strained my hip flexor pretty badly and wrestled, but I wrestled through it to win the MIAAs,” Averno said. “During practice the week after the MIAAs I talked to my coaches and decided that it would be better for me to focus on recovering rather than making it worse. I had to focus on lacrosse and my season ended.”

The Cardinals are coached by Karl Green, a 2010 graduate of Mount St. Joseph where he was a three-time Maryland Independent Schools champion who placed second, third and fifth at the National Preps Tournament.

“Over the past four years we’ve come in second place seven times at different tournaments, so this is a big win for us,” said Green, whose Cardinals take an 8-3 dual meet record into Tuesday’s match with visiting top-ranked Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference rival Gilman.

“Our losses are to [No. 2] Mount St. Joe and [No.4] Loyola, and we’ve beaten Boys Latin, Curley and John Carroll. This shows that the hard work we’ve been putting in as a team is finally paying off.” Averno agrees.“Since coach Green took over at Calvert Hall, we’ve consistently placed within the top five of tournaments. For us to finally come out and to win one is great,” Averno said. “The timing is also huge for all of our guys as we begin to focus with confidence on the postseason. Having missed states last year, I’m looking forward to competing since this is my last season on the mats.”

Having placed fifth at last year's MIAAs and sixth at states, Jackson improved to 21-4 after pinning each of his four opponents.

Jackson used falls in 47 and 86 seconds to go with a third in 3:11 to reach the finals, where he finished off Landsdowne senior Bernard Bolden in 43 seconds.

“Josh’s performance was phenomenal. It’s truly special to watch that young man wrestle. The bonus points he scored helped us to stay ahead of Oakland Mills and Sparrows Point,” Green said. “Josh has been a huge part of our team’s success since he’s been at Calvert Hall, and it will be super exciting to watch him over the remainder of this season as well as over the next two seasons.”

The third-place Pointers crowned five champions in Class 2A-1A state runner-up junior Russell Fary (150), two-time Baltimore County champion and regional runner-up junior Christian Manley (126), senior county and regional runner-up Tanner Cooper (157), and freshmen Wyatt Rossi (106) and Brandon Wunder (113).

Fary remained unbeaten at 26-0, having been a runner-up in last year’s Baltimore County, Class 2A-1A North Regional and Class 2A-1A state tournaments. Cooper improved to 28-1, and Manley to 21-1. Rossi is a former MSWA, MJWL and National Greco-Roman champion with a record of 26-2. Wunder is 23-3 and a former junior league placewinner.

At SnOverlea, Fary earned a first round fall in 1:50, a quarterfinal, 6-4, decision over eventual fifth-place finishing sophomore Raul Rodrigez of Oakland Mills, an 11-2 major decision over eventual fourth-place finishing senior Nick Massengill of Hereford, and a fall in 4:50 over championship bout rival junior Liam Peterson of Aberdeen.

“[Rodriguez] was riding parallel using the legs and I’m surprised he didn’t get called for stalling. But that was my first match on Saturday and I wasn’t feeling that great,” said Fary, who turned 17 on January 28. “I also gave up my first takedown of the season against Liam Peterson, but that shouldn’t have happened. I’m feeling pretty positive overall about my tournament.”

A year ago, Fary was a county runner-up to Perry Hall’s Victor Marks-Jenkins, an eventual regional champion and returning sophomore who placed third at the Class 4A-3A state tournament and finished the year with a record of 50-1.

Fary was also a regional and state runner-up to South Carroll’s then-senior three-time state champion Mike Pizzuto, who lost three times during his entire high school career. Manley won his title match, 9-2, over Boys Latin junior Seve Lombardo, having used falls in 3:55 and 1:22 to reach the semifinals for a 17-4 major decision over Milford Mill's eventual third-place finishing senior Carmari Gilliam. Cooper used a 39-second fall, a 15-0 technical fall and a 58-second pin to reach the finals, where he planted Robertucci in 2:25.

Rossi pinned all three of his opponents, including Poly freshman Miles Molina at 1:57 of their championship match. Rossi's other falls were at 2:17 and 2:42 of his quarterfinal and semifinal bouts.

In succession, Wunder earned a quarterfinal, 14-6 major decision over eventual third-place finishing senior Ryan Abner of Northern-Calvert, pinned his semifinal opponent in 4:18 and won his title match, 8-2, over Dulaney junior Gavin Hess.

The Pointers of 21st-year coach Mike Whisner are in pursuit of their fourth straight county tournament crown, having won five in the past six seasons. Whisner’s squad was the Class 2A state dual meet runner-up to Stephen Decatur last season.

“We’re feeling generally pretty positive about our momentum right now with the way we wrestled in the tournament,” Fary said. “We’re looking forward to the rest of the season with the dual meet tournament and county, regional and state tournaments coming up.” Oakland Mills crowned senior Class 2A-1A state runner-up junior Joe Clark (165) and junior Lavante Kama (215).

Clark used pins in 53 and 60 seconds to reach the title bout, which he won by 18-6 major decision over Hereford senior Dom Garbarino. Clark improved to 24-0.

A year ago, Clark won the Howard County and regional titles by dethroning Glenelg’s senior Class 2A-1A state runner-up Ethan Sotka. Clark won their county title bout, 4-2, and their regional title bout, 6-5, in overtime.

Kama pinned his first and quarterfinals opponents before winning his semifinal by overtime rideout. Kama handled Patapsco senior Titobilo Omideyi by the score of 9-3 for the crown, rising to 21-4 on the season.

Northern crowned fourth-ranked Class 4A-3A state champion junior Drew Montgomery (138) and junior Evan Scott (120). A two-time state finalist, Montgomery rose to 27-4 following his title-bout, 5-1 decision over Stewart, a third-place finisher at last year’s MIAA and private schools state tournaments. Montgomery reached the finals on pins in 1:41, 1:51 and 2:24.

Scott won his title bout, 6-3, over New Town junior Jayden Green, having reached the finals on falls in 2:19 and 5:49.

Two-time Class 4A-3A state champion Calvin Kraisser (144) improved his record to 23-1 on falls in 3:05, 2:20, 1:59 and 67 seconds, the latter in his title match against Aberdeen junior Chase Lineberry. Kraisser continues a family legacy that has produced 14 individual state titles for the Eagles. Calivn’s coach and father Cliff Kraisser was a state champion for the Eagles in 1983, elder brother Nathan earned four each in county, regional and state crowns before graduating in 2012, Austin won four each in county and regional crowns as well as three state titles in four championship births through 2016, and Jason graduated in 2019 with four each in county, region and state titles.

Remaining unbeaten were New Town senior Maleek Ayonrinde (190) and Milford Mill junior Amory Hills (285).

Ayonrinde used falls in 46 seconds, 4:00 and 4:48 to reach the finals, where his injury default victory over Oakland Mills senior Brighton Barker improved his record to 29-0.

Hills used falls in 5:25 and 84 seconds to reach the semifinals, where he won a 7-0 decision. Hills pinned Garland in 3:13 of their championship bout to improve his record to 6-0.

Team scores:

1) Calvert Hall (183)

2) Oakland Mills (182)

3) Sparrows Point (180.5)

4) Northern-Calvert (174)

5) Hereford (134.5)

6) Lansdowne (126)

7) Dulaney (110.5)

8) Aberdeen (107.5)

9) Milford Mill (91)

1st Place Match

Amory Hills (Milford Mill Academy) 6-0, Jr. over Max Garland (Calvert Hall College) 12-10, Jr. (Fall 3:13)

3rd Place Match

Christian Burns (Aberdeen) 16-7, Sr. over Anthony Nguyen (Lansdowne) 16-8, Sr. (Fall 4:22)

5th Place Match

Manny Oluiemi (Oakland Mills) 15-10, So. over Chimemezway Akuwugwe (Overlea) 20-6, Jr. (Fall 2:01)

Overlea is a Great Preface for What is Coming

Team scores:

106

113

120

126

132

138

144

150

157

165

175

190

215

285

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