Results: 2A-1A West Region Championships

Long Reach’s 13th-ranked sophomore Dominic Esposito trailed by a combined, 20-2, against 15th-ranked Manchester sophomore Kayden Reid in his semifinal and South Carroll’s fourth-ranked senior Grayson Barnhill in the finals only to emerge victorious as the 120-pound Class 2A-1A West Regional champion on Saturday at Garrett College.

Esposito first had to win a difficult quarterfinal bout by 14-9 decision over Century freshman Justus Bokrosh, who finished fourth a week earlier in the same Carroll County Tournament where Reid placed second after being decked by Barnhill in 51 seconds.

The best way to learn how Esposito followed his come-from-behind 13-12 decision triumph over Reid with a medical forfeit victory against Barnhill is to hear it, blow-by-blow, from the person who experienced and accomplished the feat.

“I knew that Reid was a high-level opponent who is very smart and patient when it comes to his wrestling,” Esposito said. “A minute into the match, Reid hit a chin whip and scored a quick six. I fought off my back and the period ended with me trailing, 6-0.”

Reid chose the bottom referee’s position to start the second period, promptly earning an escape followed by a takedown for a 10-1 lead entering the third period.

“Reid got an escape, and, later, a takedown after some fun scrambles. I scored an escape before the period ended to make it 10-1,” Esposito said. “I struggled in the first two periods, but there was never doubt that I could still beat Reid despite being down 10-1.”

Esposito made a risky decision by electing to choose the bottom position against Reid as opposed to neutral entering the third period.

But the strategy worked.

An escape brought Esposito within, 10-2, a takedown trimmed the deficit to 10-5, and four nearfall points followed by an injury time call by Reid tied the match at 10-10.

“Once I got my escape from bottom, I knew it was go-time and was able to get feet to back and got the feet to back from the tie up with Reid. I threw him directly to his back to make it 10-5. I had Reid on his back for about 30 seconds before he called injury time, so I got the five points to make it 10-10. There was one minute left in the match,” Esposito said.

“I knew he had to take him down eventually to win the match, whether it was in overtime or in regulation. I knew time was short, so I gave him a little ride. But I knew that if I wanted to seal this match, I had to take him down again. So, I cut him, making the score 11-10. Reid shot in on a single, and I immediately hit a ‘Standing Jonesy Tilt’ to get the takedown. The score was 13-11 with less than 10 seconds on the clock, so I cut him and won 13-12.”

Next up was Barnhill, who entered their match as a four-time Carroll County champion, winner of two regional titles, and having placed second, first and fifth in the past three state tournaments.

“I was a major underdog when it came to facing Barnhill, but that didn’t phase me at all. Me and my coaches were prepared for him,” Esposito said. “We came up with the game plan days prior to the tournament. I knew he was one of the best in the state, but that’s the challenge I wanted.”

Barnhill’s record coming into the matchup was 41-5 with 36 pins on the season and 135 for his career.

It appeared, early on, that Barnhill might earn his 37th pin of the year and the 136th of his career against Esposito.

“After the first period, I was down 6-1, and he proceeded to extend that lead to 10-1 in the second period. I was in the same position earlier in the day against Reid, so I never doubted myself. I eventually reversed him late in the second period, while he followed with an escape of his own,” Esposito said.

“That made the score, 11-3, going into the third period where I got an escape followed by a takedown of my own then proceeded to cut him. We got in a little bit of a scramble, but I was able to finish with another takedown to make it 12-10. I was ready to cut him one more time before he called an injury timeout, and that then led to the medical forfeit.”

Esposito offered well-wishes to Barnhill.

“I wish Grayson the best,” Esposito said. “I hope he gets healthy so that he can compete at the State Tournament.”

Esposito is now a two-time Howard County and regional champion. As a freshman, Esposito became only the Lightning's third-ever county champion in advance of also winning a Class 4A-3A South Region crown.

At the Grapple At The Brook Tournament at Springbrook in January, Esposito won the title by overcoming a 3-0 first-period deficit for a 7-6 South River’s 14th-ranked senior Trent Shipley.

Shipley has won three Anne Arundel County titles in four championship berths, placed first, third, fourth and fifth at regions, and fifth at Class 4A-3A states.

“Being down in matches against high-level opponents has been a common theme this year,” Esposito said. “Though it’s not the position I want to be in, I always know that I can pull through and win those types of matches.”

Esposito’s 32-1 record on the year includes a 4-2 loss to Catonsville’s 11th-ranked sophomore Owen Shelley. Armed with a 38-0 record entering the Class 4A-3A states, Shelley has won his first Baltimore County title after having been second as a freshman and captured his second straight regional crown.

“I practiced a lot in the offseason with Owen Shelley, learning to be able to score points in situations where you’re down by multiple scores,” said Esposito, who has a 2-1 lead in his series with Shelley. “It was one of my struggles last year, and why I couldn’t pull through in those high-level matches. But this year, it has been a switch, and it has gotten me where I am today.”

Fourth-ranked South Carroll crowned a tournament-high five champions in top-ranked senior Jo Jo Gigliotti (138), second-ranked senior Landon Hamper (215), fourth-ranked junior Davy Snyder (157), eighth-ranked freshman Jacob Endzel (190) and ninth-ranked junior Jake Simione (113).

Gigliotti used a 63-second pin and a 19-4 technical fall to reach the finals for his 60-second pin of Middletown’s sixth-ranked senior Brodie Burdette. Committed to the University of Maryland, Gigliotti is a four-time Carroll County and regional champion in pursuit of his school-record fourth straight Class 1A state championship.

Burdette was a week removed from winning the Frederick County tournament, having transferred from Saint James Academy where he placed fifth in the Maryland Independent/Private Schools' Tournament.

Hamper was equally dominant following a 71-second pin, a 23-7 technical fall and another pin at 1:46 of his title match with Winters Mill Victor Tejada, whom Hamper defeated by 20-5 in the previous weekend’s county finals.

A four-time county champion, Hamper is after his third straight state title after having finished second once and first three times in the past four regional tournaments.

Snyder won by 20-4 technical fall, a 7-2 decision and another 7-3 decision over Middletown’s sixth-ranked junior Tobias White, who was runner-up in Frederick County. Snyder has placed first twice and fourth once at regions as well as fifth and third at states.

Endzel’s run comprised a fall in 2:44, and 11-1 major decision and another pin in 3:55 of his title match with Liberty’s ninth-ranked senior Kevin Kern, whom he decisioned, 4-1, in the previous weekend’s county finals.

The triumph was the third for Endzel over Kern, who, as a sophomore, was a county champion and regional runner-up before finishing second at counties and regions to Hamper as a junior and placing third at states.

Simione dominated with falls in 47 and 76 seconds before winning his title match by 4-0 decision over Boonsboro’s 17th-ranked sophomore Luke Bucheimer.

Champions for sixth-ranked Middletown were sixth-ranked Carter Canale (165), seventh-ranked sophomore Ryker Keeney (144) and 11th-ranked sophomore Zach Landis (175).

Canale earned an 18-3 technical fall and a 7-2 before winning his title match by 5-4 decision over Northern-Garrett’s seventh-ranked junior Lukas Wolf. Canale is a two-time Frederick County and regional champion who was second at states last year, and Wolf, a Bi-County Tournament champion who was fourth at regions and third at states last year.

Keeney improved on the previous week’s third place finish at counties, winning by 15-0 and consecutive decisions of 9-7 and 8-7, the latter in his championship bout with fourth-ranked Manchester Valley senior Bradyn VanDerVoort.

VanDerVoort has now placed first twice, and second twice at counties, first twice as well as second and third at regions, and third twice and fifth once at states.

Keeney’s semifinal victory was against fifth-ranked Catoctin junior Ashton Thompson, who decked Thomas Johnson’s sixth-ranked Rhys Ferguson at 3:15 of their Frederick County title bout.

Landis used an 88-second pin and a 19-4 technical fall to reach his championship match for a 6-4 decision over Poolesville’s eighth-ranked junior Zoya Wexler.

Landis improved on the previous weekend’s runner-up finish at counties against Wexler, who had finished first and second in the Montgomery Tournament, second and first at regions, and was fourth at states last season.

Brunswick crowned 13th-ranked senior Lane Riggelman (285) and top-ranked senior Seth Crawford (150), who is now a three-time Frederick County and regional champion who has placed second and third at states.

Crawford used pins in 56 and 64 seconds to reach his title match with Francis Scott Key’s 10th-ranked junior Jesse Owings, whom he edged by 13-10 decision. Owings won last week’s Carroll County Tournament after having twice placed third.

Riggleman added the regional crown to his county title a week earlier, doing so following a 15-0 technical fall, a pin in 3:44 and a 2-0 title bout victory over Century junior Cameron Gernand, who was runner-up in Carroll County.

Other champions were Northern-Garrett's sixth-ranked senior Devon Opel (132), Century's ninth-ranked sophomore Eli Stein (106) and Southern-Garrett's 18th-ranked Bradley Hamilton.

Opel decked all three opponents in 36 seconds, 3:32 and 2:39 of his title match with South Carroll's fourth-ranked junior Brody Henry, who has earned a pair of regional titles and placed fifth and fourth at states. Opel is a four-time Bi-County tournament champion who has placed first once and second twice at regions and twice been a state runner-up.

Stine used pins in 1:53 and 3:23 to reach the finals, where he earned a 16-0 technical fall over Manchester Valley junior Joey Day, whom he defeated by 11-2 major decision a week earlier in the Carroll County Tournament finals. Stein has now placed first and third in the past two county tournaments and improved on last year's fourth place regional finish.

Hamilton earned a fall in 3:22, a 7-6 decision and a 20-8 decision in his title match with Century's 20th-ranked senior Brayden Brassell, who was second at counties.

Hamilton's semifinal 7-6 decision was against Middletown's 13th-ranked junior Liam Soe, who has placed second and first at counties and second twice at regions.

Class 2A-1A West Regional Results

106

1st Place Match

Eli Stein (Century) 45-3, So. over Joey Day (Manchester Valley) 43-4, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:02 (16-0))

3rd Place Match

Blake Andres (Northern-G) 37-6, Fr. over Ryan Krumpach (Mountain Ridge) 31-8, So. (Fall 2:20)

5th Place Match

Jacob Molina (Boonsboro) 43-5, Fr. over Rilon Whitaker (Allegany) 27-10, Fr. (Fall 2:09)

113

1st Place Match

Jake Simione (South Carroll) 45-4, So. over Luke Bucheimer (Boonsboro) 45-2, So. (Dec 4-0)

3rd Place Match

Greyson Hydorn (Manchester Valley) 38-11, So. over Gus Smith (Middletown) 32-7, Fr. (Inj. 0:00)

5th Place Match

Abdulaziz Abduraimjonov (Winters Mill) 36-10, Fr. over Tucker Fratz (Northern-G) 27-13, Fr. (Fall 0:54)

120

1st Place Match

Dominic Esposito (Long Reach High School) 32-1, So. over Grayson Barnhill (South Carroll) 41-5, Sr. (M. For.)

3rd Place Match

Kayden Reid (Manchester Valley) 45-4, So. over Justus Bokrosh (Century) 39-11, Fr. (MD 15-6)

5th Place Match

Ethan Mauck (Mountain Ridge) 34-5, Fr. over Quinn Hartner (Glenelg) 26-19, So. (MD 9-1)

126

1st Place Match

Bradly Hamilton (Southern-G) 32-8, Sr. over Brayden Brassell (Century) 43-4, Sr. (MD 20-8)

3rd Place Match

Liam Soe (Middletown) 40-3, Jr. over Colton Wasmer (Winters Mill) 31-6, Sr. (Dec 5-4)

5th Place Match

Ju-hwan Sim (Long Reach High School) 20-7, Sr. over Dalton Sines (Fort Hill) 29-8, Sr. (For.)

132

1st Place Match

Devon Opel (Northern-G) 40-2, Sr. over Brody Henry (South Carroll) 43-4, Jr. (Fall 2:39)

3rd Place Match

Phil Key (Glenelg) 33-3, Sr. over Ethan Dimmerling (Poolesville) 33-7, Jr. (Dec 11-6)

5th Place Match

Shawn `SJ` Smith (Catoctin) 21-11, So. over Brody Lockwood (Winters Mill) 37-11, Sr. (Dec 6-5)

138

1st Place Match

Jojo Gigliotti (South Carroll) 43-0, Sr. over Brodie Burdette (Middletown) 40-4, Sr. (Fall 1:00)

3rd Place Match

Cayden Boedecker (Brunswick) 38-7, Jr. over Landon Yoder (Northern-G) 32-9, Sr. (Fall 2:30)

5th Place Match

Noah Filer (Allegany) 31-7, Jr. over Kayden McEwan (Boonsboro) 33-13, Sr. (Dec 7-5)

144

1st Place Match

Ryker Keeney (Middletown) 40-4, So. over Bradyn VanDerVoort (Manchester Valley) 45-3, Sr. (Dec 8-7)

3rd Place Match

Ashton Thompson (Catoctin) 47-4, Jr. over Vincent Bush (River Hill) 14-4, Jr. (Dec 9-6)

5th Place Match

Quin Regnier (South Carroll) 41-7, Fr. over Colby Moore (Brunswick) 32-12, Sr. (For.)

150

1st Place Match

Seth Crawford (Brunswick) 43-1, Sr. over Jesse Owings (Francis Scott Key) 28-2, Jr. (Dec 13-10)

3rd Place Match

Asa Wexler (Poolesville) 32-6, Jr. over Josh Choi (Glenelg) 29-7, Sr. (Fall 4:56)

5th Place Match

Alexander Little (South Carroll) 30-10, So. over Xavier Ford (Middletown) 38-7, Sr. (Dec 4-3)

157

1st Place Match

Davy Snyder (South Carroll) 44-2, Jr. over Tobias White (Middletown) 33-5, Jr. (Dec 7-3)

3rd Place Match

Joseph Watts (Brunswick) 38-5, Jr. over Luis Mendez (Long Reach High School) 29-8, Sr. (Fall 1:41)

5th Place Match

Austin Appel (Catoctin) 31-17, Fr. over Daniel Bianco (Glenelg) 35-9, Sr. (Fall 0:35)

165

1st Place Match

Carter Canale (Middletown) 39-2, Sr. over Lukas Wolf (Northern-G) 40-3, Jr. (Dec 5-4)

3rd Place Match

Anthony Rodrigues (South Carroll) 34-8, Sr. over Beau Snell (Manchester Valley) 39-4, Jr. (Dec 8-6)

5th Place Match

Luca Selaru (River Hill) 31-8, Sr. over Barry Riddle (Catoctin) 33-13, So. (TF-1.5 3:18 (18-2))

175

1st Place Match

Zach Landis (Middletown) 29-3, So. over Zoya Wexler (Poolesville) 25-4, Jr. (Dec 6-4)

3rd Place Match

James McCoy (Glenelg) 28-11, So. over Gavin Bowman (Winters Mill) 32-14, So. (Fall 3:36)

5th Place Match

Pierce Ramos (Southern-G) 22-13, Jr. over Brody Bell (Catoctin) 31-19, So. (TF-1.5 4:11 (21-5))

190

1st Place Match

Jacob Endzel (South Carroll) 45-2, Fr. over Kevin Kern (Liberty) 28-5, Sr. (Fall 3:55)

3rd Place Match

Nathaniel McLeod (Winters Mill) 42-5, Sr. over Ben Kaetzel (Williamsport) 36-6, Sr. (Dec 9-6)

5th Place Match

Max Birth (Walkersville) 30-3, Jr. over Jonathan Sexton (Glenelg) 18-5, Sr. (Fall 4:29)

215

1st Place Match

Landon Hamper (South Carroll) 46-2, Sr. over Victor Tejada (Winters Mill) 37-7, Sr. (Fall 1:46)

3rd Place Match

JT Griffith (Boonsboro) 42-5, Jr. over Iyanuoluinmi Ogunsakin (Mt. Hebron) 34-5, Jr. (Fall 4:15)

5th Place Match

Aiden McDonald (Middletown) 35-11, So. over Dorran Charles (Brunswick) 32-7, Sr. (For.)

285

1st Place Match

Lane Riggleman (Brunswick) 34-2, Sr. over Cameron Gernand (Century) 39-9, Jr. (Dec 2-0)

3rd Place Match

Cory Stouffer (Francis Scott Key) 23-9, . over Mason Knapp (Glenelg) 34-10, Jr. (Fall 3:10)

5th Place Match

Trevor Jessup (Smithsburg) 26-14, Jr. over Ian Rhea (Williamsport) 24-18, So. (Dec 2-0)