Glenelg’s 17th-ranked junior Phil Key (126) registered a 43-second fall and out-scored three more opponents by a combined score of 54-8 on as many technical falls to win his second Howard County title on Saturday at Howard High.
Key was joined on the victory podium by seniors Gavin Baravik (165) and Peter Danko (215) among seven finalists and nine wrestlers who finished within the top four of their weight classes as the 25th-ranked Gladiators (222 points) dethroned runner-up Marriotts Ridge (160) for their sixth tournament crown under 11th-year coach Matt Bichner.
Finishing second for the Gladiators were 13th-ranked junior Josh Choi (157), 14th-ranked senior Isaac Choi (132), 20th-ranked junior Jonathan Sexton (138) and freshman Chase Jenkins (106), with Quinn Hartner (113) and Gavin Harder (175) being fourth.
Isaac Choi placed second at counties, fourth at regions and fifth at states last year, Sexton was second at counties and fourth at regions, and Josh Choi was third at counties.
Key ran his record on the year to 30-6 following a first-second pin and technical falls by scores of 18-3, 19-3 and 17-2, the latter in his title bout with Wilde Lake junior David Small.
“I felt well-prepared as our coaches drill and push us to our limit every day at practice,” Key said. “Going into the tournament as the number one seed gave me a lot of confidence, but I knew that I couldn’t take any of my opponents lightly.”
As a freshman, Key was a county champion who placed third at regions and sixth at states. Key returned to Glenelg from fifth-ranked Loyola, where he was a runner-up as a sophomore in last year’s Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament and placed fourth in the Maryland Independent Schools State Tournament.
“Dominating in the county tournament is obviously a great accomplishment,” Key said. “But ultimately, it’s just the first step for me. I want to become a state champion.”
Danko raised his record on the season to 21-4, improving on last year’s runner-up effort with technical falls by scores of 18-2 and 20-4, the last in his title match with Mount Hebron sophomore Iyanuouin Ogunsakin.
Baravik is 30-6 on the season after scoring a fall in 1:59, an 8-7 semifinal decision and a 6-0 championship bout victory over Atholton sophomore Thomas MacKenzie that avenged an earlier, 6-3 loss.
Among Matt Bichner's assistants is younger brother Dan, and the siblings are Glenelg alumnus.
Matt’s other assistants are National Preps champion Bailey Thomas (Good Counsel), National Prep All-American Doug Schenk (McDonogh), and Howard County champion David Ridenour (Glenelg). Another assistant, Bill Smith, coached Hammond to both the Class 2A-1A state dual meet and tournament titles in 1998.
This year’s Gladiators (11-0 league, 19-8 overall) completed their seventh undefeated season against county teams during Matt’s tenure, including an overall dual meet record of 223-49 at the helm and a 116-4 mark against the county.
During that time, the Gladiators have won eight county dual meet crowns and six tournament titles to go with four runner-up finishes in the state duals.
Matt Bichner’s Gladiators went 11-0 over the course of consecutive seasons in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, as well as in 2024 and 2025. Glenelg was 10-0 against the county in 2022, and 10-1 in 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2023.
A state dual meet champion in 2011, Glenelg has lost once each to Hammond, Marriotts Ridge, Oakland Mills and River Hill during Matt’s coaching tenure.
On Saturday, Marriott’s Ridge crowned 10th-ranked senior Jonah Obitz (175), a returning county and regional runner-up whose record improved to 43-0.
Obitz used falls in 86 and 30 seconds before scoring an 8-4 semifinal decision over eventual third-place finisher Joshua Danso of Mount Hebron, who was fourth at counties last year.
Obitz scored a fall in 1:57 of his title match which dethroned Hammond’s 23rd-ranked junior Jaden Asaah-Timothy (33-5), a returning county champion whom Obitz had beaten earlier by a score of 6-1.
“I feel content. Finishing the match in such a way gives me the satisfaction and peace of mind in knowing that I have improved, that I’m getting better and that I will continue to do so. It was definitely great to finish the match early, although I didn’t care how I would win. I just knew that I needed that to happen,” Obitz said. “I knew that if I won, my name would be forever displayed on our school’s county championship board in the wrestling room. That’s something that I’ve been wanting for a long time now.”
Obitz lost a pair of close decisions to eventual Class 4A-3A state runner-up Joe Clark of Oakland Mills last year.
“None of my previous matches with Jaden or even my last county championship match run crossed my mind before or during the match. When I go into a match, my mindset is that the person across from me is the best wrestler that I’ve ever been up against,” Obitz said. “So, I treat him as such until the match is over. I have my eyes on this year’s state finals for sure. It’s my senior year, so I won’t have another shot at it. Every day I work toward accomplishing that goal of winning states, and as the tournament draws closer, that’s all I can even think about.”
Reservoir crowned three champions in fifth-ranked senior Andrew Dolezel (138), 16th-ranked junior Jose Lazo (144) and freshman Milano Orduna (106).
“I know that I’m ready for the next stages of my postseason. For me and Jose to win our county titles is nice,” Dolezel said. “It feels as if we really did help one another on this first step of our journey. We pushed one another to become as good as we’ve become, and I’m sure that won’t change until the end of the season.”
A four-time county finalist, Dolezel earned his third straight county title, ran his record on the year to 38-0, and improved his career mark to 154-8 by out-scoring four opponents by a combined, 65-to-1.
Dolezel earned consecutive technical falls of 17-0, 15-0, 16-1 and 17-0, the latter over Sexton in the championship match.
Lazo raised his record on the year to 31-3 on falls in 69 and 74 seconds followed by a 19-1 technical fall in his title match with Centennial junior Grady Conrad, whose record slipped to 32-6.
“Watching Andrew definitely gave me some extra motivation. Seeing his performance pushed me to give my best effort,” Lazo said. “Especially after missing the county tournament last year [due to an injury.] That was a big setback, but winning counties was like a moment of redemption. It was a reminder that all of the hard work has paid off.”
Orduna (28-5) earned the tournament’s Glenn L Devane Award as The Most Outstanding Wrestler award thanks to his 16-1 technical fall and his 79-second championship bout pin over Jenkins.
“To secure the county title with a first-period pin was a great win for me and for my team. Becoming a county champion was an amazing feeling,” Orduna said. “I would like to thank my teammates and my coaches for helping me to get better every day and for supporting me. All of the hard work and focus had paid off.”
Centennial's second-ranked senior Calvin Kraisser (150) earned his fourth consecutive crown, and will take aim at his fourth straight regional and state titles over the next two weeks.
Kraisser (36-1) used falls in 89 and 95 seconds as well as another in 2:38 to reach the finals, where he finished Josh Choi in 2:32 and continued a family legacy that has produced 15 individual state titles for the Eagles.
Oakland Mills crowned repeat champions in sophomore Orlando Castelan-Cortez (132) and 20th-ranked junior Raul Rodriguez (157).
“Both young men are just so respectful and prideful that it is surprising to see how aggressive they are during combat,” said Oakland Mills coach Brad Howell. “They are both super coachable. I feel as if there is no limit to what they can accomplish and to how much they can grow.”
Castelan-Cortez earned a fall in 1:52 followed by a 6-1 semi final decision to reach his title bout with Isaac Choi, against whom he avenged an earlier loss with a 2-1 championship victory. Castelan-Cortez improved his record on the year to 20-3, while Choi’s season mark slipped to 21-2.
I had wrestled Isaac before and I lost the match at home, 6-5. My key to victory was in maintaining my composure and staying disciplined,” Castelan-Cortez said. “This victory feels unreal, especially in thinking that I would have to win in such a very tough and yet very close match, but I am grateful for it.”
A year ago, Castelan won his title match, 10-4 decision over Sexton, who had pinned him the previous time they had wrestled.
“Orlando just wrestled such a gritty match from start to finish that it’s hard to believe he’s just a sophomore,” Howell said. “I have to recognize that Orlando brings it when it’s show time. Like some of the great ones, he knows how to elevate his game when it counts.”
Rodriguez improved to 31-3 on pins in 82, 87 and 66 seconds before winning a wild title match, 18-10, over Atholton senior Malachi Patterson, whose record slipped to 28-5.
A runner-up to Kraisser as a freshman, Rodriguez won last year’s title by fall in 4:45 against River Hill's Garin Jeng, gaining revenge for an earlier loss.
“Patterson is an excellent wrestler with an explosive engine, and Raul was prepared to battle through it all for the points. Raul’s success is a result of his preparation. I thought Raul wrestled a very composed match,” Howell said. “No one on our team will challenge Raul’s commitment to living the sport of wrestling. From everything to his relentless pursuit of finding quality mat time to his discipline on a healthy diet, he’s very unique.”
Hammond’s 13th-ranked junior Xavier Nichols (190) improved to 35-2 following a 96-second pin, a 13-10 semifinal victory over eventual third-place finisher John Wassell of Atholton and a redemptive 11-3 decision over Centennial senior Matt Sedor, who placed third at counties last season.
“I had wrestled Matt Sedor twice before counties. The first time was during the season, and he pinned me during the last seconds of the match after I had made a mistake. But then we wrestled again during the regional duals, and I won by a 19-3 technical fall,” Nichols said. “I spent a lot of time training during the offseason, and I went from placing fifth at counties last year to being first this year. For me to win the county title took so much grit and effort. This is truly a one of a kind indescribable feeling. The time I took going to all of the workouts has paid off.”
Guilford Park juniors Leandro Saravia (120) and Elijah Fields (285) made history by becoming their first county champions at the second-year school.
Saravia used a semifinal 3-2 decision over River Hill’s Laith Zaghari to reach the finals, where his 7-3 decision over Atholton senior Johnathan Maslan avenged an earlier 3-2 loss.
In victory, Saravia improved on his record-setting fourth place finish at counties from a year ago, when he became the first Panthers' wrestler to place in that event. Guilford Park opened last year, combining students from Hammond and Long Reach.
Fields used falls in 14 seconds and 4:30 to reach his title bout, where he gutted out a come-from-behind, 8-6 victory over Reservoir junior Kalen Mackall.
Long Reach’s 14th-ranked freshman Dominic Esposito (113) became Lighting’s third-ever county champion. Esposito followed a 17-1 technical fall with a pin in 78-seconds of his title match with Howard junior Bennett Custodio, running his record on the year to 28-2 with 20 pins and three technical falls.
Esposito was coached by the Lightning's first champ, J.C. Porter, a 1999 graduate who won titles as a freshman and as a senior. Another county champion for Long Reach was 160-pound Mike Augustine in 1999.
“I was aware coming into the tournament that I was potentially going to be our third county champion. JC Porter was one of my coaches when I was young, and he always told me that I could be an elite-level wrestler. With the skills that he taught me over the years, I knew that I could follow in his footsteps, and I was motivated to do that,” Esposito said.
“When an opportunity presented itself, I was able to capitalize off of it for the fall. I believed in myself enough to pull through and to get the win. When the season began, one of my goals was to become a county champion, so being able to accomplish this is a great feeling. It felt great to be able to get the win and to celebrate with my teammates.”
Howard County Tournament
1 Glenelg 222.0
2 Marriotts Ridge 160.0
3 Atholton 145.5
4 Reservoir 142.0
5 Hammond 121.0
6 Centennial 99.0
7 Oakland Mills 82.5
8 Guilford Park 71.0
9 Howard 66.0
10 River Hill 65.5
11 Long Reach 60.5
12 Mount Hebron 52.5
13 Wilde Lake 44.0
Tournament Results
Varsity - 106
1st Place Match
Milano Orduna (Reservoir) won by fall over Chase Jenkins (Glenelg) (Fall 1:19)
3rd Place Match
Luis Galo-Orellana (Guilford Park) won by fall over Justus Hwang (Centennial) (Fall 2:13)
5th Place Match
Violet Land (Marriotts Ridge) won by forfeit over Omar Asfari (Hammond) (FF)
7th Place Match
Eric Masih (River Hill) received a bye () (Bye)
Varsity - 113
1st Place Match
Dominic Esposito (Long Reach) won by fall over Bennett Custodio (Howard) (Fall 1:18)
3rd Place Match
Aaron Aquino (Reservoir) won by tech fall over Quinn Hartner (Glenelg) (TF 18-3)
5th Place Match
Sebastian Caceres-Alacron (Hammond) received a bye () (Bye)
7th Place Match
() received a bye () (Bye)
Varsity - 120
1st Place Match
Leandro Saravia (Guilford Park) won by decision over Johnathan Maslan (Atholton) (Dec 7-3)
3rd Place Match
Laith Zaghari (River Hill) won by fall over Ju-hwan Sim (Long Reach) (Fall 2:43)
5th Place Match
Brady Eldridge (Marriotts Ridge) won by fall over Zach Frattali (Glenelg) (Fall 1:19)
7th Place Match
Jacob Jensen (Hammond) received a bye () (Bye)
Varsity - 126
1st Place Match
Phil Key (Glenelg) won by tech fall over David Small (Wilde Lake) (TF 17-2)
3rd Place Match
Caiden Hargrove (Marriotts Ridge) won by decision over Matthew Cowen (Oakland Mills) (Dec 13-7)
5th Place Match
Andrew Fitzgibbon (Atholton) won by fall over Bryce Johnston (Centennial) (Fall 3:00)
7th Place Match
Timothy Zink (Mount Hebron) won by tech fall over McDonald Omonagor (Guilford Park) (TF 16-1)
Varsity - 132
1st Place Match
Orlando Castelan-Cortez (Oakland Mills) won by decision over Isaac Choi (Glenelg) (Dec 2-1)
3rd Place Match
Sam Vissers (Hammond) won by major decision over Chase Garison (Atholton) (Maj 13-3)
5th Place Match
Boden Pistorio (Marriotts Ridge) won by tech fall over Jack Leska (River Hill) (TF 16-1)
7th Place Match
Matthew Perez Espinoza (Guilford Park) won by fall over Musa Mahmud (Wilde Lake) (Fall 1:47)
Varsity - 138
1st Place Match
Andrew Dolezel (Reservoir) won by tech fall over Jonathan Sexton (Glenelg) (TF 17-0)
3rd Place Match
Jamie Kraft (Marriotts Ridge) won by decision over Sean Myers (Howard) (Dec 5-2)
5th Place Match
Tobias Bernstein (Atholton) won by fall over Michael Yarin (River Hill) (Fall 3:53)
7th Place Match
Camden Aisquith (Guilford Park) won by major decision over Eli Murphy (Hammond) (Maj 17-7)
Varsity - 144
1st Place Match
Jose Lazo (Reservoir) won by tech fall over Grady Conrad (Centennial) (TF 19-1)
3rd Place Match
Trip Bennett (Marriotts Ridge) won by fall over Dimitri Lachaud (Wilde Lake) (Fall 4:25)
5th Place Match
Dwane Morgan Jr. (Glenelg) won by fall over Kivuva Mativo (Howard) (Fall 1:59)
7th Place Match
Asher Staley (Hammond) won by fall over Jeremiah Ashby-Grambo (Oakland Mills) (Fall 3:59)
Varsity - 150
1st Place Match
Calvin Kraisser (Centennial) won by fall over Josh Choi (Glenelg) (Fall 2:32)
3rd Place Match
Gilberto Medina (Atholton) won by tech fall over Alex Gladstone (Marriotts Ridge) (TF 16-0)
5th Place Match
Michael Ukoh (Mount Hebron) won by major decision over Sam Fribush (Reservoir) (Maj 11-1)
7th Place Match
Jayden Bush (Oakland Mills) won by fall over Connor McGovern (Hammond) (Fall 2:01)
Varsity - 157
1st Place Match
Raul Rodriguez (Oakland Mills) won by major decision over Malachi Patterson (Atholton) (Maj 18-10)
3rd Place Match
Henry Phillips (Marriotts Ridge) won by major decision over John Louie (Hammond) (Maj 12-3)
5th Place Match
Phil Spencer (Long Reach) won by fall over Keyan Livengood (River Hill) (Fall 3:57)
7th Place Match
Max Beares (Glenelg) won by major decision over Abdul Khan (Mount Hebron) (Maj 15-5)
Varsity - 165
1st Place Match
Gavin Baravik (Glenelg) won by decision over Thomas MacKenzie (Atholton) (Dec 6-0)
3rd Place Match
Luca Selaru (River Hill) won by forfeit over Will Schmitt (Centennial) (FF)
5th Place Match
Garrett McGrail (Howard) won by decision over James Shilde (Wilde Lake) (Dec 14-9)
7th Place Match
Josh Beharry-Curry (Reservoir) won by forfeit over Connor Severino (Mount Hebron) (FF)
Varsity - 175
1st Place Match
Jonah Obitz (Marriotts Ridge) won by fall over Jaden Asaah-Timothy (Hammond) (Fall 1:57)
3rd Place Match
Joshua Danso (Mount Hebron) won by decision over Gavin Harder (Glenelg) (Dec 8-4)
5th Place Match
Steven Aldo-Rosas (Atholton) won by fall over Antonio Galanakos (River Hill) (Fall 4:29)
7th Place Match
Tyler Pascual (Oakland Mills) won by major decision over Cooper Dawson (Guilford Park) (Maj 17-4)
Varsity - 190
1st Place Match
Xavier Nichols (Hammond) won by major decision over Matthew Sedor (Centennial) (Maj 11-3)
3rd Place Match
John Wassell (Atholton) won by fall over Justin Telon-Noriega (Reservoir) (Fall 2:45)
5th Place Match
Dylon Clarke (Long Reach) won by injury default over Caleb Ladson (Glenelg) (Inj. 3:58)
7th Place Match
Abner Britez (Marriotts Ridge) won by fall over Noah Krauss (Howard) (Fall 1:49)
Varsity - 215
1st Place Match
Peter Danko (Glenelg) won by tech fall over Iyanuoluinmi Ogunsakin (Mount Hebron) (TF 20-4)
3rd Place Match
Desmond Baker (Hammond) won by decision over Brendon Payne (Marriotts Ridge) (Dec 10-3)
5th Place Match
Samuel Pautrat (Reservoir) won by fall over Sedrick Armour (Howard) (Fall 0:32)
7th Place Match
LaVarr Young (Oakland Mills) received a bye () (Bye)
Varsity - 285
1st Place Match
Elijah Fields (Guilford Park) won by decision over Kalen Mackall (Reservoir) (Dec 8-6)
3rd Place Match
Jay Masterson (Howard) won in sudden victory - 1 over Casmir Soma Dike (Marriotts Ridge) (SV-1 7-4)
5th Place Match
Mason Knapp (Glenelg) won by fall over Narveer Singh (Atholton) (Fall 0:56)
7th Place Match
Dylan Lawrence (Hammond) received a bye () (Bye)
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