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The Inside Scoop: Loyola to host MSJ @ 5pm

Writer's picture: Lem SatterfieldLem Satterfield

Tonight is a big one for fourth-ranked Loyola, which plays host to fifth-ranked Mount St. Joseph at 5 p.m. in a critical Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference dual meet.


The Gaels represent a difficult stretch of MIAA league matchups for the Dons, who visit Calvert Hall on January 22, travel to top-ranked defending champion Gilman on January 24, and play host to second-ranked Archbishop Spalding on January 28.


The Dons are 14-1 overall and 3-0 in the MIAA, with conference victories over Boys’ Latin, 13th-ranked St. Frances and eighth-ranked McDonogh, the latter by the score of 42-26 on Tuesday.


The Dons’ coach is Steve Truitt, a 1994 graduate of St. Paul's, where he won two Maryland Scholastic Association titles after finishing third and fourth over the previous two years.


“Our team is excited about the challenge,” said Truitt, who went 34-1 as a senior. “The MIAA is the toughest conference in Maryland.”

Loyola finished third in last year’s MIAA tournament behind champion Gilman and Mount St. Joseph, and third at The Maryland Independent Schools’ State Tournament behind Gilman and St. Mary’s Ryken but ahead of Mount St. Joseph.


“We beat Mount St. Joe at the state tournament last year and we’ve also beaten them dual meet-wise two or three times,” Truitt said. “We beat them in 2021 at the Bauerlein Duals at Manchester Valley and then lost a heartbreaker later in the year to lose the MIAA dual meet title.”


Legacy Wrestling ranks 10 of Dons’ wrestlers, including top-ranked freshman Tyler Verceles (106), top-ranked senior Luke Randazzo (285), second-ranked junior Jayden Jackson (120), and fourth-ranked junior Joshua Hale (138).


There is also the Dons’ sixth-ranked senior Noah Brannon (190), eighth-ranked junior Nevan McKneely (150), 10th-ranked sophomore Riley Miller (175), 11th-ranked senior Cayden Farver (126), 14th-ranked freshman Brendan Tobin (113), and 24th-ranked sophomore Lincoln Weeks (144).


“We have a lot of young talent with solid and experienced upperclassmen. I've been very pleased with our progress so far this season,” Truitt said. “Yet we haven't had a dual or tournament with our full lineup. The guys are extremely coachable and want to get better. They're not afraid of hard work, and we're building to peak at the end of season tournament run.”


Jackson was first at MIAAs and second at states, Randazzo was a runner-up in both, and Hale was fourth in both. McKneely finished third and sixth, Miller was fourth and fifth, Farver, fourth and sixth, and Brannon, fifth and fifth.


Verceles leads the way with a record of 27-2 that includes 19 pins, followed by Randazzo at 24-3 with 20 pins. Jackson is 17-2 with four pins, Hale is 21-8 with two falls, and Tobin, 15-5 with four pins.


Farver has pinned 13 opponents in 16 victories, McKneely has pinned six rivals among his 10 wins, Miller has four falls among his 10 wins, Brannon is 6-0 with two falls, and Weeks is 5-3 with a pin.


The Dons went 6-0 to win last weekend’s Iron Horse Duals at C. Milton Wright, where Verceles, Hale and Brannon won all six bouts, and Randazzo and Jackson went 6-1.


At the previous weekend’s War on The Shore won by Archbishop Spalding, the Dons finished fourth, with champions being Verceles and Randazzo. There was also a fifth-place effort from Hale, sixth-place finishes from Farver and Miller, and a seventh-place from McKneely.


Verceles and Randazzo won their first-ever crowns in December’s 30-team Raymond Oliver Tournament at McDonogh, where the Dons placed sixth as a team. Jackson finished third at Ray Oliver, where Hale was sixth.


Against McDonogh, Hale and McKneely had falls in 20- and 30-seconds, with pins also coming from Jackson and Randazzo.


Connor Moles (113) had a technical fall against the Eagles, while Verceles scored a 16-3 major decision over their seventh-ranked freshman Jacob Naylor.


Against the Eagles, the Dons also received a 3-1 decision by Weeks over 16th-ranked sophomore Cole Genua, with other decisions coming from Brannon and Jimmy Lazzati (165).


“Our goal every year is to win MIAAs, states and to place as many guys as possible at National Preps,” Truitt said. “Wrestling tough competition week in and week out will keep us battle-tested and prepared to achieve our goals.”

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