Legacy Wrestling updated its high school boys’ teams rankings this week and we wanted to take a few extra minutes to jot down a few notes and observations in no particular order.
We will never be perfect but we will try hard to get this right. If you think we missed some important details just let us know at info@legacywrestling.com.
We attempt to be as fair as possible in factoring in previous wins, lineup changes, vacations, holidays, and mutual opponent wins/losses, and injuries. Injuries happen and we factor those in unless it’s season-ending injuries.
We did a comparison side-by-side of Mt. St. Joe and St. Mary’s Ryken. It is too close to make a clear determination, so we chose to leave the multi-time defending state champion at No. 1 until someone beats them. It looks like both will be at the War on the Shore this weekend, so that will settle it at least for now. We don’t use big tournaments like the Beast because that just reflects who has the most national studs, not really who has the best overall team.
Spalding finished ahead of Gilman at Ray Oliver, but with Spalding’s loss to Stephen Decatur they have to take some kind of hit. We did keep them above Decatur because of that tournament showing, plus they were missing a few starters at Iron Horse.
Loyola beat Spalding at Iron Horse and both teams were missing starters, so since they will meet a few more times at various events, we're giving Loyola the nod right now.
Stephen Decatur moves ahead of Landon and St. Frances based on those wins over Loyola and Spalding. Loyola beat SFA handily in their dual, so that move seems fair. Yes, Decatur lost to Manchester Valley at the Bauerlein Duals, but they are now putting their optimal lineup on that mat and it showed at Iron Horse.
Middletown lost to Sparrows Point at the season opening Scorpion Duals. Since then, they have downed Manchester Valley and Rising Sun at the Westminster Duals. The Knights are another example of a team now fielding a more optimal lineup.
We still have not seen any scores from the Bauerlein Duals, but it is my understanding that Decatur, Northern Garrett, and MV had a three-way tie. Since we’ve been told MV beat SD, we assume that means that NG would have beaten MV? If you have some more information here send it my way.
Calvert Hall was second at Parkville’s Knightmare Invitational behind Rising Sun and ahead of Linganore and Huntingtown. Huntingtown beat Sparrows Point 50-27 at Iron Horse, a margin that suggests even with their regular lineup, the Point would have lost that meeting. I think they may meet again at Huntingtown’s Duals? Huntingtown gave Loyola a scare before falling 36-33 at Iron Horse.
Bethesda-Chevy Chase defeated Williamsport at the Jefferson Duals. Yes, they were third at the Patriot Classic behind Walt Whitman and Bowie, but Whitman was just third at Parkside after Damascus and South Carroll. Since there are three Montgomery County teams involved in that scenario, what happens the rest of the way will dictate their final positions.
South River has wins over Old Mill, La Plata, North Point, and C. Milton Wright with losses to St. Frances and Spalding.
Broadneck won Easton’s New Year’s Brawl and defeated Kent Island before the Christmas Break. Broadneck had some new wrestlers crack the rankings after the new year’s break suggesting their line-up is starting to look strong.
Kent Island recently beat Old Mill and then beat Sparrows Point, 50-26, at Iron Horse. We are putting Sparrows Point next despite losses to a few teams below them, including C. Milton Wright who won by just five, 39-34. Most of the Point’s losses at Iron Horse were by such a large margin that their missing starters likely would not have made a difference. But given their win over Middletown and the absence of wrestlers, this feels like a fair landing spot for them.
We may be shortchanging Glenelg, and I’ll acknowledge that here. Their win over Sparrows Point will allow me to move them up or Sparrows Point down, depending on what happens moving forward. We are sort of splitting the difference between that win over SP and their 12th place finish at Damascus behind teams that do not appear in the rankings – so again, I think it’s a fair position for them.
Bowie falls into the same category as Glenelg in that we are splitting the difference between their two tournament showings that we are aware of. They were second at the Patriot Classic but only 11th at Boonsboro, and like Glenelg, there are teams that finished ahead of them at Boonsboro who are not in the rankings.
As always, the season will naturally help move this process along with greater ease as teams stack up wins and losses.
Last note: the teams we are watching like a hawk and are on the honorable mentions list include Parkside, Old Mill, Glenelg, Leonardtown, Liberty, La Plata, Bowie, Urbana, North Point, Harford Tech, Oakland Mills, Chesapeake-AA, and Brunswick.
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See you all soon!
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