South River’s Ditmars wins 100th at regional
Broadneck, Old Mill crown 3 champions in 4A/3A East
Sam Ditmars thought he was just trying to win a Class 4A/3A East Region Tournament. Everyone cheering for him knew it was something more.
The South River 145-pound senior and Annapolis’ Nik Antonelli were a tangled mess starving for points until Ditmars eked out one in the second period, but Antonelli got it back in the third.
In overtime, Ditmars worked to escape Antonelli. The Seahawk warped and twisted with the Panther until he found his opening. Ditmars pounced on Antonelli’s back, eliciting a geyser of screams for his 3-1 victory — and something more.
Isaac Barber, a former South River wrestler and member of the 100-win club, hoisted a glittery black poster from the crowd as athletic director David Klingel announced it. Not only was Ditmars a champion, but he also earned his 100th career win.
“Grateful. One word is grateful,” said Ditmars, the Seahawks’ only regional champion. “Aside from being born to my family, being with this team is the best gift.”
At 195, South River’s Aidan Healey led Broadneck’s Dax Avila 4-2 as the final minute frittered away. Healey bested Avila just a week earlier in the county championships, but Avila was confident.
The Bruin lunged at Healey, thumping him against the mat, sinking a half-nelson. In seconds, he pinned him, becoming one of three Broadneck winners on the day.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Avila said. “We’re going to states as one of the best teams.”
Broadneck’s three golds tied Old Mill for the most from any team in the coed division Saturday, but the Bruins qualified many more for this weekend’s state tournament.
Wrestlers who finished in the top four of their weight class qualified for Friday and Saturday’s state tournament at The Show Place Arena. The Bruins will send eight, the most six-year coach Reid Bloomfield has ever qualified. Along with Avila, Cam Williams (113), Branden Whyte-Taylor (120), Ryland Woodward (145), Peyton Miller (152), Liam DeBaugh (160), Max DeMella (170) and Jake Chambers (182) all advanced. Williams and DeBaugh joined Avila as regional champions.
Williams’ triumph in the 113-pound final was fairly definitive, a 6-2 decision over Leonardtown’s Nolan Wood. DeBaugh, who was a state runner-up at 126 last year, had to protect his slim advantage to the end, holding on to a 7-5 win against Leanardtown’s Jacen McLeod.
152-pound Bryan Arevalo of Old Mill won his title over Marriotts Ridge’s Tyler Bury with a 3-2 decision.
Logan Johnson made quick work of Marriotts Ridge’s Boden Pistorio at 106. The Old Mill freshman worked Pistorio into a headlock and earned a first-period pin. Heavyweight RJ Duncan also won a title for Old Mill, beating Westminster’s Randy Green, 7-3, in three overtimes.
“I think we’re getting better every week, peaking at the right time,” Old Mill coach Jim Grim said.
Reservoir had two champions, both earning victories over South River wrestlers. Andrew Dolezel (120) cruised to an 18-2 technical fall win against John Titow, while Sam Vissers (126) held off Ben Ford for a 5-4 decision.
Other regional champions crowned Saturday included Marriotts Ridge’s Atley Turner (132), Dylan McCullough of River Hill (170), Omar Palmer of Atholton (182) and Samuel Jordan of Mt. Hebron (220).
Turner improved to 40-3 with an 11-3 major decision against Annapolis’ Davis Ruhf, while McCullough pinned Cookerly in 5:59 to move to 42-1. Palmer got a first-period pin, improving to 24-2, and Jordan will head to the state tournament looking to become the Vikings’ first state champion with a 36-1 record.
Meade’s Cavell Morris (138) joined a long list of boys to fall victim to a Kraisser, as Centennial sophomore and defending state champion Calvin Kraisser racked up a 13-3 lead before pinning the Mustang in the second period to improve to 30-2 on the season.
On the girls side, Meade’s Brienna Blackwood (130) took a forfeit for gold as she moves on to defend her state title. Caroline McCann (125) and Taylor Mead (140) won titles for Westminster, and Glen Burnie’s Jasmine Geris (170) won a title by earning a pin in the finals.
“It feels amazing. I’m happy to be here,” Geris said. “This year, I came back ready to be part of something and work on myself . ... I’m really amped up. I want to place first.”
Class 2A/1A West
With undefeated records, regional championships and berths to next weekend’s state tournament on the line, the Class 2A/1A West Region wrestling tournament brought out some of the best Maryland has to offer.
With Century, Manchester Valley and Winters Mill representing Carroll County in what was a packed day of wrestling, all three schools left Saturday with state qualifiers, while the Mavericks and Falcons each head to The Show Place Arena with an undefeated regional champion.
Manchester Valley, the regional host, came in with high expectations and lived up to them. The Mavericks ended the night with 13 wrestlers (six boys, seven girls) qualifying for the state tournament. Seven of coach David Dodson’s wrestlers ended the night as regional champions — Faith Day (100 pounds), Layla Lagunas (105), Bella Canby (125) and Katie Martin (155) in the girls division, and Travis Green (152), Jake Boog (170) and Derek Martin (285) in the boys bracket.
Boog, a defending state champion, improved to 46-2 with his 10-3 victory over Smithsburg’s James Brashears.
“Just a great day for our program,” Dodson said. “To have this many state qualifiers and regional champions shows how much hard work is put in by the guys and girls in our wrestling room.”
Day and Green won their championship matches in different ways but achieved the same result. Both wrestlers remained undefeated on the season.
Green’s battle with Brunswick’s Morgon Corwine came down to the final seconds. With the score tied at 2, Green earned the winning points with a turn with just 30 seconds left to hand Corwine his first loss of the season.
“When two guys enter a match undefeated, you know going in somebody’s going to have to take the ‘L,’ ” said Green, who’s now 48-0 after going 48-4 last year. “I just did everything in my power to make sure it wasn’t me.”
Winters Mill also has an undefeated regional champion in Gabrielle McLeod, who pinned Northeast’s Cheyenne Hall in 18 seconds in the girls 145-pound final to improve to 11-0. McLeod’s coaches smiled ear to ear discussing the sophomore’s physical ability.
“She’s a phenomenal athlete,” coach John Lowe said. “She’s fast, she’s strong, got an uncanny balance and most importantly, she’s got a great attitude.”
Following McLeod, teammates Joyce Mbeboth (170) and Deborah Flores (190) also won region titles for the Falcons. The program ended the night with two boys and six girls qualifying for states.
Oakland Mills’ Joe Clark (160), Hammond’s Jinan Khan (182) and Northeast freshman Beau Schmidt (132) also won titles.
Clark defeated Glenelg’s Ethan Sotka, a state finalist a year ago, 6-5, in the ultimate tiebreak period in the championship match. Khan pinned Catoctin’s Nathan Kovalcik in 4:37 in his finals match, while Schmidt held off Northern Garrett’s Caleb Brenneman for a 3-2 decision to improve to 25-0.
In the girls bracket, Sophia Hodges of Northeast (110) and Domenica Gladwell of Southern-AA (115) won titles. Oakland Mills had two champions in Jada Fowler (120) and Francheska Bonilla (130).
2A/1A North
Meanwhile, South Carroll, Liberty and Francis Scott Key competed at the 2A/1A North Regional at Milford Mill, and the Cavaliers produced nine regional champions and 14 state qualifiers.
Grayson Barnhill (106), Evan Owen (113), JoJo Gigliotti (120), Gage Owen (138), Michael Pizzuto (145), AJ Rodrigues (160), Rylan Moose (182) and Manny Rodrigues (195) all won coed regional titles. Joining them as state qualifiers are Angelo Marchany (fourth, 132), Anthony Rodrigues (third, 152), Landon Hicks (fourth, 170), Logan Brightful (fourth, 220) and Decklen Logan (fourth, 285).
Owen, Pizzuto and Rodrigues each will head to the state tournament looking to win their third state title.
In the girls division, South Carroll’s Isabella Garrity won the 110-pound regional championship.
Francis Scott Key had five regional girls champions with two others qualifying for states. Ellie Kinloch (100), Keira Cooper (135), MacKenzie Koon (140), Adeline Kraics (145) and Emily Arboleda (190) won region titles, while Caroline Cruickshank (110) and Madison DeHoff (170) were runners-up.
Liberty’s boys will send four to states, including sophomore Dylan Ohler, who finished third at states as a freshman and fell in his 132-pound regional final match. He led defending state champion Dom Ambrosino of Sparrows Point until Ambrosino turned a reversal into a pin with three seconds left.
Hereford’s Owen Bell kept his perfect record intact, pinning Owings Mills’ RaShawn Byrd in the first period of the 126-pound final to improve to 38-0.
Owings Mills’ Amondre Wooden improved to 37-1 with a victory over ACCE’s Tanner Cooper in the 152-pound final.
Randallstown’s Kasim Bahar (170), John Davis (220) and Sparrows Point’s Hunter Petrovia (285) also won titles.
4A/3A South
More Anne Arundel schools prospered at Arundel High at the 4A/3A South Region Tournament. Chesapeake had a day that could be best described as “really good,” sending seven to The Show Place Arena: Brayden Ambrose (106), Brayden Roberts (113), Michael Greenstreet (120), Dylan Ritter (126), Dawson Hoover (138), Keanu Furbush (182) and Xander Dodd (195).
Crofton outdid itself in only its second varsity season, qualifying 10: Nate Gottlieb (106), Cody Fanzo (120), Dominick Rossi (132), Jacob Speed (160), Nick Eremita (170), Chris Coleman (195) and Michael Gandy (285) on the boys side and Lexy Pabon (125), Isabella Coe (140) and Renata Arroija-Guzman (155) for the girls. Speed won the bracket, beating Wise’s Ray Hicks, 10-0, in the finals, while Gandy also won gold, pinning Laurel’s Kaden Boone in 37 seconds.
Arundel will also show out in the girls division with Josie Langtry (100), reigning champ Jada Chaves (105) and Erin Wright (155), along with boys Cole Figueroa (132) and Mannaseh Ojoamo (195).
Laurel’s Alex Bellarin, a defending state champion, won the 126-pound title and improved to 34-1.
4A/3A North
Bel Air crowned three champions — Chris Nice (132), Gavin McDowell (138), Savion Ricketts (170) — at the 4A/3A North Region Tournament.t
Nice pinned Dulaney’s Jason Cantemiry in the first period, McDowell cruised to a 21-7 major decision over Dulaney’s Connor Chattin, and Ricketts beat Dulaney’s Roman Kaminski, 9-3.
Woodlawn’s Ky-El Ali won the 126-pound title with a 13-7 victory over Blake’s Alex Osorio Mendez in the finals.
Perry Hall freshman Victor Marks-Jenkins (145) stayed perfect on the year at 46-0 with a pin of Bel Air’s Manny Lucas in the championship match.
Pedro Cruz of Dulaney won the 220-pound title, pinning Blair’s Jack Hardwick in 5:50 in the finals.
Parkville’s Simeon Bryant pinned Dundalk’s Andre Andrades In 47 seconds to win the heavyweight title.