S. Carroll wrestling finishes second at Class 2A-1A West meet
Bayside Conference schools dominate in 2A` -1A East
MIDDLETOWN — Seniors Jamar Williams and Joey Thomas and sophomore Cam Werner won individual titles, and South Carroll placed second to Middletown in the team race in the Class 2A-1A West Region wrestling tournament Saturday night.
Host Middletown (199.5 points) dashed the Cavaliers’ bid for a third straight championship as the Knights crowned six champions.
“They have a special team,” said South Carroll coach Bryan Hamper, whose team finished with 162.5 points.
“We knew their depth would really shine. They had 14 guys here and we had only nine. I really felt this tournament of every one we have competed in would be the hardest one to win.”
The runners-up for South Carroll were Dakota Bowers (113 pounds, 42-5), Travis Crawford (120, 45-2), Tyler Harbison (138, 38-7) and Jake McKenzie (152, 41-5.)
The first four in each weight class advance to the state tournament Friday and Saturday in Upper Marlboro.
Werner (132, 36-8) won by technical fall over Francis Scott Key’s Gabe Mojica, 26-11, to capture his second regional title.
“He really stepped up,” Hamper said of Werner. “He faced some adversity in the finals of Carroll County tournament last weekend. He got pinned. Some guys would feel sorry for himself, but he trained hard this week.”
Thomas (126, 46-1) grabbed his third regional championship.
Thomas, the state’s all-time leader in wins among public school wrestlers with 191, won by technical fall over Williamsport’s Cody Crawford, 25-10.
“It feels great to win another regional title, but I’m ready to win my third state title,” Thomas said.
The two-time state champion Williams (170, 47-0) secured his second regional title when he pinned Mountain Ridge’s Marcus Folk in 2:59.
Century had two wrestlers garner regional championships: seniors Jack Akers (220, 31-0) and Cody Davis (160, 36-2). Akers has come a long way in two years. CLASS 2A-1A EAST REGION: The Bayside Conference won 10 of 14 weight class championship titles at Harford Tech.
North Caroline, which had two of those titles, won the team title with 158 points. Patterson Mill, of the host Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference, also had two champions and finished runner-up with 124 points.
Seven wrestlers from Harford County and nearby Perryville had title shots, but just three earned wins.
Patterson Mill senior Luke Rosen won the first title at 152 pounds, beating Easton's Colby Palmer, 5-1.
Rosen, scored a takedown in the first half minute of the match. It appeared Rosen added back points, but none were awarded.
Rosen then added an escape in period two to lead 3-0 entering the final period.
Palmer scored his lone point with an escape midway in the final period and when he tried to force the action for a tying takedown, the two points went to Rosen, who scored the match-clinching takedown.
“It feels great, really put my effort into it and I came out with the win,” Rosen said. “Coming in, I was nervous just like anybody else would be, but I knew if I put into it, I’d win my matches and that would show for itself.”
It was Huskies teammate, junior Hunter Crowley who secured the other Patterson Mill title with a win in the 182 final. Crowley beat Snow Hill junior Jordan Bishop, 6-3.