Seahawks all smiles
South River upsets top-seeded Broadneck, 38-30, for Class 4A East Region title
By the time Brent Phillips stepped onto the mat, things had soured for South River. The impact of an early lead in the Class 4A East Region final dissipated once Broadneck’s middle weights began stacking points.
Even with a decision momentarily stemming the tide, the Seahawks were putting up a single sandbag against an incoming tidal wave.
Phillips knew what getting pinned in the 182-pound bout would mean for his team. He also remembered Max Demella scoring a major decision over him two weeks ago.
Trailing 4-1 through the first period, Phillips lasted almost 50 seconds of the second until he managed to drag Demella beneath him. The Bruin kicked wildly, but Phillips had him. The screams that erupted from the South River side when the official’s hand slapped the mat were otherworldly. That was the match, coach John Klessinger said. Looking back, the region crown was won then.
Phillips’ pin altered the course for the Seahawks to upset No. 1 seed Broadneck, 38-30, and earn a trip back to defend their Class 4A state dual crown on Saturday.
“Coming in, I don’t think anybody would’ve thought we’d win this match,” Klessinger said.
Klessinger let out a hearty laugh at the thought that it was the upper weights who secured the victory. Unlike years past, that part of the lineup lacked experience. In tough matches against seasoned wrestlers, such as those Broadneck deployed Thursday, that greenness typically showed.
But not this night. After Phillips, Aidan Healy battled heavy fatigue to beat Jake Chambers in a 15-13 decision at 195 before Busayo Balogun won, 4-2, at heavyweight.
This was not the Seahawks crew of even two weeks ago. Before their senior night loss to Broadneck, they suffered losses to Sparrows Point and Loyola Blakefield, all because they couldn’t help but surrender points. But in the last few weeks, the Seahawks focused on growth.
“It really came down to the coaching staff,” Phillips said. “They work with us so hard every practice, on just good technique and everything. Everyone gives their heart out. We just have the mentality that we have to keep fighting.”
Still, the pressure laid heavy on Trent Shipley’s small shoulders. South River’s two-point lead wouldn’t survive any kind of Broadneck win in the 106-pound finale.
Shipley didn’t let his teammates fret for long. Just 53 seconds in, the sophomore pulled Luca Podkrajac down to the mat and curled atop him as the Bruins’ limbs flailed. And then, the crisp sound of the pin came.
“That blew my mind,” Phillips said.
Illness darkened Broadneck’s doorstep this week, hitting, among several, its 113-pound mainstay in Cam Williams. South River thrust the Bruins down to a dangerous deficit thanks to a pair of pins at 113 and 126 and a hard-fought technical fall from 120-pounder Alex Szkotnicki.
“It really changed the dynamics of our match,” Bruins coach Reid Bloomfield said. “We had to make up a lot of points in areas we wouldn’t normally have to, and they wrestled great. They took advantage of it.
“You have to be good this time of year. But you have to be a little lucky.”
At 132, the Seahawks’ Ben Ford and Bruins’ Peter Saroch slogged through three periods, trading leads until the last moments. Ford
pounced to Saroch’s back to get within 9-8. But Saroch slipped his grip, cementing his 10-8 victory — and Broadneck’s ascent.
Not much the Bruins earned came easily. Ryland Woodward grappled to a 3-1 decision at 145. Carson Long rallied through three periods after nearly getting pinned himself before yanking Ethan McWaters’ arm back, manipulating him underneath like dough and pulling the go-ahead pin for an 18-17 lead.
But once Phillips upended the Bruins’ run, they never recovered.
Most of the Bruins didn’t look at the scoreboard once it was done. They move on quickly, Bloomfield said.
“So two goals, to be region and state duals champions, was not accomplished,” Bloomfield said. “There’s still a lot more for us.”
South River 38, Broadneck 30
106: Trent Shipley (SR) pinned Luca Podkrajac (BN), 38-30; 113: Cole Peeples (SR) pinned Vance Carver (BN), 6-0; 118: Alex Szkotnicki (SR) tech fall Miguel Cubon (BN), 20-4; 11-0; 126: John Titow pinned Brandon Whyte-Taylor, 17-0; 132: Ben Ford - Peter Saroch dec. Ben Ford, 10-8; 17-3; 138: Ben Durkin (SR) pinned Bryce Potter (SR), 17-9; 145: Ryland Woodward (BN) dec. Ishmael Tamayo (SR), 3-1; 17-12; 152: Carson Long (BN) pinned Ethan McWaters (SR), 18-17; 160: Sam Ditmars (SR) dec. Payton Miller (BN), 8-3; 20-18; 170: Liam DeBaugh (BN) pinned Zach Gliencke (SR), 24-20; 182: Brent Phillips (SR) pinned Max Demella (BN), 26-24; 195: Aidan Healy (SR) dec. Jake Chambers (BN), 15-13; 29-24; 220: Dax Avila (BN) win by fft. 30-29; 285: Busayo Balogun (SR) dec. Caleb Collazo (285) 4-2; 32-30