This weekend’s Iron Horse Duals at C. Milton Wright of Harford County features four teams ranked within the top 10 of Billy B’s Maryland State Wrestling Association State Rankings, and the notebook offers a peak at each among other subjects.

Fourth-ranked Loyola of Baltimore, fifth-ranked South Carroll of Carroll County and 10th-ranked South River of Anne Arundel County will compete at Iron Horse, as will seventh-ranked Stephen Decatur of Berlin, Maryland, 15th-ranked Sparrows Point of Baltimore County and 22th-ranked Archbishop Spalding of Anne Arundel County.

Cavaliers win Trojan Wars

Their teams were tied at 158-points entering the 139-pound title bout of the Dec. 29-30 Trojan Wars Tournament as senior two-time state champion Gage Owen of South Carroll High and freshman Reagan Milheim of Turbotville, Pa.’s Warrior Run High stepped onto the mat at Chambersburg Area High in Chambersburg, Pa.

Owen was able to pull off a tournament clinching, 3-1 victory over Meilheim to lift the fifth-ranked Cavaliers over Warriors Run and the 30-team field by the score of 162-to-158.

“I knew he wasn’t an offensive wrestler so I came out and was patient. He took a bad shot, so I got the takedown and rode him out,” Owen said. “Second period, I picked the bottom position and I got out in about 20 seconds. Later in the match, I eventually let him out for an escape rather than risk giving up the reversal.”

Owen reached the finals on two each in pins and decisions, including an overtime, 4-2, semifinal victory over Mason Bartivitski of Southern Columbia in Catawissa, Pa.

Owen was among six wrestlers who finished within the top five of their weight classes for the Cavaliers, whose senior two-time state champions Mike Pizzuto (145) and A.J. Rodriguez (160) were runners-up.

Freshman four-time junior league state champion Joseph Gigliotti (121) was fourth with fifth place finishes from sophomore Evan Owen (104) and senior state runner-up Rylan Moose (172).

“As far as accomplishments go, this was definitely the hardest tournament we’ve gone to, and it feels good to come out here and win as a team,” Owen said. “I think that was huge for us to come out on top against a field of Pennsylvania teams full of talented kids who have been wrestling their entire lives.”

Pizzuto lost for the first time in his career, and Rodriguez, the first time this year, each after their nationally-ranked opponents came from behind to win.

Pizzuto led, 3-1, with 20 seconds remaining in his eventual, 7-3, loss to 14th-ranked Patrick Jordan of Virginia’s New Kent High. Rodriguez yielded a late takedown in his 4-3 loss to 11th-ranked Dominic Frontino of Shippensburg High in Shippensburg, Pa.

“When we came up here last year, there was a podcast they were doing and they were sort of laughing at us, being from Maryland. But by the end of the tournament, they realized we were pretty good, and we ended up placing third,” said coach Jay Braunstein, whose Cavaliers will compete in this weekend’s Iron Horse Duals at C. Milton Wright of Harford County.

“Coming back to the state of Maryland, I think we should get the respect that Maryland wrestling deserves. But at the same time, Michael Pizzuto just lost for the first time in his high school career, and A.J. lost for the first time in this year. So we also got a taste of some humble pie.”

Seahawks soaring

South River is 22-2 overall entering the Iron Horse Duals, having won the Warriors Duals at LaPlata High of Charles County and finished second at their own duals tournament to Anne Arundel County rival Chesapeake.

In fact, each of the 10th-ranked Seahawks’ wrestlers’ losses were to Chesapeake by tie-breaker criteria, 35-34, and, 37-36. The Cougars won the first dual based on more victories, 8-6, and the second by securing more pins.

Senior returning Class 4A-3A state runner-up Sam Ditmars (145) is undefeated at 23-0 for the Seahawks, who are defending Class 4A state dual meet champions.

The Naval Academy-bound Ditmars won a battle of returning state runners-up, 6-3, over the host school’s then- fifth-ranked Aiden Rivenburg at LaPlata, senior teammate Ben Travis went 8-0 wrestling at 145 at the LaPlata Duals, and senior Ismael Tamayo (152) and junior Aidan Healey (195) went 9-0 at the South River tournament.

“Iron Horse Duals will be a good wake up call. I think it’s what the kids need,” Seahawks’ coach John Klessinger said. “Hopefully a thorough butt-whooping will harden us for a few tough duals down the stretch.”

Unbeaten Dom Ambrosino, Damon Nelson lead Sparrows Point

Sparrows Point won the Baltimore County Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons last year, falling by half a point to Owings Mills in 2019.

The 13th-ranked Pointers enter the Iron Horse Duals having won the last five regional dual meet crowns, being regional champions in six of the past seven seasons and state dual meet runners-up three times.

The Pointers are led by Class 2A-1A state champ Dom Ambrosino (138/145) and Damon Nelson (182), each of whom is 14-0. The third-ranked Ambrosino has nine pins and the top-ranked Nelson has 11.

The Pointers (14-0) return to action at county rival Dundalk on Thursday before entering the Iron Horse Duals.

Loyola is lurking

Fourth-ranked Loyola boasts six state-ranked wrestlers, including top-rated junior Judah Aybar (144/145), who enters the Iron Horse Duals as a defending Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association champion.

Senior Chance Miller (215/220) and sophomore Luke Randazzo (285) are ranked third, freshman Jayden Jackson (106) and sophomore Cayden Farver (113) are ranked sixth, and junior Brandyn Fish (120), ninth for the Dons.

Spalding crowns champs at South River’s Tournament

Other champions going 9-0 at South River were 24th-ranked Archbishop Spalding freshman Eli Chesla (106), sophomore Sean Garrettson (120) and freshman Zane Leitzel (138).

Garrettson enters the Iron Horse Duals as a returning champion in both the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association and Maryland Independent Schools State tournaments who placed fourth at the National Preps Tournament.

Chesla is the son of Mark Chesla, a two-time Class 4A-3A state champion at Arundel High of Anne Arundel County. Mark Chesla earned crowns at 152 pounds in 1994 and ‘95.

“Eli expressed interest in Spalding a few years ago knowing it would challenge him academically,” Mark Chesla said. “It’s really helped him to grow in those areas and the coaching staff is phenomenal.”

Stephen Decatur is a state power

Senior Logan Itrieri (138) and junior Gavin Solito (152) won titles and freshmen Elijah Collick (106), sophomore Aaron August (126) and junior Reid Caimi (132) were runners-up as seventh-ranked Stephen Decatur won the Dec. 27-28 Damascus Holiday Tournament in Montgomery County.

Solito is a returning state runner-up and Caimi a sixth place state finisher entering the Iron Horse Duals, and their Seahawks are defending state duals champions.

Gilman grabs second

Gilman’s Emmitt Sherlock won a battle of sophomore’s, 6-4, over Class 4A-3A state champion, Calvin Kraiser of Centennial of Howard County for the 138-pound title at the Greyhounds’ Adam Janet Tournament on Dec. 30.

Sherlock was among three champions and 11 wrestlers who placed within the top three of their weight classes as the third-ranked Greyhounds (294 points) finished second to Delaware’s Caesar Rodney (335) in the 10-team field.

Emmit was third at last year’s MIAA and MIS tournaments, and Tysonn was an MIAA runner-up and third place finisher at the MIS.

The Greyhounds other champions were sophomore Zach Glory (120) and junior Tyson Sherlock (132), with runners-up in senior Anders Martin (106), sophomores Sawyer Enright (113) and John Jurkovic (126), and senior Allan Gushue (157), junior Nick Haughey (165) and senior Wesley Seba (215).

Finishing third for the Greyhounds were junior Carson Mingo (190) and sophomore Bryce Wilson (285).

Third-place Calvert Hall crowned junior Sisto Averno (175), senior Duncan Kammar (190) and sophomore Maxwell Ohamuo (285).

Panthers producing

Former Dunbar coach Doug McClain has Baltimore City’s St. Frances Academy headed in the right direction during his initial season at the helm, given their debut as the state’s eighth-ranked team in the most recent standing.

Leading the way are fifth-ranked junior Camren Wright (215), 18th-ranked sophomore Carpintieri (157) and 19th-ranked sophomore LaDaynean Simpson (150).

The Panthers also feature 19th-ranked sophomore Noah Shird (126), 20th-ranked freshman James Carrington (285) and 23rd-ranked sophomore Douglas Johnson (190/195).

“It’s a blessing that the parents and wrestlers have bought into what we’re offering as a school and as a program and how everything is coming together so early,” said McClain, who coached three-time state champion Jorden Pryor among six state finalists in 10 seasons at Dunbar.

“It’s big for us to receive statewide recognition being a team at a school where there are two teams that are so competitive with their football and basketball teams being nationally ranked. As a coach, I have a lot of support and this is a sign of good things to come”

Pryor’s commitment

Dunbar graduate Jorden Pryor is a red-shirt sophomore heavyweight wrestler at Life University in Marietta, Georgia, where the three-time Class 2A-1A state champion is majoring in business.

Pryor, 22, will compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (NAIA) for the Eagles, having transferred from Iowa Central Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Pryor was a national runner-up at the end of his first season at Iowa Central, but dominated his 10-3 victory over Devon Dawson of Pratt to earn National Juco Championship honors in March 2022.

“There was a big crowd and it was a joyful feeling to win after losing a close decision the previous year,” said Pryor, who reached the finals to face Dawson on a pair of falls and a semifinal major decision. “Being in the finals for the second time was a lot easier. My mind set was that I wanted to dominate because I really wanted to win it.”

Pryor was a four-time Baltimore City and three-time Class 2A-1A state champion at Dunbar before graduating with a career record of 147-5 in 2019 as a National High School Coaches Association Tournament champion.

After placing fifth at states to end his freshman year for the Poets, Pryor went 109-0 for the remainder of his career, comprising a 41-0 mark as a 215-pound sophomore, and, at 285 pounds, 35-0 as a junior and 33-0 as a senior.

Pryor was second at the high school nationals as a freshman and third as a sophomore before winning that crown as a senior.

Cougars crowned

For ninth-ranked Chesapeake of Anne Arundel County the South River champions were freshman Gavin Lewis (170) and Delmar White (285) and for Mount Hebron of Howard County there was Joshua Danso (160) and sixth place state finishing senior Samuel Jordan (220).