Perry Hall’s top-ranked 175-pound junior Victor Marks-Jenkins has a reputation for ending matches quickly, and he was doing just that at last weekend’s Class 4A-3A state tournament at Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro.
Marks-Jenkins decked his first opponent in 3:00, and his second in 80 seconds, the latter being 19th-ranked junior Jordan Hicks of Henry Wise, a Prince George’s County champion and Class 4A-3A South Region runner-up.
Marks-Jenkins won his semifinal by 16-1 technical fall over 18th-ranked senior Josh Danso of Mount Hebron, a third place finisher in the Howard County and regional tournaments who finished sixth at states.
But the championship match offered the closest challenge to date in eighth-ranked senior Jonah Obitz of Marriotts Ridge, even with Marks-Jenkins being the aggressor during a 5-1 decision victory he controlled from start to finish and never seemed in danger of losing.
“[Obitz] was pretty strong, fighting hard, going out of bounds, but it’s whatever,” said Marks-Jenkins, whose record on the year improved to 48-0 with 34 pins and six technical falls. “I felt like I tired him out almost immediately. From the top, I didn’t need to cut him, but I felt like I could take him down again if I had to.”
Saturday’s results were anti-climactic compared to those of a year ago, when Marks-Jenkins planted four state tournament rivals in 51 seconds, 2:54, 2:59 and 5:30 to complete a record of 47-0 that included 40 pins and two technical falls.
Marks-Jenkins’ title bout of a year ago was against senior Seth Weaver of Bethesda-Chevy Chase, who entered with a record of 42-1 after having won his Montgomery County and Class 4A-3A East Regional crowns by falls in 3:48 and 23 seconds respectively.
But the muscular Obitz entered Saturday’s bout against Marks-Jenkins with a record of 49-0 following a 40-second pin in his semifinal bout with 24th-ranked senior Brenden Heyer of Sherwood, who finished fourth at states after having been a regional runner-up who was third in the Montgomery County tournament.
Obitz was a bit more savvy than other opponents faced by Marks-Jenkins, according to fourth-year Gators’ coach Doug Yoakum.
“[Obitz] wrestled a smart match to give himself a chance at the end, which is a credit to him,” said Yoakum, a 1990 Perry Hall graduate and former Baltimore County champion and regional runner-up. “Wrestling a smart match that way really was the way for [Obitz] to play it. [Obitz] is the first high school kid to make it the full six minutes with Victor this year.”
Obitz had placed second and first in each of his past two appearances in the Howard County and regional tournament, his runner-up finishes in both events coming in narrow decision losses to eventual Class 4A-3A state runner-up Joe Clark of Oakland Mills last year.
“I wrestled my best today, but he’s a great wrestler,” Obitz said. “I wish I had another year to prove myself, but it is what it is.”
With a career mark of 145-1 with 116 pins and 12 technical falls, Marks-Jenkins has earned his second straight Class 4A-3A state title after being a 145-pound third-place finisher as a freshman.
Over the previous two weekends, Marks-Jenkins had earned his third straight titles in both the Baltimore County and Class 4A-3A North Regional tournaments.
As a freshman, Marks-Jenkins went 50-1 with 42 pins and four technical falls, earning county and regional titles and finishing third at the state tournament. Marks-Jenkins was a repeat county and regional champion as a sophomore.
As a ninth grader, just 90 seconds separated Marks-Jenkins from a berth in the Class 4A-3A state championship match and potentially an undefeated season at 145 pounds. Marks-Jenkins led his semifinal match, 1-0, against state runner-up, Aidan Rivenburg, when the senior from North Point High of Charles County scored a reversal and three near-fall points for an eventual 5-1 victory.
Marks-Jenkins has risen in weight several times this season in order to dominate wrestlers from 175 to 215 pounds.
At 175, Marks-Jenkins owns a technical fall victory over 13th-ranked junior Carter Canale of Middletown and has pinned 12th-ranked junior Cregg Ngounou of Owings Mills.
Canale is a champion of the Frederick County and regional tournaments who was second at Class 2A-1A states, and Ngounou is a two-time Baltimore County titleist who has placed first and second at regions and fourth and fifth at Class 2A-1A states.
At 190 pounds, Marks-Jenkins owns technical fall victories over 11th-ranked Class 4A-3A state champion senior Josh Ogunlade of Einstein, 20th-ranked junior Adam Keever of Hereford, and 16th-ranked junior Bailen Boutz of Curley.
Keever has placed third at counties, fourth at regions and third at Class 2A-1A states, and Boutz has finished third in each of the past two Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournaments and fifth at this year’s Maryland Independent Schools State Tournament.
Marks-Jenkins owns a 39-second pin at 190 pounds against 12th-ranked senior Carter Alexander of North County, a two-time fourth-place finisher in the Anne Arundel County Tournament who has placed third at both regions and Class 4A-3A states.
At 215 pounds, Marks-Jenkins owns a technical fall over 16th-ranked senior Derek Owumi of The Saint James School, who was sixth at this year’s private school’s states.
Among Marks-Jenkins' offseason victories is one over third-ranked senior Adin Hastings of Williamsport, who has won a pair of Class 2A-1A state titles in three championship berths, at the Journeymen Fall Classic.
“As far as winning my second state championship, it feels the same as the last time,” Marks-Jenkins said. “This is a stepping stone and another part of the journey, but it’s not the destination. Legacy means more than this, and this is just another positive step in my wrestling career.”