Huntingtown freshman, 16th-ranked Kyler Kiessling (120 pounds) scored an upset, second-period fall against fifth-ranked Class 2A-1A state runner-up senior Juan Hinojosa of 20th-ranked Stephen Decatur on Saturday during the 11th-ranked Hurricanes’ 51-22 Class 2A state dual meet championship victory at North County High.
The triumph helped Kiessling to rebound from an earlier loss by 79-second pin against 18th-ranked senior Kane Desch of the 30th-ranked C. Milton Wright Mustangs, whom the Hurricanes (29-5) vanquished, 37-24, in the semifinals.
Kiessling’s story in microcosm was in line with a theme of redemption for the Hurricanes. Huntingtown was a Class 2A state dual meet semifinal loser to last year’s Seahawks (19-6), who collected their fifth consecutive state crown a year ago.
But Kiessling required a bit of a pep talk after losing to Desch, who has a record on the year of 24-2, has won a pair of Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference titles in three championship berths, has earned one regional crown in three trips to the finals, and twice placed fourth at states.
Kiessling’s encouragement came from his father, Jason, a 2002 graduate of McDonough of Charles County who earned a Class 4A-3A state title as a 160-pound senior after being a runner-up twice.
“I did believe I was going to be more of a challenge for [Desch,] so I felt a little disappointed after my first match,” said Kyler Kiessling, whose record on the year is 25-3. “I think I went in there with a bit of a nervous mindset. But afterward, my dad came up to me and said that [Desch] is a senior who has placed at states.”
Kiessling refocused for Hinojosa, who has a career record against Desch of 1-1.
Among Hinojosa’s losses this season included one in overtime to third-ranked junior Eli Chesla of Archbishop Spalding, who has finished both second and third at the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament and second and fourth at the Maryland Independent Schools State Tournament.
“My Dad told me who [Hinojosa] was and what this kid was all about,” said Kyler Kiessling, who decked Hinojosa at the 3-minute mark. “As we started warming up for my next match [with Hinojosa,] I went into the match with a lot more confidence, out strengthened the kid and got him tired.”
Seven wrestlers won twice for the defending Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) champion Hurricanes comprising seventh-ranked sophomore Owen Hayden (106), 11th-ranked junior Will Stewart (132), fourth-ranked senior Will Buckler (157), ninth-ranked senior Blake Ashley (165), 23rd-ranked senior Chase Brooks (190), senior Luke Johnson (144) and freshman Ezekias Perez (150).
A SMAC tournament runner-up who was first at regions and fourth at states, Ashley won a 7-2 decision over 10th-ranked senior Devin Sweeney of C. Milton Wright in addition to scoring a 58-second fall against 15th-ranked senior Amarian Manuel of Stephen Decatur.
Sweeney is a defending champion in the UCBAC who was a regional runner-up and placed fifth at states, where he lost to Ashley, 7-1, in the consolation semifinals.
Manuel is a defending Bayside Conference champion, was second at regions, and lost, 9-3, to Ashley in the championship quarterfinals at states.
The Hurricanes received a forfeit and a 99-second fall from Buckler, who transferred from St. Mary’s Ryken where he placed third, second, and fourth in the private schools state tournament and seventh at the National Prep Tournament as a sophomore.
Hayden earned a 51-second pin and a 19-3 technical fall, being a defending champion in the SMAC and regional tournaments who was fifth at states last year.
Brooks is a defending SMAC champion and fourth-place regional finisher who won major decisions by scores of 11-1 and 11-2. Brook’s 11-1 victory was against eighth-ranked junior Jaxon Simms, who is a returning UCBAC tournament runner-up as well as a regional runner-up.
Johnson won an 11-1 major decision and an 86-second fall against 18th-ranked senior Jake Saullo of Stephen Decatur.
Perez earned a 15-0 technical fall and 9-3 decision over Stephen Decatur junior Alex Riehl, who was fourth in the Bayside Conference. Stewart earned technical falls by the scores of 16-1 and 22-6.
Stephen Decatur reached the title bout with a 37-35 semifinal victory over the 16th-ranked Damascus Swarmin’ Hornets (21-4), winners of eight state dual-meet titles under 17th-year coach John Furgeson as well as their 10th county tournament title last year with Ferguson at the helm.
Stephen Decatur had three double-winners led by second-ranked junior Elijah Collick, a returning two-time title winner in the Bayside Conference as well as in the Class 2A-1A East Region and Class 2A-1A state tournaments.
Collick won by forfeit against the Swarmin’ Hornets before earning a 13-3 major decision over sixth-ranked sophomore Landon Vercoe of Huntingtown, a returning SMAC champion who was first in the Class 2A-1A South Region and third at Class 2A-1A states last year.
Earning a pin and a technical fall for the Seahawks was 16th-ranked senior Aaron August (138), a returning Bayside Conference runner-up who was third at regions last year.
Fifth-ranked senior Nate McDaniel (285) had a pin and a forfeit, having placed fourth at both the Bayside Conference and regional tournaments last season.
Leading the way for the Swarmin’ Hornets were 19th-ranked senior Gabe Hernandez (144), who trailed, 3-0, before getting the fall in 3:31 against Saullo.
Also pinning for the Swarmin’ Hornets were seniors Tanner Harman (175) and Owen Jaramillo (190), with a forfeit going to 16th-ranked senior Porter Gruner (157).
Winning by major decision for the Swarmin’ Hornets were 17th-ranked sophomore Cooper Spoales (120) and sophomore Logan Galiano (106), while 20th-ranked senior Mark Martin (285) earned a decision.
Furgeson coached the Swarmin’ Hornets to Class 4A-3A state tournament titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017 before the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association ceased scoring the state tournament in 2018.
Also winning for the Mustangs (17-7) were 14th-ranked junior Cameron Stepp (285) with a pin, and sixth-ranked junior Aaron Moccia (165), 15th-ranked senior Mitchell Nguyen (138), junior Sean Downey (113) and senior Nathan Whetzel, all with decisions.
Moccia earned a 7-0 decision over the Hurricanes’ fifth-ranked junior Tyler Hayden, a defending champion in the SMAC and regional tournament who was third at Class 2A-1A states last year.
Whetzel won a 7-3 decision over Hurricanes’ 22nd-ranked senior Ryan Smith, a SMAC tournament runner-up who was third at regions.
Class 2A semifinals
Stephen Decatur 37, Damascus 35
126 Elijah Collick (Stephen Decatur) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
132 Reed James (Stephen Decatur) over TJ Gottesman (Damascus) TF 25-6
138 Aaron August (Stephen Decatur) over Logan Romeo (Damascus) TF 16-1
144 Gabe Hernandez (Damascus) over Jake Saullo (Stephen Decatur) Fall 3:31
150 Alex Riehl (Stephen Decatur) over Caleb Pickering (Damascus) Fall 1:36
157 Porter Gruner (Damascus) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
165 Amarian Manuel (Stephen Decatur) over Evan Willis (Damascus) Maj 11-2
175 Tanner Harman (Damascus) over Braydon Bell (Stephen Decatur) Fall 4:22
190 Owen Jaramillo (Damascus) over Cole Muir (Stephen Decatur) Fall 3:40
215 Nate McDaniel (Stephen Decatur) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 Mark Martin (Damascus) over Price Hill (Stephen Decatur) Dec 9-3
106 Logan Gailiano (Damascus) over Kyle Wilson (Stephen Decatur) Maj 10-1
113 Juan Hinojosa (Stephen Decatur) over Michael Patton (Damascus) TF 21-5
120 Cooper Spoales (Damascus) over Jaxon Archer (Stephen Decatur) Maj 13-3
Huntingtown 37, C. Milton Wright 24
126 Landon Vercoe (Huntingtown) over Jacob Cox (C. Milton Wright) TF 21-3
132 Will Stewart (Huntingtown) over Logan Layne (C. Milton Wright) TF 22-6
138 Mitchell Nguyen (C. Milton Wright) over Brady Arigo (Huntingtown) Dec 6-5
144 Luke Johnson (Huntingtown) over Joza Peters (C. Milton Wright) Maj 11-1
150 Ezekias Perez (Huntingtown) over Dylan Roche (C. Milton Wright) TF 15-0
157 Will Buckler (Huntingtown) over Carson Windesheim (C. Milton Wright) Fall 1:39
165 Blake Ashley (Huntingtown) over Devin Sweeney (C. Milton Wright) Dec 7-2
175 Aaron Moccia (C. Milton Wright) over Tyler Hayden (Huntingtown) Dec 7-0
190 Chase Brooks (Huntingtown) over Jaxon Simms (C. Milton Wright) Maj 11-1
215 Nathan Whetzel (C. Milton Wright) over Ryan Smith (Huntingtown) Dec 7-3
285 Cameron Stepp (C. Milton Wright) over Peyton Powell (Huntingtown) Fall 1:45
106 Owen Hayden (Huntingtown) over Rory Sweeney (C. Milton Wright) TF 19-3
113 Sean Downey (C. Milton Wright) over Logan Jones (Huntingtown) Dec 6-2
120 Kane Desch (C. Milton Wright) over Kyler Kiessling (Huntingtown) Fall 1:19
Class 2A final
Huntingtown 51, Stephen Decatur 22
132 Will Stewart (Huntingtown) over Reed James (Stephen Decatur) TF 16-1
138 Aaron August (Stephen Decatur) over Brady Arigo (Huntingtown) Fall 5:21
144 Luke Johnson (Huntingtown) over Jake Saullo (Stephen Decatur) Fall 1:26
150 Ezekias Perez (Huntingtown) over Alex Riehl (Stephen Decatur) Dec 9-3
157 Will Buckler (Huntingtown) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
165 Blake Ashley (Huntingtown) over Amarian Manuel (Stephen Decatur) Fall 0:58
175 Tyler Hayden (Huntingtown) over Braydon Bell (Stephen Decatur) Maj 11-1
190 Chase Brooks (Huntingtown) over Wyatt Cook (Stephen Decatur) Maj 11-2
215 Ryan Smith (Huntingtown) over Cole Muir (Stephen Decatur) TF 26-8
285 Nate McDaniel (Stephen Decatur) over Peyton Powell (Huntingtown) Fall 2:44
106 Owen Hayden (Huntingtown) over Kyle Wilson (Stephen Decatur) Fall 0:51
113 Paulo Mena-Weber (Stephen Decatur) over Logan Jones (Huntingtown) Fall 3:55
120 Kyler Kiessling (Huntingtown) over Juan Hinojosa (Stephen Decatur) Fall 3:00
126 Elijah Collick (Stephen Decatur) over Landon Vercoe (Huntingtown) Maj 13-3
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