South Carroll crowned three-timers in second-ranked junior Jo Jo Gigliotti (144), second-ranked senior Evan Owen (138) and fourth-ranked junior Grayson Barnhill (113) among its school-record nine Carroll County champions on Saturday.
Their efforts led the third-ranked Cavaliers to their fifth straight county Tournament crown as they overcame 20th-ranked runner-up Manchester Valley by 100 points, 240.5-to-140.5.
Winning their second crowns were fourth-ranked junior Landon Hamper (190), fifth-ranked senior Manny Rodrigues (215) and 16th-ranked sophomore Davy Snyder (157), with first-timers in top-ranked sophomore Eli Gabrielson (120), sixth-ranked senior Angelo Marchany (150) and 12th-ranked freshman Jake Simione (106).
Eighth-ranked sophomore Brody Henry (126) was dethroned as champion following a 4-2 title-bout loss to Westminster sophomore Conor Ruane. Ruane placed third at counties last year and was a regional runner-up last year, while Henry was a regional champion and placed fifth at states.
The Cavaliers’ effort comes a week after earning their fourth straight Class 1A state duals crown, 58-12, over the seventh-ranked Middletown, improving their record on the year to 22-1.
Cavaliers’ coach Bryan Hamper is a 2001 South Carroll graduate who was twice a state champion and twice placed fourth at the states. Hamper coached his alma mater to Class 2A-1A state tournament titles in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 before the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association ceased scoring the state tournament in 2018.
Gabrielson has dedicated his season to his grandmother, Kim Gabrielson, who passed away on March 20, 2024, after a long battle with cancer.
Gabrielson ran his record to 34-0 with a fall in 1:54 that dethroned Century junior Brayden Brassell, who was fourth at regions last year.
A transfer from St. Mary’s Ryken, Gabrielson won a title in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, was a runner-up in the Maryland Private Schools States, and placed fourth in the National Preps tournament as a 106-pound freshman.
Although Kim was 71 years old when she passed, she was matside taking photos of Gabrielson’s matches at private school states on the weekend of February 16-17 at Harford Community College in Bel Air, Maryland.
Gabrielson has also dedicated his season to his former junior league coach, Mike Knaly, who also passed away of cancer in October.
“I have lost three loved ones to cancer in the past 18 months. I’ve made MawMaw and coach Big Mike a promise that I would win a state title,” Gabrielson said. “After watching them fight, I’m reminded to keep on fighting for my goals. I fell short of winning a state title last year, but I’m a person of my word.”
Gigliotti has twice won regions and Class 2A-1A states. Barnhill is a two-time regional champion who won last year’s state title after being second as a freshman. Owen has placed fourth once and second twice at states.
Barnhill scored a nine-second fall over Liberty sophomore Joshua Moore, improving his record on the year to 35-2. Gigliotti 35-1 following his 20-4 technical fall over sophomore Beau Snell of Manchester Valley, whose record is 41-3.
Owen scored a 15-2 major decision over sixth-ranked Manchester Valley junior Bradyn VanDerVoort, a repeat runner-up who was first at regions and third at states last year.
Rodrigues improved to 29-3 with a 55-second fall against Winters Mill junior Victor Tejada. As a sophomore, Rodrigues won county and regional titles before placing second at Class 2A-1A states but missed last season due to injury.
Landon Hamper won a clash of county champions, 5-1, over Liberty’s seventh-ranked junior Kevin Kern, whose record, like Hamper’s, stands at 35-2.
Hamper was a regional runner-up who won last year’s state title, whereas Kern finished second at regions and did not place at states.
Snyder also won a battle of defending county champions by 8-6 decision over Liberty’s sixth-ranked senior Dylan Ohler, raising his record on the year to 30-5 while Ohler’s mark slipped to 34-3.
Ohler was a regional champion and a state runner-up last year, when Snyder was first at regions and fifth at states.
“Throughout the match, Davy was able to push the pace and get in on his leg attacks against Ohler,” said Bryan Hamper, Landon’s father. “Davy wrestled a great match against Ohler. It’s a great testament to where he is heading into the next two weeks.”
Marchany scored a 16-1 technical fall over Winters Mill junior Liberty junior Landon Buchman, whose record fell to 32-4. Marchany (30-6 record) improved on last year’s runner-up finish, placed second at regions and was sixth at states last year.
Simione scored a fall in 3:23 over Manchester Valley freshman Kayden Reid, improving his record on the year to 30-6.
“Jake and Reid had a very close match in our dual meet,” Bryan Hamper said. “But Jake was able to open up more this time, which ultimately led to him securing a pin with a cradle.”
Third-ranked Winters Mill senior Chris Gaeng (165) and ninth-ranked Manchester Valley senior Cru Boog were repeat champions.
Gaeng ran his record to 36-0 with a 10-1 major decision over Francis Scott Key senior Patrick Mattingly. Gaeng was a regional runner-up who placed third at states last year.
Boog improved his record on the year to 43-1, scoring a fall in 2:54 of his title bout with Francis Scott Key junior Cory Stouffer. Boog was a regional runner-up who did not place at states last year.
Century’s 20th-ranked senior JT Ferguson (175) improved on last year’s runner-up finish with a title-bout, 6-1 decision over Winters Mill junior Nathaniel McLeod. Ferguson was third at regions last year.
Manchester Valley senior Ryan Hydorn (132) won his crown by 88-second fall over Westminster senior Zachary Bowersox.
Team Scores
1 South Carroll 240.5
2 Manchester Valley 140.5
3 Francis Scott Key 120.0
4 Century 92.0
5 Winters Mill 90.5
6 Liberty 83.0
7 Westminster 72.0
106
1st Place Match
Jake Simione (South Carroll) 30-6, Fr. over Kayden Reid (Manchester Valley) 37-8, Fr. (Fall 3:23)
3rd Place Match
Eli Stein (Century) 37-5, Fr. over Jake Vile (Westminster) 34-12, Jr. (Fall 2:30)
113
1st Place Match
Grayson Barnhill (South Carroll) 35-2, Jr. over Joshua Moore (Liberty) 24-12, So. (Fall 0:09)
3rd Place Match
Junior Topper (Francis Scott Key) 18-14, So. over Greyson Hydorn (Manchester Valley) 12-4, Fr. (Dec 7-3)
120
1st Place Match
Eli Gabrielson (South Carroll) 34-0, So. over Brayden Brassell (Century) 21-8, Jr. (Fall 1:54)
3rd Place Match
Jackson Rilley (Francis Scott Key) 24-9, Sr. over Chase Ries (Manchester Valley) 19-16, Sr. (Dec 7-2)
126
1st Place Match
Conor Ruane (Westminster) 37-6, So. over Brody Henry (South Carroll) 33-7, So. (Dec 4-2)
3rd Place Match
Colton Wasmer (Winters MIll) 32-8, Jr. over Dakota Barnard (Manchester Valley) 30-16, Jr. (For.)
132
1st Place Match
Ryan Hydorn (Manchester Valley) 24-13, Sr. over Zachary Bowersox (Westminster) 27-17, So. (Fall 1:28)
3rd Place Match
Chris Brooks (Century) 35-8, Sr. over Alexander Little (South Carroll) 8-5, Fr. (MD 13-3)
138
1st Place Match
Evan Owen (South Carroll) 27-2, Sr. over Bradyn VanDerVoort (Manchester Valley) 41-4, Jr. (MD 15-2)
3rd Place Match
Nate Taylor (Francis Scott Key) 30-4, Sr. over Liam O`Dwyer (Westminster) 24-22, Jr. (Fall 3:32)
144
1st Place Match
Jojo Gigliotti (South Carroll) 35-1, Jr. over Beau Snell (Manchester Valley) 41-3, So. (TF-1.5 3:06 (20-4))
3rd Place Match
Jesse Owings (Francis Scott Key) 29-6, So. over Dylan Vroom (Century) 32-10, Sr. (Dec 9-2)
150
1st Place Match
Angelo Marchany (South Carroll) 30-6, Sr. over Landon Buchman (Winters Mill) 32-4, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:03 (16-1))
3rd Place Match
Ben Lombroia (Francis Scott Key) 14-10, Sr. over Parker Reynolds (Liberty) 27-10, So. (M. For.)
157
1st Place Match
Davy Snyder (South Carroll) 30-5, So. over Dylan Ohler (Liberty) 34-3, Sr. (Dec 8-6)
3rd Place Match
Cameron Wagner (Century) 23-10, Sr. over Jason Acevedo (Winters MIll) 23-13, Jr. (M. For.)
165
1st Place Match
Chris Gaeng (Winters Mill) 36-0, Sr. over Patrick Mattingly (Francis Scott Key) 22-10, Sr. (MD 10-1)
3rd Place Match
Conner Deshesky (South Carroll) 27-13, So. over Parker Burke (Liberty) 16-13, Jr. (Dec 10-6)
175
1st Place Match
JT Ferguson (Century) 39-2, Sr. over Nathaniel McLeod (Winters MIll) 28-9, Jr. (Dec 6-1)
3rd Place Match
Aidan Johnson (Francis Scott Key) 19-12, Sr. over Gideon Malone (Westminster) 17-16, . (Fall 1:35)
190
1st Place Match
Landon Hamper (South Carroll) 35-2, Jr. over Kevin Kern (Liberty) 35-2, Jr. (Dec 5-1)
3rd Place Match
Adam Knox (Francis Scott Key) 26-6, Sr. over Dominic Damico (Century) 21-20, Sr. (Fall 4:48)
215
1st Place Match
Manny Rodrigues (South Carroll) 29-3, Sr. over Victor Tejada (Winters Mill) 25-12, Jr. (Fall 0:55)
3rd Place Match
Ryder Onkst (Manchester Valley) 13-16, Fr. over Renner O`Brien (Liberty) 7-7, Jr. (Fall 2:06)
285
1st Place Match
Cru Boog (Manchester Valley) 43-1, Sr. over Cory Stouffer (Francis Scott Key) 21-11, Jr. (Fall 2:54)
3rd Place Match
Paddy Govier (South Carroll) 21-10, Sr. over Aiden Wengert (Westminster) 9-13, So. (Dec 4-2)