Photo Credit: Huge shout-out to Jeff Randall for these amazing shots!
Ninth-ranked Whitman crowned fourth-ranked junior Solomon Randall (126) and eighth-ranked sophomore Jabasie Trice (113) among six wrestlers who finished within the top four of their weight classes to dethrone 18th-ranked rival Damascus for the Montgomery County Tournament title on Saturday at Gaithersburg High.
Finishing third for the Vikings were 19th-ranked junior Chris Lindstrom (138), 25th-ranked junior Andy Boshnick (285) and junior Matthew Hobbs (144), with a fourth-place effort from senior Justin Rommel (150) as the Vikings (167 points) held off the runner-up Swarmin' Hornets (157.5).
The triumph comes a week after the Vikings secured their second consecutive Class 4A state dual meet title under 18th-year Vikings coach Derek Manon, doing so with a single-season school-record mark to 30-1 a year after posting their first-ever undefeated dual meet season at 19-0.
Manon’s assistant, Will Sharbaugh, was a Class 4A-3A state champion with a 37-0 record in 2006, a milestone which happened a year after being a leader on a Vikings’ squad that earned Class 4A-3A state duals and tournament crowns in 2005 under coach Andy Wetzel. Manon spent a year as an assistant to Wetzel, who was at the helm from 1996 through 2007.
“Winning state duals as a freshman was an amazing feeling, but winning states for the second time really stood out to me,” Trice said. “This is because I am the only wrestler on our team who has a chance to be a member of a four-time state dual meet championship team, which is special to me. Although that was great, Coach Manon always tells me not to be satisfied and to continue to get better, so I’ve followed that advice.”
Randall used an 18-2 technical fall and a 54-second pin to reach his championship match, where he scored a 19-4 technical fall over 25th-ranked senior Jaden Cheung of Montgomery Blair.
Cheung finished third at last year’s Class 4A-3A states after becoming a county and regional champion and also placed third and fourth in the regions as a freshman and sophomore.
Having won last year’s county, regional and Class 4A-3A state tournaments a year after having placed third in each as a freshman, Randall ran this year’s record to 35-2 with 21 pins, and his career mark to 113-7 with 82 falls.
Randall is on pace to become only the Vikings’ second repeat state champion. Before he graduates, Randall can match three-time state champion Eren Civan, a 2007 graduate who could not compete as a senior due to a season-ending injury.
Trice earned a 69-second pin, another in 2:17, a 3-0 semifinal victory over eventual third place finishing seventh-ranked senior Isaiah Brewster of Seneca Valley to avenge an earlier loss and then won his championship bout fall in 5:30 over Magruder freshman Collin Murphy.
A fifth-place finisher at counties who was fourth at regions who improved his record on the year to 35-3, Trice had his most difficult battle with Brewster, whose record is 32-3 and who was fifth at counties, fourth at regions and fifth at states last year.
“I beat Isaiah Brewster in overtime in the semifinals. That was a great win for me because he had beaten me, 7-5, earlier this season. Going into the finals, I was confident that I was going to win my match because every day, I tell myself that no matter who I’m wrestling in the finals, I will not lose,” Trice said. “I ended up pinning my finals opponent in the third period. My record is now 35-3, but like I said before, I’m not satisfied. I’ve still got two more weeks to prove to myself and to everyone in the state that I will be the best.”
Einstein crowned third-ranked senior Steve Yuen (132) and the second and 11th-ranked senior Ogunlade siblings, Isaac (215) and Josh (190).
A defending Class 4A-3A state champion who ran his record on the year to 34-0, Yuen who earned his third straight county title, will look to win his third regional tournament next weekend, and to capture his second state title in two weeks after being a runner-up as a sophomore.
Yuen registered technical falls by scores of 18-2, 17-2 and 15-0 before dominating his title match by 13-1 major decision over Magruder senior Jimmy Messer, a runner-up for the second straight season whose record is now 30-4.
“Winning is a must at this point. Winning counties is just another step toward winning states again,” Yuen said. “I dominate people for the sole reason to break them mentally. Wrestling isn’t always just about winning. I want people to remember me and the pace I bring into the match. I am coming for the state title, and I plan to repeat.”
The 6-foot Isaac Ogunlade improved his record on the year to 34-2, earning his second consecutive county title while also being a defending champion in the regional and Class 4A-3A state tournaments.
The stocky 5-foot-7 Josh raised his record for the season to 35-4, improving on his second and fourth place finishes at counties and has also placed fourth and sixth at regions.
Isaac earned a 45-second fall, another in 2:23, and an injury default in semifinal before dominating his title match by 25-9 technical fall over Churchill’s 20th-ranke senior Joao Guerra, whose record dropped to 36-2.
“Winning another county title feels incredible, especially knowing all of the hard work and preparation that went into it,” Isaac Ogunlade said. “Dominating my way through the tournament gives me confidence heading into the regional and states. My goal is to continue dominating and to repeat at regionals and states.”
Josh rolled in similarly dominant fashion, registering falls in 1:48 and 2:52 with an injury default as well before winning his championship bout by 17-1 technical fall over Junior James Zimmerman of Blake.
“To dominate like my brother did is to show the world that hard work doesn’t just pay off, it actually leaves a mark that no one can ignore,” Josh Ogunlade said. “Being a county champion feels great, but it’s not just about the title as much as it is about the work, the sweat and the hours I put in to make things look effortless.”
Clarksburg's pair of champions were third-ranked Owen Pelaez (150) and sophomore Amanuel Fisahaye (106), the latter of whom defeated the eventual third- and fourth-place finishers.
Fishahaye earned a 16-0 technical fall, a 9-3 decision over Northwest freshman Cooper Bunting, and a 7-6 semifinal victory over freshman Nick MacWilliams of Bethesda-Chevy Chase, who defeated Bunting, 11-10, for third place.
Fisahaye earned his 32nd win of the season in his title match, dominating with a 10-1 major decision over Magruder freshman Hunter Herz.
Pelaez ran his record for the season to 38-0, using a 15-0 technical fall and pins in 2:23 and 55 seconds to reach the finals.
Peleaz then won his fourth straight county championship with a 16-0 technical fall over Walter Johnson senior Samuel Potter, becoming the Coyotes’ first four-time champion and only the fifth county wrestler to ever accomplish that feat.
Pelaez also received Montgomery County’s “Richard J. Monisera Award” granted “for Achievement,” and bestowed annually upon “The Senior Wrestler who earned the most Career MCPS Tournament Points.”
The award was given last season to Pelaez's former teammate Johnathan Chang, who became the Coyotes’ first-ever state champion as a 144-pound senior.
Pelaez has placed fifth and third in the past two state tournaments and won a pair of regional titles in three championship berths, and has a Coyotes' program-leading career record of 163-14.
The Coyotes’ 24th-year coach is Rob Pinsky, a 1986 graduate of Kennedy High where he was a two-time Montgomery County runner-up under then-Cavaliers’ coach Duke Beattie, who oversaw Peleaz’s reception of the Monisera Award.
“It feels great to finally get this done,” Pelaez said. “It’s been a goal of mine since I had won counties during my freshman year. It feels cool to have joined such an exclusive club.”
Among Pinsky's assistants is Owen's father, Rich Pelaez, a 1996 graduate of Gaithersburg High who counties and regions and placed third at states.
The county’s other four-time titlists were two-time state champion Timothy Ferguson of Damascus who graduated in 2020, two-time state champion Scott Obendorfer who graduated in 2020, state champion Steve Gamble of Sherwood who graduated in 2009, and Eli Bienstock of Quince Orchard.
Poolesville crowned the 14th-ranked Wexler siblings, with 165-pound senior Shimma improving his record on the year to 29-2, and 175-pound junior Zoya rising to 31-3. Asa Wexler, Zoya’s 144-pound sophomore twin brother, is a visually impaired wrestler who placed sixth and has 28 victories in the season.
"The previous year as a sophomore, I had injured myself in the counties and was concerned about injuring myself again and not being able to wrestle at regionals and states,” said Shimma Wexler, a returning third-place county finisher who was fourth in the regions last year. “I had been watching my brothers make their way through the brackets with all three of us making it to semifinals. All of my brothers and I standing on the podium together and making a name for the Wexlers is a memory I will always cherish.”
Shimma used falls in 3:31 and 4:58 to reach his semifinal bout, where he overcame Northwest’s15th-ranked senior Fernando Mejia, an eventual third place finisher whose record slipped to 34-3.
"My hardest match was with Mejia. I wanted to prove I was worthy of being their older brother. I had never wrestled Mejia before. Right before my semifinals match with Mejia, I was really nervous. I asked my father if there was any advice he could give me and he said, 'if you are going into the match with fear, what’s the point of wrestling?' My mother of course said, 'You got this Shimma,' and I used those words as fuel to believe in myself. I went into that match without fear," Shimma Wexler said.
"That match was the match that mattered for me to get the finals. It was the fastest paced match I have ever had. One second, Mejia’s hand is by my face, and the next it, was on my ankle. I knew I had to 'lock in' and focus on my techniques and strength. There were lots of scrambles and reversals.
“At one point when there was injury time, I looked over and saw my brother, Zoya, and he said, 'I want to see a county champ.'” After that, I got an adrenaline rush and I was able to finish on top and go to the finals. After my match, I dabbed up Zoya as he went onto win his semifinals match at 175 pounds."
Shimma won his title match by injury default over 17th-ranked junior Omid Shirzoi of Einstein, who was a runner-up for the second straight year.
"Both Shirzoi and I were the fourth and third seeds respectively, and we both knocked out the first and second seed in the semifinals. Having previously wrestled with Shirzoi both at Mad Mats last year and in the off season at Capital Wrestling, I was ready,” Shimma Wexler said. “I brought it to him, wrestled smart and strong, and in the match, he got injured. Zoya and I never said it to each other, but we both knew we wanted to get first together in at least one tournament before I left and went to college. We had been practicing with each other, telling each other about our faults in practice in order to hone our skills for the county tournament.”
Zoya used falls in 2:20 and 65 seconds to reach his semifinal bout, where he registered a 20-4 technical fall victory over Sherwood senior Brendan Heyer, who finished third after being fourth last season.
Zoya won his championship bout by 21-11 major decision over Damascus senior Tanner Harman, whom he had pinned in 4:50 of their earlier meeting.
“It feels good, but what made me even happier was that my older brother and I were both leaving the mat with our hand raised,” Zoya Wexler said. “In the beginning of the season, I felt as if I needed to best Shimma and prove that I’m not under his shadow. But now I try as much as possible to be right there with him at the top. I am very grateful to have him on the team and by my side when I need it the most.”
Richard Montgomery’s sixth-ranked junior Isisah Womack (138) remained undefeated at 32-0 starting with a 26-5 technical fall, a pin in 3:52 and an 11-4 decision over eighth-ranked Montgomery Blair senior Daniel Wu, the eventual third-place finisher whose record is now 34-4.
Womack won his championship match by 20-3 technical fall over Magruder’s seventh-ranked defending Class 4A-3A state champion junior Neil Sharma, an earlier, 16-3, loser to Womack whose record falls to 32-2.
Womack had also earned an earlier, 5-4 decision win over Wu, who was third at both counties and regions and finished fifth at Class 4-3A states last year. Wu also owns a decision victory over ninth-ranked Class 2A-1A state runner-up Nate Taylor of France Scott Key.
“Both Wu and Sharma are great wrestlers who put up a good fight, but I guess that I just wanted it more,” Womack said. “I had beaten Sharma earlier in the season, but this was the first time I was able to tech-fall him. I feel great about it, but was confident, just like I am going into every match.”
Womack transferred from Saint Frances Academy of Baltimore back to the Rockets’ program, where, as a freshman, he placed third at counties before winning a regional title and placing fifth at the Class 4A-3A state tournament at 113 pounds.
Womack also owns a decision victory over Arundel's eighth-ranked senior Luca Brown, a two-time Anne Arundel County champion who placed third and fourth at last year’s regional and Class 4A-3A state tournaments.
Womack became Saint Frances' first-ever Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association champion last year and placed fourth at last year's Maryland Private Schools' State Tournament.
Womack's first-year coach is Edgar Cruz, a 2016 Richard Montgomery graduate who placed sixth at states after having twice placed fourth in county and regional tournaments.
“Isisah’s performance at counties was a statement,” Cruz said. “The first time he wrestled Neil Sharma in our dual meet he won by a major decision. After the match, I told him that if he wanted to make a real statement that he should aim to score a technical fall at counties. That’s exactly what he did. From the start of the match to the finish, Isisah dictated the match, overwhelming Sharma with relentless pressure and sharp attacks.”
“One of the biggest factors in his success has been our emphasis on positional sparring in practice. We spend a lot of time working from specific positions, and Isisah’s really been able to excel in those areas – both when we’re going live in the room and in matches. That ability to dominate key positions is what allowed Isisah to control the match and ultimately to get the technical fall.”
Rockville crowned 25th-ranked junior Dillon Estabrook (144), whose record on the year improved to 29-3 after entering the tournament as the seventh seed.
Estabrook used a 14-0 major decision, a 15-7 quarterfinal victory over Hobbs, and a fall in 3:25 to reach the finals against Damascus’ 13th-ranked senior Gabe Hernandez, who entered with a record of 46-1.
Estabrook dominated his 19-3 technical fall victory over Hernandez, who finished as a runner-up for the third straight time and has also placed fourth in the regions during each of the past two seasons.
Hernandez’s only previous loss was in the finals of December’s Damasus Holiday Invitational, where he was upended, 8-4, by ninth-ranked freshman Soshiant Ahanj-Elias of Bullis.
Ahanj-Elias is an Interstate Athletic Conference champion who placed third at the Maryland Private Schools State Tournament.
“I was registered as the seventh seed due to my record, but I didn’t come into the tournament with the most matches or wins by any means. I made them regret making me the seventh seed,” Estabrook said. “Last year, I fell short of what my goal was and that was to place at counties, so during the offseason, I practiced as hard as I could and practiced with Teague Moore, an NCAA champion at Oklahoma State. That helped me to develop my ability in certain positions.”
Damascus’ 19th-ranked sophomore Cooper Spoales (120) earned his second straight title while also improving his record on the season to 42-5.
Spoales registered pins in 49 and 58 seconds before receiving a semifinal forfeit to enter his championship match, where he decked 22nd-ranked Magruder junior Sava Makarov in 5:16. Makarov was a third-place finisher last year whose record on the year slipped to 30-2.
Walter Johnson’s seventh-ranked junior Daniel Gershon (285) ran his record to 32-4 while improving on last year’s fifth-place finish fifth-place finish.
Gershon used falls in 3:15 and 3:07 to reach his title bout, where his 6-5 decision overcame Gaithersburg junior Nayenecke Ituka, a returning third-place finisher whose record slipped to 17-3.
Sherwood’s 23-ranked junior Connor Flickinger (165) improved to 29-4 on the year with his crown while also improving on last year’s fourth-place finish.
Flickinger used a two-minute fall as well as another in 50 seconds to reach his title match, where his 4-1 decision overcame freshman 10th-ranked sophomore Logan Brown of Northwest, whose record is now at 35-3.
Montgomery County Tournament Results
1 Walt Whitman 167.0
2 Damascus 157.5
3 Magruder 121.0
4 Bethesda Chevy Chase 117.0
5 Poolesville 114.5
6 Albert Einstein 109.5
7 James Hubert Blake 108.5
8 Northwest 97.5
9 Winston Churchill 91.0
10 Clarksburg 84.5
106
1st Place Match
Amanuel Fisahaye (Clarksburg) 32-9, So. over Hunter Herz (Magruder) 26-6, Fr. (MD 10-1)
3rd Place Match
Nick MacWilliams (Bethesda Chevy Chase) 34-4, Fr. over Cooper Bunting (Northwest) 34-7, Fr. (Dec 11-10)
5th Place Match
Marcus Johnson (Rockville) 27-12, Jr. over Joey Womack (Richard Montgomery) 25-3, So. (For.)
113
1st Place Match
Jabasie Trice (Walt Whitman) 35-3, So. over Collin Murphy (Magruder) 29-5, Fr. (Fall 5:30)
3rd Place Match
Isaiah Brewster (Seneca Valley) 32-3, Sr. over Kyle Osborn (Northwest) 29-13, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:49 (20-4))
5th Place Match
Enrique Herrera (Bethesda Chevy Chase) 30-11, Fr. over Eli Moy (James Hubert Blake) 23-13, So. (Fall 1:00)
120
1st Place Match
Cooper Spoales (Damascus) 42-5, So. over Sava Makarov (Magruder) 30-2, Jr. (Fall 5:16)
3rd Place Match
Brody Matson (James Hubert Blake) 25-6, Jr. over Finn Dunston (Rockville) 29-8, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:22 (19-0))
5th Place Match
Harry Spadoni (Quince Orchard) 34-5, Sr. over David Dansou (Clarksburg) 34-9, So. (For.)
126
1st Place Match
Solomon Randall (Walt Whitman) 35-2, Jr. over Jaden Cheung (Montgomery Blair) 31-6, Sr. (TF-1.5 2:00 (19-4))
3rd Place Match
Ethan Dimmerling (Poolesville) 26-7, So. over Colin Smith (Winston Churchill) 31-9, Sr. (TF-1.5 5:00 (15-0))
5th Place Match
Zev Glaser (Bethesda Chevy Chase) 19-8, So. over Abdul Shakeri (James Hubert Blake) 17-14, Sr. (Fall 3:36)
132
1st Place Match
Stone Yuen (Albert Einstein) 34-0, Sr. over Jimmy Messer (Magruder) 30-4, Sr. (MD 13-1)
3rd Place Match
Ethan Makle (Bethesda Chevy Chase) 34-5, Sr. over Jonah Chen (Montgomery Blair) 9-3, Jr. (Dec 11-6)
5th Place Match
JJ Andrews (Sherwood) 28-10, Jr. over Adan Magnas (Walt Whitman) 30-6, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:08 (16-1))
138
1st Place Match
Isisah Womack (Richard Montgomery) 32-0, Jr. over Neil Sharma (Magruder) 32-2, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:35 (20-3))
3rd Place Match
Daniel Wu (Montgomery Blair) 34-4, Sr. over Chris Lindstrom (Walt Whitman) 32-4, Jr. (Dec 16-10)
5th Place Match
Jeremy Kwon (Winston Churchill) 32-7, Sr. over Quinn Weaver (James Hubert Blake) 22-6, Sr. (M. For.)
144
1st Place Match
Dillon Estabrook (Rockville) 29-3, Jr. over Gabe Hernandez (Damascus) 46-2, Sr. (TF-1.5 5:51 (19-3))
3rd Place Match
Matthew Hobbs (Walt Whitman) 34-4, Jr. over Nana Blankson (Bethesda Chevy Chase) 29-10, Sr. (MD 9-0)
5th Place Match
Lucas Canales (Clarksburg) 29-14, Sr. over Asa Wexler (Poolesville) 28-11, So. (Dec 8-7)
150
1st Place Match
Owen Pelaez (Clarksburg) 38-0, Sr. over Samuel Potter (Walter Johnson) 32-7, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:49 (16-0))
3rd Place Match
Zahid Shujaee (James Hubert Blake) 27-3, Jr. over Justin Rommel (Walt Whitman) 30-6, Sr. (MD 10-1)
5th Place Match
Vinnie Volpe (Poolesville) 24-6, Sr. over Rick Guo (Thomas S. Wootton) 8-7, Jr. (For.)
157
1st Place Match
Connor Flickinger (Sherwood) 29-4, Jr. over Logan Brown (Northwest) 35-3, Fr. (Dec 4-1)
3rd Place Match
Gavin Hill (Quince Orchard) 23-6, Sr. over Phillip Mendez (Paint Branch) 27-11, Sr. (Fall 2:10)
5th Place Match
Noah Zhang (Winston Churchill) 21-13, Jr. over Noah Smith (Clarksburg) 27-16, Sr. (Dec 4-1)
165
1st Place Match
Shimma Wexler (Poolesville) 29-2, Sr. over Omid Shirzoi (Albert Einstein) 29-4, Jr. (Inj. 2:05)
3rd Place Match
Porter Gruner (Damascus) 43-5, Sr. over Fernando Mejia (Northwest) 34-3, Sr. (Fall 4:05)
5th Place Match
Adam Bazyluk (Winston Churchill) 26-9, Sr. over Andrew Zapata (Rockville) 22-10, Sr. (TB-1 5-2)
175
1st Place Match
Zoya Wexler (Poolesville) 31-3, So. over Tanner Harman (Damascus) 38-10, Sr. (MD 21-11)
3rd Place Match
Brendan Heyer (Sherwood) 23-6, Sr. over Jaedin Seck (Seneca Valley) 28-10, Sr. (Fall 1:38)
5th Place Match
Zia Khozhugov (Watkins Mill) 17-5, Jr. over Curtis Hill (Paint Branch) 24-15, Sr. (Dec 7-0)
190
1st Place Match
Josh Ogunlade (Albert Einstein) 35-4, Sr. over James Zimmerman (James Hubert Blake) 29-5, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:30 (17-1))
3rd Place Match
Caden Glass (Bethesda Chevy Chase) 30-8, Sr. over Devonte Lynn (Northwest) 26-16, . (Dec 4-1)
5th Place Match
Owen Jaramillo (Damascus) 30-10, Sr. over Komivi Amouzou (Seneca Valley) 24-13, Sr. (Fall 2:14)
215
1st Place Match
Isaac Ogunlade (Albert Einstein) 34-2, Sr. over Joao Guerra (Winston Churchill) 36-2, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:49 (25-9))
3rd Place Match
Dajorn Smith (Bethesda Chevy Chase) 19-4, Sr. over Mark Martin (Damascus) 40-7, Jr. (Dec 4-1)
5th Place Match
Somgolie Umeozulu (Gaithersburg) 16-9, So. over Julian Blanco (Paint Branch) 23-11, So. (For.)
285
1st Place Match
Daniel Gershon (Walter Johnson) 32-4, Jr. over Nayenecke Ituka (Gaithersburg) 17-3, Jr. (Dec 6-5)
3rd Place Match
Andy Boshnick (Walt Whitman) 36-4, Jr. over Dominick Jamison (Springbrook) 34-8, So. (Fall 1:31)
5th Place Match
Jhedaine Wilson (Northwood) 15-12, Sr. over Tristan Cabugwas (Quince Orchard) 31-10, Jr. (For.)