Photo credit & shout-out. Thank you Jeff Randall for the amazing shots!
Whitman’s fourth-ranked junior Solomon Randall led the Vikings to their second straight Class 4A state dual meet title on Saturday at North County High, doing so with falls in 10 and 28 seconds at 126 and 132 pounds against the 23rd-ranked Annapolis Panthers and the 42nd-ranked Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons.
Randall ran this year’s record to 32-2 with 20 pins, and his career mark to 110-7 with 81 falls, having won last year’s Montgomery County, regional and Class 4A-3A state tournaments a year after having placed third in each as a freshman.
The Panthers fell in the semifinals, 39-32, and the Barons, 50-29, in the championship match as the Vikings ran their single-season school-record mark to 30-1 a year after posting their first-ever undefeated dual meet season at 19-0.
“I believe both teams were very solid lineups with tough and competitive wrestlers in each weight class. With each lineup, I think it is hard to match up against us because of the balance of the team. Most of all though, each team had members who really wrestled for one another and enjoyed being on the team with each of the others,” said 18th-year Vikings coach Derek Manon. “I don't think that this year’s team ever felt any pressure. They were excited for the challenges that were ahead, and were always goal-oriented. Even in tough dual meets, when we would lose two or three matches in a row, the next guy up would always wrestle hard to flip the momentum. The energy during dual meets got better and better throughout the season.”
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.
Randall’s 28-second fall was against the Barons’ 13th-ranked senior Ethan Makle, who was sixth at counties, second at regions and sixth at states.
“This feels really great to win our state duals title for the second straight time, and everyone wrestled with intensity,” Randall said. “We already knew that we had a great team, but we needed to put it all together on Saturday and that’s what we were able to do.”
Randall and the Vikings are gearing up for next weekend’s county tournament, having been runners-up to Damascus, 150.5-to-137.5.
“Now it’s time for the individual tournaments, and this year, we’re coming after the county championship against Damascus,” Randall said. “As for myself, I’m just excited to go out there and wrestle and have a good time. We’ve worked hard all year, and this team title was just part of the plan.”
Manon’s assistant, Will Sharbaugh, was a Class 4A-3A state champion with a 37-0 record in 2006.
Sharbaugh’s milestone happened a year after being a leader on a Vikings’ squad which 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.
“We would not be where we are without the tireless and dedicated efforts of Coach Will Sharbaugh. I am beyond lucky to have him and his expertise as a coach at Whitman. Will has been coaching with me for 15 years and he has improved each and every season. He is the technical mastermind and inspires this team every day with how much he cares,” Manon said. “It's inspiring to watch him coach and talk to the team and individual wrestlers. As a whole though it feels amazing, and honestly more than a dream come true. It was such an amazing year with this team. These kids listen, work hard, and continue to work for each other. It's so special to have freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors contribute to the varsity success throughout the year.”
Randall was joined by double-winners in 13th-ranked Jabasie Trice (113/120), 14th-ranked junior Chris Lindstrom (138), sophomore Luke Monaco (144/150) and junior Matthew Hobbs (144/150).
“Against Annapolis, [sophomore] Noah Reising-Rubli got us started at 106 by winning a fall [against junior Steve Umana.] We knew [Umana] was tough, so to start off like that was a huge boost,” Manon said. “After three more wins, we had Chris Lindstrom and Luke Monaco both get tough, gritty decisions over two really solid Annapolis kids who fought tooth and nail. Finally, first year starter, [junior] Jacob Sherman at 190 came in clutch and despite being behind early converted a reversal to the fall to seal the victory mathematically for the team.”
A fifth-place finisher at counties who was fourth at regions, Trice improved his record on the year to 31-3 with an 88-second pin against the Panthers and a fall in 5:07 against Barons’ freshman Enrique Herrera.
Herrera had earlier registered a fall in 2:47 against Perry Hall senior Hegan Chhantyal, a returning Baltimore County Tournament runner-up.
Lindstrom is 29-2 following his pin in 5:41 against the Barons and a 7-4 decision over 20th-ranked freshman Leo Sfakiyanudis of Annapolis. Lindstrom placed fifth and fourth at counties and regions last season.
Hobbs alternated with Monaco at 144 and 150, having a fall in 4:30 and a 12-2 major decision to improve his record on the year to 29-3.
Monaco is 12-8 thanks to a pin in 4:42 and a 6-4 decision over Annapolis sophomore Christian Snavely, and “has gone 5-0 through the regional and state dual meets” according to Manon.
Vikings’ junior Adan Magnas (126) won a wild match, 16-10, over Barons’ sophomore Zev Glaser, who scored a 65-second fall against Perry Hall senior Alaina Kopalchick during a 45-36 semifinal rout of the Gators (17-1). Ranked third in the girls ratings by Legacy Wrestling, Kopalchick has placed first, fifth and fourth in the all-girls state tournament.
Like Magnas, junior Andy Boshnick (285) did not compete against Annapolis, but he did score a 37-second fall against the Barons.
“Jabasie Trice has been dependable for us all season long, and he started us off with a great pin in the first match. We knew that Herrera, from BCC, is having a great season but getting bonus points there was big. Adan Magnas then earned a tough decision against Zev Glaser at 126 in a back and forth match,” Manon said. “Solomon Randall, ignited the team with a dominant 30 second pin over a really tough wrestler from BCC in Ethan Makle. Finally, Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Hobbs both had huge pins in the third period. In each of those matches we were winning by only a few points when we converted for the fall.”
Winning twice for the Barons were 14th-ranked senior Nizhoni Deschene (165), 19th-ranked sophomore Kanik Deschene (120) and freshman Nick MacWilliams (106), the latter on a forfeit and 19-2 technical fall.
Nizhoni had pins in 81 seconds and 1:50, having finished second at counties, first at regions and second at states. Kanik received a forfeit before scoring a fall in 3:47 against the Vikings, having finished second at regions and fourth at counties and states.
The 23rd-ranked Annapolis Panthers lost, 39-32, to the Vikings, but received wins from fifth-ranked sophomore Mike Groszkowski (132), 24th-ranked senior Davis Ruhf (175) and seniors Myles Rankin (157), Teddy Sfakiyanudis (165), Chris Smotherman (215) and Grayden Stramanak (285).
The Panthers received a 19-4 technical fall over the Vikings’ junior Laird Ostien from Ruhf, who had a record of 22-0 when he suffered a season-ending injury and had to default last year’s 157-pound county title bout.
As a sophomore, Ruhf placed third at counties and regions, and as a freshman, Ruhf was a regional runner-up.
Groszkowski scored a fall in 2:21, being the owner of an 11-4 decision over seventh-ranked Gilman senior Zach Glory as well as a 20-11 major decision over Delaware state champion Tye Bellarin, a junior from Red Lion Christian Academy.
Glory has twice placed third at both the past two Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association and Maryland Private Schools State tournaments.
The Panthers got a fall in 3:05 from Sfakyanudis, who finished fourth at counties and regions as a sophomore, and third at both counties and regions as a junior.
Rankin earned a 5-4 decision over the Vikings’ 22nd-ranked senior Justin Rommel, while Smotherman and Stramanak received forfeits.
The Barons had an insurmountable lead of 45-12 against the Gators (17-1) before forfeiting the last four bouts.
The Barons’ initial forfeit went to the Gators’ second-ranked junior Victor Marks-Jenkins (175), a winner of two each in Baltimore County and regional crowns along with last year’s Class 4A-3A state title at 157 pounds after being a 145-pound runner-up as a freshman.
The Gators received consecutive pins in 93-seconds and 5:04 from sophomore Clayton Hosier (150) and senior James Fitzgerald (157).
Class 4A semifinals
Bethesda-Chevy Chase 45, Perry Hall 36
106 Nick MacWilliams (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Justin Vu (Perry Hall) TF 19-2
113 Enrique Herrera (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Hegan Chhantyal (Perry Hall) Fall 2:47
120 Kanik Deschene (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
126 Zev Glaser (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Alaina Kopalchick (Perry Hall) Fall 1:15
132 Ethan Makle (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Adam Ferrante (Perry Hall) Fall 1:57
138 Felipe Jacome (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Sean McGarry (Perry Hall) Fall 3:12
144 Nana Blankson (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Justin Kavanagh (Perry Hall) Maj 10-2
150 Clayton Hosier (Perry Hall) over Constantine Illario (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) Fall 1:33
157 James Fitzgerald (Perry Hall) over JP Ciavola (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) Fall 5:04
165 Nizhoni Deschene (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Kaleel Brown (Perry Hall) Fall 1:21
175 Victor Marks-Jenkins (Perry Hall) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
190 Artavian Tubman (Perry Hall) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
215 Jordan Young (Perry Hall) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 Jayden Jackson (Perry Hall) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
Whitman 39, Annapolis 32
106 Noah Reising Rubli (Walt Whitman) over Steven Umana (Annapolis) Fall 3:40
113 Avnish Awasthi (Walt Whitman) over Liv Goldinger (Annapolis) TF 17-2
120 Jabasie Trice (Walt Whitman) over Carmine Zimmerelli (Annapolis) Fall 1:28
126 Solomon Randall (Walt Whitman) over Conrad Femrite (Annapolis) Fall 0:10
132 Mike Groszkowski (Annapolis) over Lucas Krause (Walt Whitman) Fall 2:21 6.
138 Chris Lindstrom (Walt Whitman) over Leonidas Sfakiyanudis (Annapolis) Dec 7-4
144 Luke Monaco (Walt Whitman) over Christian Snavely (Annapolis) Dec 6-4
150 Matthew Hobbs (Walt Whitman) over Peter Portillo (Annapolis) Maj 12-2
157 Myles Rankin (Annapolis) over Justin Rommel (Walt Whitman) Dec 5-4
165 Teddy Sfakiyanudis (Annapolis) over Gabriel Olalia-Napier (Walt Whitman) Fall 3:05
175 Davis Ruhf (Annapolis) over Laird Ostien (Walt Whitman) TF 19-4
190 Jacob Sherman (Walt Whitman) over Andi Rivera (Annapolis) Fall 2:49
215 Chris Smotherman (Annapolis) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 Grayden Stramanak (Annapolis) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
Class 4A finals
Whitman 50, Bethesda-Chevy Chase 29
113 Jabasie Trice (Walt Whitman) over Enrique Herrera (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) Fall 5:07
120 Kanik Deschene (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Avnish Awasthi (Walt Whitman) Fall 3:57
126 Adan Magnas (Walt Whitman) over Zev Glaser (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) Dec 16-10
132 Solomon Randall (Walt Whitman) over Ethan Makle (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) Fall 0:28
138 Chris Lindstrom (Walt Whitman) over Felipe Jacome (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) Fall 5:41
144 Matthew Hobbs (Walt Whitman) over Nana Blankson (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) Fall 4:30
150 Luke Monaco (Walt Whitman) over Constantine Illario (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) Fall 4:42
157 Justin Rommel (Walt Whitman) over Heath Adlin (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) TF 16-0
165 Nizhoni Deschene (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Gabriel Olalia-Napier (Walt Whitman) Fall 1:50
175 Laird Ostien (Walt Whitman) over River Paganini (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) Fall 4:57
190 Caden Glass (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Jacob Sherman (Walt Whitman) TF 16-1
215 Dajorn Smith (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Stephen Sloan (Walt Whitman) Fall 2:52
285 Andy Boshnick (Walt Whitman) over Carson Cooley (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) Fall 0:37
106 Nick MacWilliams (Bethesda-Chevy Chase) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
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