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Gilman sophomore Emmitt Sherlock continued his run against Maryland public school state champions with last week’s come-from-behind, 2-1 overtime victory over senior two-time Class 2A-1A state champion Mike Pizzuto of South Carroll.
Sherlock’s triumph over Pizzuto occurred during his fourth-ranked Greyhounds’ 38-30 loss at South Carroll to the third-ranked Cavaliers, who also earned its second victory of the season over Spring Mills of West Virginia, 35-32. Spring Mills also defeated Gilman, 38-31.
Sherlock’s triumph over Pizzuto was his second this season over a defending Maryland Public schools champion.
On Dec. 30, Sherlock won a battle of sophomores, 6-4, over Class 4A-3A state champion Calvin Kraisser of Centennial for the 138-pound title at the Greyhounds’ Adam Janet Tournament.
“Emmitt could be a once-in-a-career type of wrestler. He has the potential to be one of the best in the country,” said Greyhounds’ coach Bryn Holmes. “Emmitt is always up for a challenge and more often than not, he comes out on top. I’m looking forward to seeing what he and many of our Gilman wrestlers can do for the rest of the season.”
Sherlock had used a pair of takedowns and a reversal to go ahead, 6-0, against Kraisser, who hit a four-point Peterson roll which scored two near-fall points in their bout’s final 20 seconds.
In the University of Maryland-bound Pizzuto, Sherlock overcame a wrestler who went 40-0 last season and entered this year at 102-0 for his career. Pizzuto dropped in weight from 145 pounds, but Sherlock dealt Pizzuto his first-ever loss to a Maryland wrestler and only the second of this season and career.
A 145-pound Pizzuto had lost his first-ever high school bout while wrestling at the Dec. 29-30 Trojan Wars Tournament at Chambersburg Area High in Chambersburg, Pa. In that event, Pizzuto led, 3-1, with 20 seconds remaining in his eventual, 7-3, loss to 14th-ranked Patrick Jordan of Virginia’s New Kent High.
For the tri-meet with Gilman and Spring Mills, Pizzuto switched weights with senior two-time state champion teammate Gage Owen, who pinned his 145-pound rival from Gilman and that of Spring Mills at 152.
“I knew Mike was really good defensively at hand-fighting, controlling position and sprawling and going by you when you shoot. But I also knew that if I kept pushing the pace that he would get tired. The match was scoreless in the first period, but in the second period, Mike got an escape,” Sherlock said.
“Then I tied it up in the third with an escape of my own. It was scoreless again in the first overtime period, and he was able to get to his feet in the second period of overtime, but I took him back to the mat. When he didn’t get out in the second period of overtime, I knew I had him. I took bottom in the third period of the overtime and got up and out 10 seconds into it.”
Sherlock placed third at both last year’s Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association and Maryland Independent Schools State tournaments. Sherlock’s biggest challenge at states this year will likely be Joel Brown of Landon, who is a returning state champion. Brown defeated Sherlock at the Beast of the East in December, 3-1.
“Both of the matches against Calvin and Mike were huge,” Sherlock said. “But I would have to say that the one against Pizzuto was bigger because he’s the more accomplished of the two.”
In other bouts, the Greyhounds’ 25th-ranked senior Allan Gushue (152) scored a 5-3 decision over the Cavaliers’ Anthony Rodrigues, while fourth-ranked sophomore Evan Owen (113) of South Carroll pinned the Greyhounds’ sophomore Sawyer Enright in 75 seconds, and his fourth-ranked freshman teammate, Joseph Gigliotti earned a 9-3 decision over Gilman’s seventh-ranked sophomore Zac Glory.
Greyhounds rebound against Loyola
Sherlock and his older brother, Tyson (132), a junior, won all three of their matches against South Carroll, Spring Mills and against fifth-ranked MIAA A Conference rival Loyola. Gilman beat visiting Loyola Blakefield, 41-31, on Friday.
Tyson earned an 8-0 decision against Spring Mills’ Ross Smelser and registered first-period pins against South Carroll and Loyola.
“The Sherlock boys have been great teammates. They are always building up the guys around them. They’ve been a pivotal part of getting our team to the next level and will make great coaches one day. I feel like the Sherlock brothers grew up on a wrestling mat,” said Holmes, a former MIAA and private schools state champ at league rival McDonogh.
“They’ve been practice partners for many years and I’m sure the Sherlock basement has had some of the best unseen matches in the state. That’s how Emmitt and Tyson have been able to compete with some of our nation’s best wrestlers. To be the best, you’ve got to wrestle the best.”
In other key bouts, Gilman’s ninth-ranked sophomore John Jurkovic (126) earned a 10-2 major decision over 25th-ranked Josh Hale of Loyola, third-ranked senior Carson Mingo (190) earned an 8-2 decision over Dons’ junior Aiden Bird, and the Greyhounds’ unranked senior Wesley Seba (215) gained a measure of revenge with a 24-second fall over 15th-ranked senior Chance Miller. Miller won by decision oevr Seba in early December at the Ray Oliver Tournament, 3-0.
Eagles soar at Digital Harbor
Senior third-place state finisher Amondre Wooden (152), freshman Kelvin Alumanoh (195) and sophomores Tony Dufour (120) and Cregg Ngounou (170) all went 9-0 to lead Owings Mills to the crown at last weekend’s Digital Harbor Duals at Digital Harbor.
Freshman D.J. Tuscano (106) won eight of nine bouts as the Eagles earned their 14th straight dual meet victory, 46-28, over Baltimore County rival Franklin to improve to 16-4 overall.
The Eagles wrestle league rival Pikesville on Thursday.
“I think this was a good test for us to see how our first- and second-year wrestlers are progressing, and the momentum is headed in the right direction,” said fourth-year Eagles’ head coach Ryan Mackin, a 41-year-old winner of a Class 2A-1A state title as a senior at Hammond High of Howard County in 2001.
“Nine of our starters are first-year wrestlers, and this is the first time they’ve experienced an event like this with so much wrestling. An event like this is a test of your ability to grind out long, grueling days as well as your ability to maintain focus on the tasks at hand. Those are qualities that will be crucial to be successful as tournament time approaches, and it looks as if they can handle the demands.”
Pointers finish second at Huntingtown
Sophomore Christian Manley (113) and 12th-ranked senior Hunter Petrovia (285) went 9-0 as 15th-ranked Sparrows Point finished as runner-up to second-ranked team champion St. Mary’s Ryken at last weekend’s Category 5 Hurricane Classic Dual Meet Tournament at Huntingtown High in Calvert County.
Going 8-1 for the Pointers were senior Class 2A-1A state champion Dom Ambrosino (126/132), Jack Rasumussen (138), Russell Fary (145/152), senior Damon Nelson (182/195) and DeAndre DuVall (220), with Matt Laubach (160) going 6-1.
Nelson is ranked first at 175/182, Ambrosino is ranked third at 132, Russell is 10th, and Manley, 11th.
Nelson rose to 195 pounds for a battle of No. 1-ranked wrestlers versus state champion Gerard Johnson of St. Mary’s Ryken. Johnson handed Nelson his first loss of the season, 13-1. Nelson pinned 23rd-ranked Jake Chambers of Broadneck in 1:40, and Crofton’s Paeton Norsworthy in 74 seconds.
Manley pinned 14th-ranked Cameron Jefferson of St. Mary’s Ryken as well as 23rd-ranked Danny Scott of Huntingtown, and the 25th-ranked Duvall pinned 16th-ranked Anthony Oquendo of St. Mary’s Ryken in 67 seconds.
The Pointers’ 15th-ranked Baltimore County runner-up Tanner Cooper (152/160) scored a 13-2 major decision over Payton Miller of Broadneck but went only 4-3 over the weekend following losses to state-ranked wrestlers.
Fary scored a 3-2 decision over 22nd-ranked Rylan Woodward of Brodneck as well as a 9-1 major decision over 21st-ranked Ty Montgomery of Huntingtown.
C. Milton Wright upsets Harford Tech
Seventh-ranked sophomore Kane Desch (113) of C. Milton Wright pinned 17th-ranked Zaden Tablan of Harford Tech, unranked freshman teammate Jaxon Simms (160) overcame the Cobras’ 19th-ranked Wesley Outlaw, 4-2, and junior Joel Tufts (220) pinned Gavin Thompson in 76 seconds as the Mustangs overcame 20th-ranked visiting Harford Tech, 44-28, on Jan. 28.
Desch improved to 24-4, having been a runner-up in both the Upper Chesapeake Athletic Conference and his regional last year. Tufts is 21-7, having placed fourth at both UCBACs and regions a year ago.
Sophomore Mitchell Nguyen (120) and junior teammate Daniel Hercek (195) registered pins for the Mustangs, with the 20th-ranked Nguyen improving his record to 22-6 after having placed third at UCBACS last year.
Senior Brody Zumbano (138) and sophomore Devin Sweeney (145) scored major decisions for the Mustangs, raising their records on the year to 21-7, and 22-5, respectively. Zumbano was third at both UCBACs and regions a year ago, and Sweeney, fourth at UCBACs.
The Mustangs received a surprise victory from junior Hayden Goscinski (170), who blanked his opponent, 5-0, to improve to 2-0 on the year.
“Hayden came to a few practices in December but ultimately had decided not to wrestle this year in order to focus on lacrosse. But our starting 170-pounder was injured this month,” said sixth-year coach John Thornton, a 6-foot-2 former state champion who went 37-0 in 1999 as a C. Milton Wright senior.
“I reached out to Hayden, and I told Hayden we need him, and he showed up the next day for practice. Hayden got himself ready to wrestle in the meet with Harford Tech. That was his first match of the season, and he helped us win a big swing match against one of Harford Tech’s better wrestlers.”
Thornton had a career record as a wrestler of 114-21 at C. Milton Wright, twice earning county and regional titles. Thornton’s Maryland crown was actually his second state title coupled with the one he earned as a freshman in Virginia.
“I’ve been coaching at C. Milton Wright since the 2016-17 season, not including the Covid year,” Thornton said. “My career coaching record is 66-13 in regular-season duals and 97-32 including dual meet tournaments. We were UCBAC and Region champs in 2020, and regional finalists in four straight seasons in 2018, 19, 20 and 22.”
Gaels hammer Cardinals, Cavaliers
Big efforts from Joseph Cooper (106), Jake Tamai (113), Coleman Nogle (126), Jaden Diggs (138), Ben Smith (157), Nicolas Barnabae (165), Austin Lewis (175) and Gavin Bage (285) paced top-ranked Mount St. Joseph in last week’s dual meet victories over MIAA A Conference rivals, Archbishop Spalding Cavaliers (52-18) and the Calvert Hall Cardinals (69-11).
Top-ranked Nogle earned pins in 96 seconds over 11th-ranked Griffin Stewart of Calvert Hall as well as a 9-1 major decision over Vincent Paolucci of Archbishop Spalding.
Among the Gaels’ notable wins an 85-second fall by top-ranked Barnabae over the Cardinals’ 10th-ranked Sisto Averno III, a 66-second pin by fourth-ranked Smith over the Cardinals’ 16th-ranked Byron Baldwin, and Diggs’ 85-second pin against the Cardinals’ 22nd-ranked Matt Lombardo.
In other bouts, third-ranked Lewis blanked the Cardinals’ seventh-ranked Duncan Kammar, 8-0, seventh-ranked Tamai edged the Cavaliers’ 20th-ranked Henry Gessford, 6-2, and eighth-ranked Cooper overcame the Cavaliers’ ninth-ranked Eli Chesla, 5-4.
For the Cavaliers, second-ranked Sean Garrettson (120/126) scored a 5-2 decision over the Gaels’ top-ranked Carter Nogle, and pinned the Cardinals’ Stewart in 4:43.
Garrettson’s 11th-ranked teammate, Zane Leitzel (132) decisioned the Gaels’ 16th-ranked Maximus Conley, 7-2, and Lombardo, 6-1.
The Cardinals overcame the Cavaliers, 39-34.
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