Senior Dylan Ritter earned his 100th career victory with a 6-2 decision over Crofton’s Ayden Eremita to lead Chesapeake to a 39-25 Anne Arundel County League win over visiting Crofton on January 4.

Ritter’s accomplishment occurred on the same night the Cougars (21-2 overall) named their wrestling room in honor of late alumnus Matthew Tobey Eveleth, a four-time Class 4A-3A state finalist and three-time champion.

A returning county champion, regional runner-up and fifth place state finisher, Ritter improved 21-2 on the year and 100-22 for his career as the Cougars rose to 16-1 in dual meet tournaments and 6-1 in regular-season duals heading into today’s 6:30 p.m. match at Severna Park.

“It was an honor and a perfect night on which to hit 100 career wins and to do it in front of all of those people, some of whom used to coach me and helped me to get where I am today,” Ritter said.

“I have a great deal of respect for them and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. The way we dominated the match and never once trailed was really exciting. We knew how special this opportunity was and everyone wrestled great because our team realized that and seized the moment.”

The youngest of three siblings, all of whom were state title winners for the Cougars, Eveleth was 37 when he died of pancreatic cancer in July 2021 as the most accomplished wrestler in the history of Chesapeake High.

On hand were Matt’s brothers, Brian Jr., 49, a state champion in 1991, and Jeff, 40, a two-time title winner and a senior teammate with Matt on the Cougars’ 2000 championship squad.

Matt earned three state titles in four championship berths, leading the Cougars to state tournament crowns as a sophomore and again as a senior in 2002.

The Eveleth siblings’ parents, Brian Sr. and Naomi, as well as Matt’s sisters in law, Amy and Ashahi. Toby Eveleth, a junior wrestler at Catonsville, was among Matt’s three nephews and two nieces present.

Sophomore 285-pounder Delmar White improved to 23-0 with his second-period pin, having placed third at counties, second at regions and sixth at states last season.

“It was a great honor for me and our team to go out there and to wrestle the way that we did,” White said. “I always feel confident that when my team needs me that I can secure a win for my teammates. I was glad that I could end the night off with a pin. It was such a special night.”

Sophomore Xander Dodd (220) improved to 17-1 with a technical fall, sophomore Braydon Ambrose (106) rose to 15-3 with a major decision, and freshman Brayden Roberts (113) is 19-4 following his decision.

In addition, senior Dawson Hoover (138) rose to 18-5 with a second-period fall, freshman Gavin Lewis (170) improved to 17-6 following his decision victory, and junior Michael Greenstreet (120) and sophomore Matthew Curtin (152) each pinned their opponents.

Hoover was third at both counties and regions last year, and Ambrose, fourth in both a year ago. Also wrestling well this season is junior Keanu Furbush (182), who has a record of 17-6.

Gaels crown five champs at East Coast Classic

Champions Jacob Tamai (115), Ben Smith (159), Nicolas Barnabae (167), Bryce Phillips (217) and Gavin Bage (285) led No. 1 Mount St. Joseph to the overall title at last weekend’s 19-team East Coast Classic Tournament at St. Benedictine Prep in Richmond, Va.

Phillips was named Outstanding Wrestler for the heavyweight division after pinning all four of his opponents, including Robert Ekins of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., in 3 minutes and 12 seconds of their title match.

Bage secured four pins in a combined 3 minutes and 30 seconds, including a 58-second fall over Jordan Williams of DeMatha in Hyattsville, Md.

Nicolas Barnabae, son of coach Harry Barnabae, also pinned all four of his opponents including championship rival, George Ferree, of Trinity, Kentucky, in a minute and 42 seconds.

Smith won an overtime, ultimate tie-breaker victory over Declan Casey of St. Benedict`s Prep, in Newark, N.J., riding out his opponent in the final 30 seconds to capture his crown, 6-5.

A freshman with junior league experience, Tamai pinned Sam Parsons of Benedictine Prep in Richmond, Va., for his crown.

Finishing second was senior Coleman Nogle (126), and third, junior Carter Nogle (120).

Coleman Nogle lost his finals bout, 13-8, to Jax Forrest of Bishop McCort High of Johnstown, Pa. Forrest is ranked No. 2 nationally by SBLive Sports.

Carter Nogle suffered an upset, 5-4, semifinals loss to Santino Rodriguez of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., over whom Nogle owns a victory by fall. Nogle finished third following a come-from-behind, 15-13, overtime victory over Tyler Wood of St Mary’s-Ryken High of St. Mary’s County.

Next up for the Gaels is tonight’s Maryland Interscholastic Association match with Gilman followed by the January 13-14 War On The Shore Tournament at Stephen Decatur High in Berlin, Md.

St. Frances wins “Battle Of The Bridge”

Sophomores Kamren Griffin (120) and Ladaydean Simpson (145), senior Camren Wright (220) and freshman James Carrington (285) earned titles to pace St. Frances Academy (240 points) of Baltimore to the championship of last weekend’s “Battle at The Bridge” Tournament over runner-up Harford Tech (232) of Harford County at Bohemia Manor High School in Chesapeake City, Md.

Griffin improved to 19-3 with a 2-0 victory over Tremaine Jackson of Queen Anne’s, who slipped to 23-1. Simpson rose to 22-1 with his 5-4 decision over Gus Clark of North Caroline.

Wright scored a first-period pin over North Caroline’s Jaeden Warner to improve to 18-1, and Carrington earned a 10-4 decision over Nicholas Pope of Concord High to improve to 21-2.

Runners-up for the Panthers were freshman Christian Wright (113), junior Jayson Wright (220) and sophomores Derrick Grant (170) and Douglas Johnson (195), with sophomore Noah Shird (126) placing third, and sophomore Chase Carpintieri (152), fourth.

The second-place Cobras crowned sophomore Zaden Tablan (113), who registered a fall in 77 seconds over Christian Wright to improve to 16-1. The Cobras’ runners-up were senior Logan Barkey (126) and junior Wesley Outlaw (152), with Barkey’s record slipping to 18-1.

Cobras’ sophomore Nikolai Chervak (138) and senior Gaven Lawson (220) were third, and senior Damon Boniface (106), sophomore Brian Vickers (160) and senior Gavin Thompson (195), fourth.

Aberdeen crowned sophomore Liam Peterson (138), who pinned St. Frances’ Jayson Wright in the second period. Freshman Landon Shanks (106) of Queen Anne’s scored a 69-second fall over North Caroline’s Jacob Carpenter to improve to 18-0.

Saumenig snags Snype

Howard High of Howard County junior Caleb Snype (220) is 20-3 (20 pins) as a first-year wrestler under first-year Lions’ coach Greg Saumenig.

Among Snype’s victories is a first-period fall over Atholton junior Mark Enamorado and a second-period fall over Tori Smith of Oakland Mills.

Smith is ranked No. 19 overall in Billy B’s overall rankings, and Enamorado is No. 8-ranked in the Class 4A-3A and 25th in Billy B’s overall rankings.

A linebacker on the Lions’ football team, Snype was snagged by Saumenig soon after an unsuccessful tryout for the basketball team.

“I pulled him in and convinced him to come out for wrestling the next day after his tryout, and I would say he’s been practicing with us since November 22,” said Saumenig, 33, a 2007 graduate of the Class 4A-3A state champion Old Mill High in Anne Arundel County.

“I have 19 kids on the team, and the most experienced are my 132-pounder, Grant Mizer, and my 170-pounder, Issac King. They’re juniors with maybe a couple of years of junior league under their belt, so maybe four years overall. The rest of our guys have less than that.”

While competing for the Patriots, Saumenig won three each in county and regional titles and finished third in each of those tournaments as a freshman in addition to winning two each in Class 4A-3A state titles in three championship final appearances.

Gators Take Second

Freshmen Justin Kavanagh (113) and Victor Marks-Jenkins (145) and senior Jayden Bailey (170) won titles as Perry Hall finished second to Reservoir of Howard County in last weekend’s Rockville Duals at Rockville High in Montgomery County.

All three wrestlers went 9-0 for the Patriots, who finished at 8-1. Marks-Jenkins improved his overall record to 32-0, Kavanagh, to 30-0, and Bailey, to 16-5.

Also wrestling for the Gators (29-3) were juniors Connor Chattin (138) and Daniel Moore (182), each going 7-2. Chattin’s record on the year is 29-3, and Moore’s, 26-4. Moore is a returning regional champion, and Chattin is a returning fourth-place finisher at regionals.

Junior Joe Cook (285) went 5-0 to improve to 22-10, and senior captains Eric Kopalchick (152) and Adam Fangmann (160) combined for 13 wins.

Chattin won an overtime bout, 2-0, over Class 4A North Region champion, Vasilis Siarkas, of Sherwood of Montgomery County, thanks to a buzzer-beating pair of near-fall points.

Perry Hall and Reservoir each went 8-1 at the tournament, with the Gators’ lone loss being to Churchill of Montgomery County, 43-33. Reservoir defeated Churchill but was determined to be the overall champion “because they had a bigger point-differential” in their overall scores, according to Perry Hall coach Doug Yoakum.

“We have a head-to-head win over Reservoir from earlier this season, but I’m satisfied with going 8-1 at this event. Coming into it and knowing the tough teams that were here, we very well could have walked out of here at 5-4,” said Yoakum, a 1990 Perry Hall graduate and former Baltimore County champion and regional runner-up.

“It would have been nice to win the title, especially since we have beaten the Reservoir team, head-to-head, 45-35, earlier this season at the Aberdeen Duals, but that event does not carry over. They were crowned the champions over us at Rockville, but that’s wrestling. We had the opportunity to beat Churchill and couldn’t pull it off, so we got what we earned.”

Broadneck wins brawl with Old Mill

Broadneck crowned sophomores Cam Williams (115) and Branden Whyte-Taylor (122) as well as seniors Ben Durkin (140), Rylan Woodward (147), Liam DeBaugh (172) and Jake Chambers (184) to win the title with 597 points over runner-up and Anne Arundel County Old Mill (484) at last weekend’s “New Year’s Brawl” at Easton High in Easton, Maryland.

Sophomores Peyton Miller (154, 19-1) and Dax Avila (197, 18-1) were second for the Bruins, sophomore Luka Podkrajac (108) and senior Peter Saroch (128, 19-4) were third, and senior Max DeMella (162), fourth.

Chambers improved to 22-1, Class 4A-3A state runner-up DeBaugh and Woodward to 20-1, Williams to 19-1, and Class 4A-3A fourth-place state finisher Whyte-Taylor and Durkin to 18-3 for the Bruins.

Champions for the second-place Patriots were seniors Bryan Arevalo (154, 27-1) and Logan Cookerly (162, 27-1), with runners-up in freshman Logan Johnson (108), junior R.J. Duncan (287) and seniors Drayk Bunn (184) and Christian Gulley (217), with freshman Robert Mahyer (115) placing fourth. Arevalo and Cookerly are 27-1 on the year.

Winters Mill sophomore Chris Gaeng (128) finished first to improve to 19-2 on the year.

Severn’s Melfi, Gills win at Patriot Classic

Severn sophomore Nicky Melfi (120) and senior teammate Reid Gills (182) pinned their opponents to win titles at last weekend’s Patriot Classic Tournament at Northern-Calvert County in Owings, Md.

A fifth place finisher at last year’s Maryland Independent Schools state tournament, Melfi improved to 13-1 with a fall in 3:40 over junior Jacob Gaum, a Class 4A-3A state runner-up from Walt Whitman of Montgomery. Melfi is ranked 12th, and Gaum, seventh.

A fourth place finisher at states, Gills decked Ismael Balfakir of Laurel of Prince George’s County in 17 seconds. Their junior teammate, Aidan Shenck (195), was second, and junior Nate Long (152) placed fourth.

Southern-Anne Arundel County junior Luke McCoy (170) pinned his rival in 75 seconds to win his crown.

Greyhounds fourth at Hill School

Second-ranked Tyson Sherlock (132) and fourth-ranked Emmit Sherlock (138) won their titles by first- and second-period fall, fourth-ranked teammate Carson Mingo (190) was a runner-up, and Tremont Henson (215) finished fourth as Gilman placed fifth at last weekend’s Bissell Invitational at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa.

Who Is No. 1?

No team scores were kept at last weekend’s “Who Is Number One” All-Girls Tournament at Northeast-Anne Arundel County, where the champions were Bryn Cespedes (100) of North Harford, Havana Gonzalez (105), Sophia Hodges (110) of Northeast, Lexy Pabon (125) of Crofton, Taylor Mead (140) of Westminster, Gabbie McLeod (145) of Winters Mill and Jacie White (190) of Patterson Mill.

“Davison Classic” at Randallstown

Runners-up Kendal Owens (115) and Santana Mcelveen (140) paced second-place Milford Mill (170 points) behind champion Magruder (213) of Montgomery County at last weekend’s “Davison Classic” at Randallstown of Baltimore County.

Third-place state finishing senior and champion Amondre Wooden (152) paced third-place Owings Mills (167.5), while Pikeville crowned two-time regional champion Kiah Noble (138) and Maxwell Gorodisky (134).

Patapsco also had two champions in Izaiah Wright (147) and Malachi Moyd (162), as did Dulaney with Darius Evans (197) and Pedro Cruz (222). The host Rams’ crowned Kasim Bahar (172).