Category: Dunbar Wrestling

Above: Sparrows Points' Richard Davis (120) nears a 51-second fall over Dunbar's Steven Luedtke to start the Pointers' comeback from an early 15-0 deficit.

Pointers win their third regional title in four years and head to 1A states as the top seed; all regional dual scores here

by Billy Loverocket

Sparrows Point wins exciting brawl with Dunbar to claim 1A North Region crown

Point heads to state duals as the No.1 seed, will face Lackey in opener; Regional duals roundup here

The rivalry between Dunbar and Sparrows Point has become quite heated over the last few years. Two seasons ago, Dunbar came into Sparrows Point and walked out with the region crown. On Thursday night the Poets would have no such luck as the Point came back from an early 15-0 deficit to claim the title with a 43-27 victory.

The championship is Sparrows Point’s second consecutive, and third in the last four years.

“It was exhausting,” Sparrows Point coach Mike Whisner said. “It’s always fun with Dunbar. The gym, and this environment is always a good time. We’re very grateful. I got a great group of guys. We were down 15 nothing and I got a little worried. But they battled through.

“I’m very proud of them. We wrestled very well. The kids really wanted it. I can’t say enough about them. Jake Rallo getting that pin at 160 was huge for the match. Top to bottom, they all wrestled up to their ability and I’m very proud of them.”

All-world heavyweight Jorden Pryor, a defending 2A/1A state champion, did not get to display his skills to the crowd since the Point has no grappler in his weight, instead Pryor received a forfeit.

The Poets’ Tyler Jackson came out like lightning at 106lbs, pushing the pace with an aggressive approach that led to the pin over Bryce Schmidt with ten seconds left in the first period.

Teammate Camerin Deville picked up a 7-2 decision over the Point’s Matt Fouts at 113 to push the visitor’s lead to 15-0.

Emotions were running high as the next bout at 120lbs got underway. Dunbar’s coach Doug McClain was searching for any edge and pushed too far in a dispute with the referee, getting hit with unsportsmanlike conduct and losing a team point.

This seemed to invigorate the crowd and helped Richard Davis stop the bleeding for the home squad, picking up a fall 51 seconds into his match with Steven Luedtke. Danny Davis followed with a 37 second pin at 126 to bring Sparrows Point within two of Dunbar, 14-12.

“I needed to win and bring my team up to get them motivated to keep pushing forward and win,” said Richard Davis. “My second match, I felt a lot better. I feel like I wrestled better and I hit my move right. My coach told me before I went out there that we needed a pin.”

Jalen Jones got the Poets back in the win column at 132lbs with a major-decision, 18-7, over two-time state placer Mike Fouts. Dunbar was now out front, 18-12.
The Point’s Luke Hoenig picked up a 12-0 major-decision at 138lbs against Malacai Davis.

“I was looking for a pin,” Hoenig said. “That’s what I was looking for the whole time. I got a major, but a win’s a win. I was looking for that pin, but I think I did alright overall.”

Dunbar needed a couple of the matches they lost to go their way to counter being short two guys in the middle of the lineup, but that was not in the cards.

John Harris (145) and Skyler Minutelli (152) collected forfeits to give Sparrows Point its first lead of the night, 28-18.

Jake Rallo (160) capitalized on the building momentum and rode the emotion of the crowd onto the mat for his showdown with Patrick Ford. Rallo was able to plant his adversary midway through the third period, 4:46, to put more digits on the board and extend the Point lead to 16, 34-18.

“I was scared,” remarked Rallo. “That kid was strong. I dropped down a weight class. I was scared honestly. I was happy. I was more surprised than I was happy. It was a big win.”

Two of Dunbar’s best wrestlers were up next at this crucial juncture of the match. Having lost four in a row, the Poets had to stop the slide to stay in the meet.
At 170, Lamar Simpson edged Lexx Carr, 4-2, and Dwayne Johnson, a state runner-up last year, followed with a pin at 182. Those wins closed the margin to seven, 34-27.

Drew Gorsuch (195) was on deck for the Point, needing a win of any kind to seal the victory. Gorsuch flattened Kevon Parker in 39 seconds to send the gym into an uproar.

“Coach came up to me before and said if I get the pin it’s good, but all I needed was three and we’d win,” Gorsuch added. “I wasn’t going to let my team down. I was going to go out there and show them I could get six for them.

“I came into the season late with an injury. I was gassed, so my mentality was get it over in the first period as much as I could. I went out there, I knew I was giving up about 20 pounds. I did my thing and pinned him in the first period.”

Givoni Herring closed the festivities on an up note, adding to Sparrows Point’s tally, with a 5-1 victory versus Pablo Gonzalez at 220lbs to make the final score, 43-27.

Sparrows Point defeated Loch Raven 70-9 in their opener. In the other semi-final, Dunbar downed Pikesville, 46-26.

Sparrows Point 43, Dunbar 27
(match started at 285)
(Dunbar was deducted a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct by a coach at 120lbs)
285-Jorden Paryor (D) won by forfeit
106-Tyler Jackson (D) pinned Bryce Schmidt, 1:50
113-Camerin Deville (D) dec Matt Fouts, 7-2
120-Richard Davis (SP) pinned Steven Luedtke, :51
126-Danny Davis (SP) pinned Woodard, :37
132-Jalen Jones (D) maj-dec Mike Fouts, 18-7
138-Luke Hoenig (SP) maj-dec Malacai Davis, 12-0
145-John Harris (SP) won by forfeit
152-Skyler Minutelli (SP) won by forfeit
160-Jake Rallo (SP) pinned Patrick Ford, 4:46
170-Lamar Simpson (D) dec Lexx Carr, 4-2
182-Dwayne Johnson (D) pinned Dixon Reyes, 2:24
195-Drew Gorsuch (SP) pinned Kevon Parker, :39
220-Givoni Herring (SP) dec Pablo Gonzalez, 5-1

Videos of contested matches:
106-Jackson vs Schmidt

113-Deville vs Matt Fouts

120-Richard Davis vs Luedtke

126-Danny Davis vs Woodard

132-Jones vs Mike Fouts

138-Hoenig vs Malacai Davis

160-Rallo vs Ford

170-Simpson vs Carr

182-Johnson vs Reyes

195-Gorsuch vs Parker

220-Herring vs Gonzalez