Bringing 13 wresters into the weekend, the Owings Mills Eagles still have seven wrestlers in the winners’ bracket, leading the 1A/2A with a 25.50 team-score.
Being led by a slate of state champion hopefuls, Owings Mills saw top grapplers Warren Mack (112), Demetrius Johnson (130), Taran Carr (140), Larry Johnson (160) and Mohammed Ali (171) all emerge victorious through their first round bouts, and surprise winners Kenny Nunez (189) and Russell Barnes (215) helped lift the Eagles over second place Winters Mill, 21.50.
But the Falcons are far from out, pushing six of their own to the championship quarterfinals, including returning state champion Justin Kozera, who decked his first opponent.
Other Winters Mill wrestlers in the championship bracket include Flavio Valdez (103), Wes Cook (130), Keith Steine (135), Cody Sharkey (140) and Marshal Chang (171).
Kings of the South and returning state runner-up Glenelg Gladiators currently sit in the third-place slot, with six wrestlers in the quarterfinals.
Nick Caffrey (130), Jack Borkowski (145), Charles Walls (160), David Pruett (171), Matt Gochar (215) and Nick Hoyt (285) all pressed on for the Gladiators, out-ranking defending champ Southern Garrett and its representatives Coy Ozias (103), Lex Ozias (152) and Bubba Scheffel (171), sitting in a tie for sixth place.
Lex and Bubba are both in search of their third state titles, while freshman Coy Ozias hopes to remain undefeated in his first state title run.
South Carroll’s Chris Wampler and and Alec Stavish lead the five Cavaliers into the championship quarters, ranking fourth in the team standings with Billy Atwell (119), Willie Reiter (160) and Derek Fung (171).
1A/2A East Regional Dual Champ Rising Sun is having a good tournament showing, advancing four wrestlers to the quarterfinals, including state runner-up Anthony Comorosi (145), and teammates Joe Juergens (103), Adam Hefflefinger (125) and Robert Rakes (135).
The second round of the 1A/2A MPSSAA State Tournament is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., in the Cole Field House at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Team Scores:
1 25.50 Owings Mills
2 21.50 Winters Mill
3 19.00 Glenelg
4 15.00 South Carroll
5 13.50 Rising Sun
6 12.00 Southern- GAR
12.00 Parkside
12.00 Poolesville
