After placing second at the junior varsity tournament as a freshman, Glenelg’s Glen Lucas decided to take a year off from wrestling before returning to the mats for the Gladiators during this, his junior year.

“I was trying to focus on other things, you know, like my academics and lacrosse, mostly,” said Lucas. “But did miss it, and I’m not going to lie. I was really looking forward to coming back out this year.”

During Saturday night’s 35-25, Class 2A-1A state dual meet title winning effort by the Gladiators (29-2) over Winters Mill (16-2) of Carroll County at Linganore High School in Frederick County, the 189-pounder continued to make the most of it.

Lucas’s wild, 12-8, decision over the Falcons’ Marshall Chang came during a four-bout sweep, helping the Gladiators to turn a 10-10 tie into a 27-10 lead with five bouts left.

From there, the Gladiators and the Falcons split bouts, accounting for the Howard County school’s 10-point winning margin.

Lucas’ effort was preceeded by those of Charles Walls (160) and David Pruett (171), and, was followed by Matt Gochar (215), winnners by a 16-0 technical fall, a first-period pin, and a 3-1, overtime decision over Brandon Burndley, respectively.

But the triumph by Lucas was key, coming over a wrestler who had earlier defeated Wilde Lake’s Alvin Harris, a Howard County champion and regional runner-up.

“Third period, I looked over at my coaches and got some advice. They helped me out and God helped me out. I just went out there and just did all that I could do as hard as I could do it,” said Lucas, who wreslted a year as an eighth grader with the Warhawks’ program.

“People were talking to me trying to get me to come back out for the team, and right now, I’m feeling a little bit of everything,” said Lucas, who finished third at the junior varsity county tournament. “I actually asked last year’s coach to say a prayer with me before the match. This just tells me that anything is possible when you’ve got God on your side.”

South Region Champion Glenelg 50, East Region Champion Rising Sun 20

125- Adam Heffelfinger (R) mj. Austin Pagnotta, 11-0
130- Nick Caffrey (G) p. Zach Vincent, 4:12
135- John Milani (G) tf. Morgan Palmer, 19-4
140- Lance Eveland (R) d. Park Dymond, 7-5
145- Anthony Cimoris (R) mj. Jack Borowkowski, 10-2
152- Anthony Pagnotta (G) p. Jody Eveland, 3:59
160- Charles Walls (G) p. James Hyman, 3:20
171- David Pruett (G) p. Scott Hayes, 1:41
189- Glen Lucas (G) p. Nick Filliaux, 1:56
215- Matt Cochar (G) d. Ty McGee, 10-7
285- Nick Hoyt (G) p. Shane McGary, 1:19
103- Joe Juergens (R) d. Austin Miller, 8-2
112- Nick Billings (R) by forfeit
119- Nicky Colonello (G) p. Dylan Jackson, 3:01.