Rough Night Camping

Dalton Cooper got the Rams on
the board with a quick pin

When the Southern Rams entered the gym at Allegany High School on Saturday evening to face the Campers in the opening match of the season, we knew it would not be a repeat of last season's dominating shut out performance.  With two forfeits in our lineup and 8 wrestlers who had never wrestled a varsity match, it was apparent this would be a much more tightly contested match.  Allegany had not beaten the Rams in recent memory, but they looked like, and wrestled like, a team on a mission to change that course.

The match started at 170 with first year wrestler Matt Jones taking on one of Allegany's experienced co-captains.  Jones did a nice job in the first period and it ended with a 2-0 lead for the Camper grappler.  In the second, Jones was on bottom and fought off numerous pinning attempts, but finally was turned and stuck to give Allegany a 6-0 lead.  The 182 pound class featured another first year Ram wrestler against a more experienced Allegany foe (and coach's son).  Bernie Sislo fought hard and in the end dropped a 7-0 decision to extend the Campers lead to 9-0.

Devan Hamrick with the pin

Jimmy Schwab with a dominating win

Dalton Cooper got the Rams on the board at 195 with a first period pin, but he was followed with two more young Rams, David Lewis and Jake Zimmerman, losing by pin to two more Allegany wrestlers and suddenly, the Rams were in a pretty big hole, trailing 21-6 heading into the lower weights.

At 106, Allegany received a forfeit to stretch their lead to 27-6.  After a double forfeit at 113, Southern started the comeback with four straight wins.  Jake Sweitzer was awarded a forfeit at 120 and state runner-up Devan Hamrick picked up a big pin at 126 to close the gap.  Alec Horner won by forfeit at 132 and Jimmy Schwab scored a dominating major decision at 138, and suddenly, the Rams had a 28-27 lead with three bouts remaining.

Max Bittinger pins and
his teammates celebrate

The bout at 145 featured another of our wrestlers competing in his first varsity match against one of Allegany's seasoned veterans.  Freshman Joey Embleton wrestled very well against his senior opponent, but lost a 6-2 decision to give the Campers a 30-28 lead.  Next up, Ethan Bittinger lost an 8-0 major decision and the team score was 34-28 with one bout remaining.  It would all come down to this.  If Corey Horner could score a pin, the team score would be tied and the winner would be decided by criteria.

Horner wrestled well and was in control of the entire match, but in the end, he was not able to turn his opponent and came away with a 3-1 decision, bringing the final team score to 34-31 in Allegany's favor.

The Allegany Campers are a much improved squad and wrestled tough and with a lot of heart.  Our inexperience showed and the two forfeits played a big part in our loss.  This is just the first match of the season and we will work hard in practice to get better every day and we now look forward to our rematch with the Allegany Campers at Southern in January and our chance to avenge this tough loss.

On a positive note, our JV wrestlers dominated the mats last evening.  Trenten Friend, John Mayne, Luke O'Brien, Max Bittinger, Michael Duggan and Zach Burgess all picked up wins in their JV matches al Allegany.

170 - Caleb Cornwell (A) pins Matt Jones (SG) 2:40
182 - Aaron Lancaster (A) dec Bernie Sislo (SG) 7-0
195 - Dalton Cooper (SG) pins Caleb Wilt (A) :39
220 - Diego Thompson (A) pins David Lewis (SG) 1:52
285 - Cody Lynn (A) pins Jake Zimmerman (SG)
106 - Damian Sudac (A) via Forfeit
113 - Double Forfeit
120 - Jake Sweitzer (SG) via Forfeit
126 - Devan Hamrick (SG) pins Brennan Ives (A) 2:30
132 - Alec Horner (SG) via Forfeit
138 - Jimmy Schwab (SG) m dec Matt Murphy (A) 10-2
145 - Christopher Stosick (A) dec Joey Embleton (SG) 6-2
152 - Karson Robinette (A) m dec Ethan Bittinger (SG) 8-0
160 - Corey Horner (SG) dec Jordan Pattrerson (A) 3-1

 

Red/White Scrimmage 2014

It was an exciting night under the spotlight at Southern High School last night as the Rams presented the 2014 version of our annual Red/White Scrimmage.  This season, The RedHOTZ took on The Snowmen in the inter-squad clash in an epic battle that came down to the final minutes of the final bout.  In the end, The RedHOTZ, coached by Tim Rush, defeated the Snowmen, coached by Chad King, 45-39 in exciting fashion.

 

The evening started with the battle two of our top wrestlers and likely state place winners.  Senior co-captain Josh King battled sophomore Jimmy Schwab.  King scored a late takedown in the first period to take the lead and Schwab escaped early in the second to tighten the match.  In a flurry of action, Jimmy looked to be on the verge of scoring the go ahead takedown when Josh kicked over with a slick move to send Schwab to his back.  King tightened the hold and scored the second period fall to give the RedHOTZ a quick 6-0 lead.

 

The Snowmen won the next two bouts with a Dalton Cooper tech fall and an Alec Horner major decision to give them a 9-6 lead.  That lead would not last long as the RedHOTZ scored 4 straight pins to open a commanding 30-9 advantage.  Winning by pin during that streak were Luke O'Brien, David Lewis, John Mayne and Jake Zimmerman.  Ethan Bittinger finished out the first half with an exciting 9-8 decision to give the RedHOTZ the 33-9 lead at intermission.

 

During intermission, we were entertained by 5 matches featuring 10 of the top youth wrestlers in the Southern Mat Club.  Their excellent training was very evident as they performed with great skill and technique.  They hit cradles, singles and doubles, sit outs and switches and half nelsons like pros and one match even went into overtime.  The future of Southern Wrestling looks very bright.

 

As the second half of the Red/White scrimmage began, the Snowmen knew they had better start winning some matches, and they did.  The white team reeled off five straight wins, 4 by pin, to take a 36-33 lead.  Winning by pin for the Snowmen were Jake Sweitzer, Corey Horner, Alec Horner and David Lewis.  The highlight match of the second half pitted defending state runner-up Devan Hamrick against senior Josh King.  In the first period, King was the aggressor and shot repeatedly to try and score the first points.  Hamrick was able to fight off each and every takedown attempt and the 1st period ended scoreless.  Devan chose bottom in the second and was able to get the escape and the 1-0 lead.  The remainder of the match was spent on their feet with repeated takedown attempts by both wrestlers and great defense on all those attempts.  The match ended 1-0 in Hamrick's favor to give the white the 36-33 lead.

Marcus Tichinel score a pin to give the red a 39-36 lead then Joey Embleton scored a decision for the white to tie the score at 39 with one match remaining.  The final bout of the evening was between two freshmen, Zach Burgess and Michael Duggan.  With the entire night's match on the line, these two young wrestlers squared off under the spotlight with both teams cheering on their wrestler.  Duggan scored the first points of the match with a takedown in the first period.  He added to his lead with an escape in the second, making it 3-0.  As the third period began with Burgess on top, everyone knew that he would need to turn Michael to win the match for his team.  An opportunity opened up and Zach sank a half nelson and did turn Duggan, pinning his shoulders to the mat to score the pin and give his team the 45-39 victory.

The evening was filled with excitement and promise for this season and the future of Southern Garrett Wrestling.

Josh King (R) pins Jimmy Schwab (W) 2:45
Dalton Cooper (W) techs Matt Jones (R) 20-5
Alec Horner (W) m dec Trenten Friend (R) 10-2
Luke O'Brien (R) pins Michael Duggan (W) 2:35
David Lewis (R) pins Tristan Newcomb (W) 5:16
John Mayne (R) pins Bernie Sislo (W) 6:48 ot
Jake Zimmerman (R) pins Max Bittinger (W) 5:06
Ethan Bittinger (R) dec Patrick Duggan (W) 9-8

Jake Sweitzer (W) pins Zach Burgess (R) 3:34
Devan Hamrick (W) dec Josh King (R) 1-0
Corey Horner (W) pins Matt Jones (R) 3:32
Alec Horner (W) pins Luke O'Brien (R) 5.12
David Lewis (W) pins John Mayne (R) 2:35
Marcus Tichinel (R) pins Max Bittinger (W) 4:28
Joey Embleton (W) dec Ethan Bittinger (R) 9-3
Zach Burgess (R) pins Michael Duggan (W) 4:27

 

2014-2015 Season Preview

Southern Rams, 2104/2015

Meet the 2014/15 Southern Rams

The 2014/2015 regular season begins on Saturday afternoon with a 4pm dual meet at Allegany High School vs. The Campers.  The Southern Rams take the mat with a strong determination to overcome the loss of over half of last year's team.  Seven starters from last year's squad graduated, including state champion Austin Shaffer, and one moved away.  Ordinarily, this would crush a normal team, but the Southern Rams have reloaded with some incredible talent and look to have another outstanding season.

The Rams will be led this season by state runner-up Devan Hamrick and senior co-captains Josh King, Tristan Newcomb and Dalton Cooper.  A great crop of freshmen and the other returning wrestlers make up our amazing team.

Our Team Captains
Dalton Cooper, Devan Hamrick, Josh King, Tristan Newcomb

The Lower Weights

State runner-up Devan Hamrick leads the Rams in the lower weight classes.  Joining Devan are freshmen Zachary Burgess, Jake Sweitzer, Alec Horner, Luke O'Brien and junior Trenten Friend.  The Southern Mat Club has given us several very tough freshmen who will contribute right away in these lower classes.

The Middle Weights

Regional qualifiers from last winter, Jimmy Schwab and Josh King, lead a strong group in our middle weight classes.  Fighting to fill the other classes in the middle are juniors Corey Horner, Matt Jones and Ethan Bittinger, sophomore Patrick Duggan and freshmen Dalton Rinker, Joey Embleton and Michael Duggan.  Once again, the Southern Mat Club is helping us by sending us quality wrestlers who will step right in the line-up.

The Upper Weights

Senior co-captains Dalton Cooper and Tristan Newcomb lead a tough group of  athletes in these upper weights.  They are joined by last season's 285 Marcus Tichinel and seniors David Lewis and John Mayne and juniors Jake Zimmerman, Max Bittinger and Bernie Sislo.

The 2014/2015 Southern Garrett Rams will look a little different that last season's squad, but you can count on hard work, great effort and a few surprises along the way.  Most people would count out a team who lost 8 of 14 starters, but the Rams, powered by the Southern Mat Club, will take the mat with new faces but the same old talent and intensity that our fans have come to know and love.

2014-2015 Southern Rams

106-120   Jake Sweitzer (9)
106-120   Zachary Burgess (9)
113-126   Alec Horner (9)
113-126   Devan Hamrick (11)
120-132   Trenten Friend (11)
120-132   Luke O'Brien (9)
126-138   Josh King (12)
126-138   Michael Duggan (9)
132-145   Jimmy Schwab (10)
138-152   Ethan Bittinger (11)
138-152   Joey Embleton (9)
145-160   Patrick Duggan (10)
145-160   Corey Horner (11)
152-170   Dalton Rinker (9)
160-182   Matt Jones (11)
170-195   Bernie Sislo (11)
170-195   Dalton Cooper (12)
182-220   Tristan Newcomb (12)
195-285   David Lewis (12)
195-285   John Mayne (12)
195-285   Jacob Zimmerman (11)
220-285   Max Bittinger (11)
220-285   Marcus Tichinel (11)

2014-2015 Schedule

Date                Opponent                                           Location         Time   

Dec. 3             Red/White Scrimmage                      Home                 7:00pm

Dec. 6              Allegany                                             Away               4:00pm          

 

Dec. 16            Fort Hill/Keyser – JV only                  Keyser             6:00pm

Dec. 17           Brunswick                                          Away               1:30pm

Dec. 19/20     Musselman Duals                              Away              

Dec. 30           Northern                                            Away               7:00pm     

 

Jan. 2/3          Super Duals                                       Fort Hill          4:00pm           

Jan. 8               Hyndman/Meyersdale                     Meyersdale    6:00pm

Jan. 9/10       Hub Cup                                             North              5:00pm

Jan. 14            Frankfort (w/Northern)                  Home              6:00pm          

Jan. 17            Allegany                                             Home              6:00pm

Jan. 21           Fort Hill/Keyser                                Home              6:00pm                      

Jan. 29            Northern                                            Home              7:00pm          

Jan. 31            Williamsport                                      Home              1:00pm

Feb. 5              Mountain Ridge                                 Away               7:00pm          

 

Feb. 7              Keyser/Oakdale                                Home              1:00pm

Feb. 11           Regional Duals                                  TBA

Feb. 14           State Duals                                         TBA                 1:00pm

Feb. 21           Bi-County Tournament                    M. Ridge         10:00am        

Feb. 28           Regional Tournament                      TBA                 10:00am      

Mar. 6/7         State Tournament                             UMD   

Don't Blink

Don't Blink

40 years goes faster than you think

by: Coach Dave Taylor

 



The Barrington Broncos

Forty years ago this month, I started my wrestling career.  It was in November 1974 that my friends, Steve and Pat, suggested I drop out of the chess club and join the Barrington Bronco wrestling team.  I studied my options, with the intensity of world chess champion Gary Kasparov, and decided to give up the pawns, knights and bishops for a life of sweats, singlets and a jock strap.

 


In 1973, my family relocated to the Chicago area from western Pennsylvania.  I was a little freshman in high school when we arrived in the big city, and when I say little, I mean about 90 pounds of nothing.  Joining the chess club was the obvious choice.  My first group of friends (outside of my chess club friends) did not remain that way for very long.  When one of the boys showed up at my front door smelling of pot smoke, Mom and Dad suggested I find a new group of pals if I ever wanted to see daylight again.  That's when I met up with Pat and Steve.  Ironically, Pat lives in Maryland and his son will be a freshman in high school this year and is an outstanding wrestler.

The "Wrist and Half" worked 40 years ago too!

 

In the fall of 1974, as wrestling season was approaching, my new buds turned up the pressure with statements like "hey, you're from western PA, you were born to wrestle" and "I'll drive you home from practice".  Finally, they convinced me to join the team.  At the time, as a sophomore in high school, I had no idea how long I would stay involved in the sport.  In that first season, I was entirely too busy learning how to watch my weight and not get killed by the older, more experienced kids.  I had grown to a staggering 119 pounds and by mid season, I could hold my own.  As I look back at that point of my life, it amazes me how different the world is today than it was in 1974.

 

Here is a look at life in 1974 as I was beginning a 40 year career in my favorite sport.

• 1974 began with Larry Czonka winning the Super Bowl MVP award and ended with Franco Harris and the Pittsburgh Steelers winning their 1st of 6 Super Bowl Titles.
• Jimmy Fallon, Derek Jeter and Leonardo DiCaprio were born in 1974
• Duke Ellington, Bud Abbott, Dizzy Dean and Ed Sullivan died that year.
• The real Elvis was alive in 1974.  He died in 1977 at the conclusion of my high school wrestling career.
• The average new car cost only $3,750.00, the average new house cost $34,900 and the price of a stamp was only 8 cents.
• The average person's annual income was $13,000 and the average monthly rent was $185.
• Hank Aaron hit home run #714 to break Babe Ruth's record.  He would end the season hitting # 733 in his final at bat.
• Bob Gibson surpassed 3,000 strikeouts, Lou Brock surpassed 700 stolen bases and Nolan Ryan broke the 100 mph pitch barrier.
• There were no cell phones, personal computers or laptops way back in 1974.  The first pocket calculator was sold that year and cost nearly $50.
• There was no cable TV, CNN, HBO or ESPN.  We watched ABC, CBS or NBC and that was it.  The first VCR was released around this time, but were not readily available for a couple more years.  We also had to get out of the chair to change channels as remote controls were not available yet either.
• Also in 1974, the first MRI was performed and the first UPC code was used on a pack of chewing gum.
• There was an energy crisis in full swing that began in 1973 and caused long lines at gas stations and forced the government to begin daylight savings time in January in an effort to save energy.  The crisis also drove prices through the roof.  A gallon of gas jumped from 39 cents a gallon all the way to a whopping 55 cents a gallon in 1974.
• The stock market stood at 616 in 1974 and closed at 17,300 this past Friday.
• In 1974, Barack Obama was a 13 year old kid, going to middle school in Hawaii.  Brett Farve was a 5 year old little kid.  Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Big Ben would not even be a twinkle in their mother's eye for several more years.
• Even the great Cael Sanderson, 4X undefeated national champion and head wrestling coach at Penn State would also not be born for 5 more years.
• Happy Days premiered on TV and we all wanted to be as cool as Fonzie.  The 6 Million Dollar Man also premiered and we all wanted to be as tough as Steve Austin.
• The Cleveland Indians hosted a "10 cent beer night" during the season and the evening ended early with 1000s of drunk fans storming the field, causing the game to be cancelled.
• Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" championship fight in Zaire using the Rope-A-Dope in a fight that most people did not think he could win.
• Serial killer Ted Bundy killed the first of more than 30 women in a murderous spree that spread from coast to coast.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers hit the jackpot in the 1974 NFL draft, selecting Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster in the same year.  They are the only team to ever pick four future hall of fame players in a single draft.
• President Nixon resigned amid the Watergate scandal, Gerald Ford took office and pardoned Nixon of all wrong-doing.
• UCLA basketball's record setting 88-game win streak was snapped with a one point loss to Notre Dame.
• Newspaper heiress, Patty Hearst, was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army and held for ransom.  Later that year, she joined the group to fight for their cause, changed her name and was photographed robbing a bank as a full member of the SLA.
• Pittsburgh Pirate Willie Stargell won The Roberto Clemente Award even though the Bucs were beaten in the NL Championship Series that year.
• "The Streak" by Ray Stevens and "Cat's In The Cradle" by Harry Chapin were top hits in 1974.  Four years later, I met Harry Chapin while he was playing a concert at my college.  One of my biggest regrets was turning down an offer to have dinner with Chapin so I could save my front row seat.
• The Vietnam War was ending as I was starting my life of wrestling.  Our direct involvement in combat was over, but the "Fall of Saigon" would not take place until the spring of 1975.

1974 was a great year and set the tone for the rest of my life.  Wrestling impacted where I went to college and, the Coach in the picture above, actually got me my first job, working in a garden center on the northwest side of Chicago.  Let's have a great season

Amazing Senior Speeches

For years, we have asked our seniors to give a short speech at our year end banquet and there have been some very interesting presentations.  There have been short and sweet "thank yous" and long, drawn out stutter-fests.... and all types of speeches in between.  Some senior speeches have been unforgettable, and others very forgettable.  This year, however, we experienced some of the best senior speeches of all time.  They thanked their parents and their coaches, but a recurring theme was how close the team had become throughout the season.  This group of men will miss each other, there is no doubt about it.

Ty Artice talked about how much he wished he had started wrestling earlier.  Brad Clary had a well written speech, thanking his parents and coaches.  Keith Chapman also talked about how he wished he had started earlier in life, how great it felt winning so many matches as a second year wrestler and how hard is was for his career to end at Regionals with an injury.  Justyce Fulmer thanked his coaches for teaching him moves that "I actually got to use in my matches" and he thanked Coach Clark for teaching everyone to NEVER take the Lord's name in vain.

Seth Kisner, Brian Rinker and Tanner Massey all gave very heart-felt, moving speeches about their coaches, their families and especially their teammates.  Several times, it got very emotional and the tears began to flow as these men said what they felt.  They all would have liked to achieve more on the mat, but the Southern Wrestling experience and the time spent with their teammates was unforgettable.

 

And then there was Austin Shaffer.  He wrote an amazing speech and you can read it in it's entirety by scrolling down.  It was one of the best speeches we have ever heard at our season ending banquet.  It was well written, thoughtful and very humble.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

It was very obvious to everyone in the room, these boys had a great season and great careers at Southern and the experiences they shared on the mat, off the mat (and especially on the school bus!) will be remembered for a lifetime.

Senior Brad Clary

Senior Brian Rinker

Senior Justyce Fulmer

Senior Keith Chapman

Senior Seth Kisner

Senior Tanner Massey

Senior Ty Artice

Senior Will Foulke

Senior Austin Shaffer



"So, This Is It" A Senior Speech by Austin Shaffer

"So this is it. I've been attending these end-of-the-year banquets wondering when it would be my turn to recite a senior speech in front of my teammates, family, friends, and coaches. Well, it's my turn now I suppose. I've had the honor and greatest opportunity to be on the Southern Garrett Wrestling team for four years now. I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. I've created memories that I will remember forever. I've ran probably 1000 miles in the school's hallways. I've sweat from head to toe. I've had triumphs. I've had failures. And I've even sat down and cried. In frustration, happiness, and just because that was the only thing I could think to do. But no matter what the situation, I always had my friends to cheer me up with a, "What's the matter? You gonna be a wuss all your life?" Or my coaches with a, "C'mon Shaff, you'll get him next time."

 

I've had a lot of success while under the guidance of my coaches; Coach Taylor, Coach Rush, Coach Clark, and Coach Biggie. I never keep any of the glory for myself, I owe everything to them, my parents, and my teammates. To me, this sport is rewarding in different ways than personal glory. Medals rust, bracket sheets yellow, and nobody remembers the giant trophy you won. There is no better feeling than shedding the blood, sweat , and tears coming away victorious knowing that everything leading up to that point wasn't wasted. When you lose, you feel like the world is ending. You start to question yourself about whether or not it's worth it to continue. But eventually in the end, you know that you have to pick yourself back up and out yourself through the hours of rigorous training that you know are going to lead you back to a victory. When you enter this sport, you are entering combat. We are gladiators, and to lose a match means to lose a life. So often, we find ourselves at an end of something. Well, this is my end. But it's also the beginning of something, because whenever something comes to a close, something new rises out of its ashes.

 

I used to be scared about the end of my time here, but now that I think about it, it's a beautiful end. I leave with pride, knowing that there will be others to fill my shoes. I want nothing more, than to come back to Garrett County, buy a ticket, and sit down and watch an SHS wrestling match. Reminiscing, and observing all the new wrestlers that come through. I'm only a product of the Southern Garrett Wrestling process, and if I can do it, so can you. Never be scared, never give up, because in the end, what have you really got to lose? They say that everything else in life is easier after wrestling. But if that's true, then life presents no more challenges, and you'll always be thinking of wrestling.

 

I have a good feeling, that in some way or another, all of us will be reunited down the road. All brought back because of the one thing we all have in common, wrestling. Whether it be meeting again as fathers, watching our sons or daughters wrestle, or even as future coaches for the Mat Club or SHS. And one day, when my appetite for wrestling has been sated, I'll come home from work, go down to the basement, rummage out an old box, pull out a pair of dusty red wrestling shoes, and just enjoy the flood of memories that swarm me thinking about my time spent under a lone spot light illuminating a mat, in a dim-lit loud hotel room, or on a crowded bus traveling to a meet listening to the masterful musical tones of "Little Red Wagon". No matter where I go, no matter what I do, I'll always remember the time I spent here, everyday that I live. Thank you all.="

Ahead of the Pack

When Austin Shaffer claimed the 113 pound state title two weeks ago, he became the 19th Southern Ram wrestler to stand atop the podium at the MPSSAA state wrestling tournament.  Johnny Hayhurst was the first to achieve this in 2000, winning the first of two state titles.  Since then, Southern Garrett has led the way with the most individual state titles of any public school in Maryland of any size from 2000-2014.  Interestingly enough, the Northern Huskies are second on the list with 13 champions since 2000.  All-time, Southern holds a 19-17 lead over the Huskies since the first state champions were crowned in 1970.  The Rams do not have the all-time lead in state champions, but we have led the way since 2000 and are gaining on the leaders quickly.  Owings Mills from Baltimore County leads the state with 28 individual state champs and the Southern Rams are currently in 6th place over-all with 19 champions. 

Individual State Champions by MPSSAA school from 2000-2014

19 – Southern Garrett

13 – Northern Garrett

13 – Owings Mills

Austin Shaffer set to go in his second state final match.

13 – South Carroll

11 – LaPlata

10 – River Hill

10 – Old Mill

  9 – Kent Co

  9 – Hammond

  9 – Glenelg

  8 - Hereford

  8 – Chesapeake AA

  8 – Damascus

  7 – North Carroll

  7 – Rising Sun

  7 – Winters Mill

  7 – Mt Ridge/Beall

  6 – Middletown

  6 – Williamsport

  6 – Chopticon

  6 – Magruder
 

Additionally, during that same time period, Southern wrestlers claimed 3 of the top 5 spots on the all-time win list for MPSSAA wrestlers (and 4 out of the top 10).  Bubba Scheffel holds the top spot with 167 wins.  Lex Ozias is 2nd with 163 and Austin Shaffer is 5th with 157 career wins.  Brutus Scheffel is in 10th place with 154 career wins.

All-Time Career Wins for MPSSAA Wrestlers

167 - Bubba Scheffel, Southern Garrett

163 - Lex Ozias, Southern Garrett

160 - Mikey Blake, Kent

158 - Chad Strube, Middletown

157 - Austin Shaffer, Southern Garrett

157 - Austin Wenzlaff, Tuscarora

156 - Nick Frank, Urbana

155 - Matt Jackson, Rising Sun

155 - Ryan Buff, Calvert

155 - Cameron Kirby, River Hill

154 - Brutus Scheffel, Southern Garrett
 

Southern Garrett State Champions

2000 - Johnny Hayhurst

2001 - Johnny Hayhurst

These 4 wrestlers own 11 of our 19 state titles

2004 - Scott Wildesen

2006 - Justin Ratliff

2007 - Brutus Scheffel

2008 - Brutus Scheffel

2009 - Brutus Scheffel

2009 - Bubba Scheffel

2009 - Lex Ozias

2009 - Jordan Skipper

2010 - Brutus Scheffel

2010 - Bubba Scheffel

2010 - Lex Ozias

2010 - Davey Stewart

2011 - Bubba Scheffel

2011 - Lex Ozias

2011 - Coy Ozias

2012 - Austin Shaffer

2014 - Austin Shaffer

Most Individual State Champions by School All-Time  1970-2014

28 - Owings Mills

25 - North Carroll

26 - Old Mill

22 - Aberdeen

20 - Oakland Mills

19 - Southern Garrett


**  I guess it should be noted that Beall and Mt. Ridge have combined for 22 state champions and some would argue that they should be tied with Aberdeen on the list.  For our purposes, they will remain as an **
17 - Beall
  5 - Mt. Ridge

Great Time at Cole

Austin Shaffer squares off with Tim Null in the state finals.

The 2014 MPSSAA State Wrestling Tournament was held this past weekend at Cole Fieldhouse on the campus of UMD.  This annual event showcases the best wrestlers in the state and the Southern Rams proved once again that our wrestlers belong on top of the podium.  Only three Southern wrestlers survived the tough west regional qualifier, but each of those three traveled to Cole with the top prize in mind.  Seniors Austin Shaffer and Brian Rinker along with sophomore Devan Hamrick were ready for the challenge.

Brian Rinker in control at states.

Brian Rinker was wrestling at 195 and entered the state tournament having placed fourth at regionals.  He had to wrestle a regional champion from North Caroline in his very first match.  Rinker wrestled great and was able to score a second period pin to advance into the quarter-finals.  In the next round, Rinker would face a highly ranked wrestler from Marriotts Ridge.  After wrestling a close first period, Rinker was put on his back in the second and the ref call a VERY fast pin to drop Brian into the consolation round to be wrestled on day 2.  In his first match of Saturday morning, Brian took his opponent from Fallston High School all the way to the very end of the match where Rinker gave up a takedown at the buzzer, ending his tournament, his season and his career.  Brian ended the season with an impressive 32-14 record. 

Devan Hamrick, victorious in the quarterfinals at states.

Sophomore Devan Hamrick entered the state tournament favored to claim a spot somewhere on the podium.  He was definitely aiming for the top and with a 39-3 record coming in, he was in great position for a run to the top.  In the first round, Devan faced Kelvin Gibbs from Overlea and he wasted very little time picking up the win by a pin in only 32 seconds.  In the quarterfinals, Hamrick wrestled Chris Spano for Marriotts Ridge and easily put him away by scoring a second period tech fall to advance to the semi-finals.  In Saturday morning's semis, Devan wrestled Joey Thomas from South Carroll.  The two had wrestled in January and Devan had prevailed, but Thomas is very talented and we expected a tight match.  In reality, the match was as close as it could possibly be, tied 0-0 heading into overtime.  Hamrick was able to score a reversal in the second overtime period and ride out Thomas for the win claiming his spot in the state finals against Danny Bertoni from Middletown.


Hamrick and Bertoni had met twice this season, once in January and once in last weekend's Regional finals.  In both cases, Bertoni came out on top and was favored in the state finals.  At 106, Hamrick vs. Bertoni was the first match of the evening, just after the parade of champions.  Bertoni scored a takedown in the first period and rode Devan out to make the score 2-0 and the end of one.  From bottom, Hamrick had trouble escaping and from top, he had a hard time holding Bertoni down.  In the end, Bertoni controlled the tempo and controlled the match and scored a 4-0 decision over Hamrick to capture his first state title.  Hamrick is only a sophomore and has two more years ahead to get back to the state finals and win a state title of his own.


Senior Austin Shaffer entered the 2014 state tournament as the clear favorite to win his second state championship.  He defeated his highest ranked opponent easily by major decision a week earlier at regionals.  There were no guarantees, but it looked likely the two would meet again in the state finals to determine the champion.  In the opening round, Shaffer had very little trouble pinning his opponent from St. Michaels.  In Friday night's quarter-finals, Austin easily defeated Conner McCormick from North Caroline by major decision, earning a spot in the semi-finals.


In Saturday's semis, Shaffer faced Colin McDonald from Patterson Mills who sported an impressive 39-4 record on the season.  Shaffer came out fast and strong and took control early.  When the dust settled, Shaffer won by major decision and earned a spot in the state finals for the second time of his career.  As expected, Shaffer was set to face Tim Null from South Carroll in Saturday evening's state finals.  Having won 14-2 a week earlier, Shaffer felt very confident going into his last career high school match.  But Tim Null was feeling good also and came out hot and scored the opening takedown, taking an early lead on Shaffer.  The lead didn't last long as Shaffer got the reversal to tie the score.  After that, Austin took control and when he locked up his cradle for three back points, he virtually lock up the match.  As time wound down in the third period, it became evident that Austin Shaffer would capture his second state title and state championship #19 for Southern Garrett High School.  After shaking hands, Austin sprung across the mat and did a celebratory hand-spring back tuck then jumped into Coach's arm for the traditional state championship post-match hug.


As a team, Southern placed 10th at the state tournament with only three wrestlers entered.  South Carroll and Kent Island were crowned co-champions and Mt Ridge placed third.

2014 Bi-Counties

It was a very good day at Southern High School on Saturday as the Rams hosted the annual Bi-County tournament.  Entering the tournament, it was clear that the Rams would battle the Mt Ridge Miners for the title.  The Miners had defeated the Rams in two close dual meets earlier in the season and the results of Bi-Counties would be the same.

In the early rounds, Southern kept the tournament close.  Mt. Ridge placed 11 wrestlers in the finals and Southern was close behind with 10 finalists.  There were a number of head to head match ups and the tournament was on the line.  The Miners had the lead and the Rams were in second place.

The finals began at 106 with Southern's Devan Hamrick scoring a first period pin vs a Mt Ridge wrestler.  At 113, Austin Shaffer added a first period pin of his own against a wrestler from Northern Garrett and the Rams were closing the gap.  At 120, Josh King lost a decision to Matthews from Mt Ridge to give the Miners their first champion of the day.  Jimmy Schwab won a decision at 132 against a Northern Garrett wrestler and the Rams were still alive.

Unfortunately, Schwab's victory would be the last for Southern at Bi-Counties as the final 7 Ram finalists would lose their matches.  Josh King, Justyce Fulmer, Will Foulke, Seth Kisner, Dalton Cooper, Brian Rinker and Keith Chapman all reached the finals but dropped their matches to place second.  In the end, the Mt Ridge Miners would capture the Bi-County title by scoring 223 points to Southern's 179 points.

1. 223.0  Mt. Ridge
2. 179.0  Southern Garrett
3. 144.5  Northern Garrett
4. 106.0  Fort Hill
5.   57.0  Allegany

Finals
106 - Devan Hamrick (SG) pins Devin Femi (MR) 1:10
113 - Austin Shaffer (SG) pins Steven Yutzy (NG) :29
120 - Cody Matthews (MR) m dec Josh King (SG) 8-0
126 - Justin Opel (NG) dec Colten White (MR) 7-1
132 - Jimmy Schwab (SG) dec Chris McCann (NG) 8-6
138 - Kody Osselburn (NG) m dec Colton Sites (MR) 13-0
145 - Justin Bryant (MR) dec Nate Durst (NG) 3-2
152 - Adam Martz (MR) m dec Justyce Fulmer (SG) 18-5
160 - Tyler Maynard (MR) pins Will Foulke (SG) 1:59
170 - Nick Shifflett (MR) dec Seth Kisner (SG) 1-0
182 - Cody Arigo (FH) dec Dalton Cooper (SG) 12-5
195 - Austin Clark (MR) dec Brian Rinker (SG) 6-0
220 - Matt Whetstone (MR) dec Keith Rinker (SG) 14-12
285 - Tim Friend (FH) pins Brian Fuente (MR) :30

2014 Regional Duals

For the 10th time in the last 12 years, the Southern Rams qualified for the regional dual meet tournament.  The top four teams in the region qualify and the Rams entered as the #4 seed, facing top seeded Mt. Ridge in the opening round.  The two teams had met a week earlier and the result was a tight 34-30 victory for the Miners.  Monday's meeting would turn out to be equally tight.

 

The match began at 170 with a battle of senior team captains.  The Miners would prevail by pin and take the early 6-0 lead.  Senior Seth Kisner would get the Rams on the board at 182 with a decision.  Mt. Ridge would score another pin at 195 to stretch their lead to 12-3.  Brian Rinker won by decision at 220 and Keith Chapman earned a pin at 285 and the score was tied at 12 as the match headed to the lighter weights.

 

Sophomore Devan Hamrick gave the Rams the lead with a pin at 106 but the Miners tied it back up with a pin of their own at 113.  The team traded forfeits at 120 and 126 in strategic moves to keep the score tied 24-24 with 5 matches remaining.  The Miners took the lead with a decision at 132 but the Rams tied it back up with a Jimmy Schwab overtime victory at 138.

 

Mt. Ridge took the lead for good with a big win at 145 and only two matches remaining.  Unfortunately, Southern had to forfeit one of those two, so the match was out of reach.  Justyce Fulmer won by forfeit to end the match with the Mt. Ridge Miners earning the 36-33 victory and the spot in the regional dual finals (which they would win later that evening).

Mt. Ridge 36 - Southern 33

106 - Devan Hamrick (SG) pins Devin Femi (MR) 4:49

113 - Brock Petenbrink (MR) pins George Zimmerman (SG) 2:25

120 - Austin Shaffer (SG) via forfeit

126 - Cody Matthews (MR) via forfeit

132 - Colten White (MR) dec Josh King (SG) 5-3

138 - Jimmy Schwab (SG) dec Colton Sites (MR) 10-8 ot

145 - Justin Bryant (MR) dec Tanner Massey (SG) 8-1

152 - Adam Martz (MR) via forfeit

160 - Justyce Fulmer (SG) via forfeit

170 - Tyler Maynard (MR) pins Will Foulke (SG) 5:04

182 - Seth Kisner (SG) dec Tim Buskirk (MR) 4-0

195 - Austin Clark (MR) pins Dalton Cooper (SG) :13

220 - Brian Rinker (SG) dec Matt Whetstone (MR) 9-8

285 - Keith Chapman (SG) pins Brian Fuente (MR) 2:16

 

 

2014 Senior Celebration

Here is a recap from our senior night celebration that was held on Thursday, February 6th.  This group of nine seniors will finish their wrestling careers at Southern soon and will move on to make their mark in the world in a number of different ways.  They have been a great inspiration to their younger teammates and are outstanding team leaders.  We wish these young men the very best in the future.

Austin Shaffer is the son of Kim and Joe Shaffer of Oakland.  Austin has been a 4 year starter on the wrestling team and was also a member of the cross-country team.  So far this season, Austin has earned 34 wins and has scored 17 pins.  In his four years at Southern, he has won 147 matches, qualified for the state tournament all three years, placed 3^rd as a junior, won numerous high school tournaments and was the 2012 Maryland State Champion.  Austin has signed on to wrestle at West Virginia University next fall and plans to study Parks, Recreation and Wildlife Services at WVU.

Seth Kisner is the son of Roger and Christy Kisner of Oakland.  This is Seth’s 2^nd year on the wrestling team.  So far this season, Seth has earned 29 wins with 18 pins.  Seth is also a member of the football team.  After graduation, Seth plan to attend Frostburg State University to study criminal justice and plans to play football for the Bobcats.

Tanner Massey is the son of Wes and Yolanda Massey of Oakland.  This is Tanner’s 4^th year as a member of the wrestling team and has been a varsity starter all 4 years.  Last season, Tanner qualified for the state tournament and so far this season, he has won 28 matches and has scored 21 pins.  Tanner was also and member of the cross-country team.  On June 16^th, shortly after graduation, Tanner will begin serving our country as he enters the Marine Corp.

Brian Rinker is the son of Jessica and Joe Dewitt of Oakland and Brad and Amanda Rinker also of Oakland.  This is Brian’s third year as a varsity starter on the wrestling team.  So far this season, he has earned 27 wins with 18 coming by pin.  After graduation, Brian also plans on serving our country by entering the Marine Corp.

Justyce Fulmer is the son of Kelli and Mike Fulmer of Deer Park.  Justyce has been a member of the wrestling team for 4 years and has been a varsity starter for 2 years.  So far this season, he has earned 26 wins with 11 coming by pin.  After graduating, Justyce plans to attend Allegany College and study Nursing.

Will Foulke is the son of Nicole and Jason Paulinski of Oakland.  This is Will’s 4^th year as a member of the wrestling team and has been a varsity starter for 3 years.  Will has won 22 matches so far this season and has earned 12 pins.  Will is also a member of the Cross Country, Track, Soccer and Tennis teams.  After graduation, Will plans to attend UMBC and study Journalism.

Keith Chapman is the son of Brenda White and Keith Chapman of Oakland.  This is Keith’s second year as a member of the wrestling team and has been a varsity starter both years.  Currently he has 22 wins this season and has scored 13 pins.  Keith is also a member of the football and baseball teams.  After graduation, Keith plans on going to college to study Machining and to play baseball.

Ty Artice is the son of Gina and Terry Artice of Oakland.  This is Ty’s first year as a member of the wrestling team.  Ty also was a member of the cross-county team that placed 2^nd at the state meet this past fall.  After graduation, Ty plans to attend Garrett College then transfer to the University of Columbia to study Business Administration.

Brad Clary is the son of Jason and Shannon Clary of Oakland.  This is Brad’s third year as a member of the wrestling team.  After graduating high school this spring, Brad plans to go to college and study Machining.