A Successful Saturday

Lift Off

It was a perfect Saturday for a tri-match at home against the Century Knights from Carroll County and the Oakdale Bears from Frederick County.  We had a nice crowd of Southern fans looking to witness a great day of wrestling on the mats in the Ram Arena.

While the Knights and the Bears battled on mat 1, our JV wrestlers went head to head with JV wrestlers from both Century and Oakdale on mat 2.  It was a very successful afternoon for our young wrestlers.  Oakdale defeated Century by 20 points in the first round and the Rams were set to take the mat in round 2.

Declan McCann get it all started

Our match against Century started at 160 where Declan McCann got us on the board first with a second period pin.  Hunter Sanders followed up with a decision and Southern led 9-0.  The Knights won each of the next two bouts with a decision and a forfeit to tie the match at 9.  After a double forfeit at 220, senior Cole Sweitzer put the Rams ahead with a quick pin.  As we headed to the lower weights, the team score was 15-9 in our favor.

Aiden Schwab with two more wins on Saturday

Aiden Schwab, Brogan Kealy, Elisha Skipper and Jake Sweitzer all scored pins in their respective bouts while Skyler Glotfelty and Jaxsen Tasker received forfeits to close out the scoring for Southern.  The final score was Southern 51 - Century 21 to give the Rams their 18th win of the season.

Our match against Oakdale started at 170 with freshman Hunter Sanders scoring a pin to give Southern an early 6-0 lead.  Oakdale closed the gap to 6-5 with a tech fall win at 182.  It didn't stay close for long as the Rams picked up forfeits at 195 and 220 and Cole Sweitzer earned another pin to give Southern a 24-5 lead.

Cole Sweitzer with two more pins

The rout continued in the lower weights as well.  Aiden Schwab and Colum McCann picked up forfeits while Brogan Kealy scored a pin and Nate Tasker and Elisha Skipper won decisions to stretch Southern's lead to 48-5.  At 145 and 152, two of each team's best wrestlers met in head to head battles.  First up, the Ram's Jake Sweitzer took on Oakdale's Ramy Freeman.  The two wrestled twice last season and each wrestler won a close contest.  This year's battle started with a scoreless first period but Sweitzer was able to score 3 points near the end of the 2nd.  The third period was well wrestled and Sweitzer was able to hang on for a 3-1 win.  At 152, Jace Guy faced off against Zac Leskoski from the Bears.  Guy won both meetings last season but Leskoski wrestled him tough and kept it close.  This season, Guy fell behind early but kept battling.  He was able to tie the match in the third period at 6-6 and with time running out, Guy reversed Leskoski to his back to score the decisive 11-6 victory.  Declan McCann finished off the day with a 7-0 win by decision to close out the 57-11 win for the Southern Rams.

Jake Sweitzer with a big win over Freeman from Oakdale

Southern now stands at 19-0 for the season and face off with the Northern Huskies at home this Thursday evening.

Southern 51 - Century 21
106 - Aiden Schwab (SG) pins Carson Fitzgerald (C) 5:59
113 - Lorenzo Lira (C) pins Jeremiah Mellinger (SG) 3:40
120 - Brogan Kealy (SG) pins Jack Armstrong (C) :58
126 - Skyler Glotfelty (SG) via Forfeit
132 - Elisha Skipper (SG) pins JJ Juraev (C) 1:30
138 - Stephen Hurst (C) via Forfeit
145 - Jaxsen Tasker (SG) via Forfeit
152 - Jake Sweitzer (SG) pins Devin Sikkenga (C) 2:44
160 - Declan McCann (SG) pins Billy Bentley (C) 3:22
170 - Hunter Sanders (SG) dec. Jake Eggers (C) 7-0
182 - Alex Ellis (C) dec. Brayden Warnick (SG) 8-3
195 - Thomas Morey (C) via Forfeit
220 - Double Forfeit
285 - Cole Sweitzer (SG) pins Eric Forsberg (C) :19

Southern 57 - Oakdale 11
106 - Aiden Schwab (SG) via Forfeit
113 - Colum McCann (SG) via Forfeit
120 - Brogan Kealy (SG) pins Landon Rotter (O) 5:39
126 - Nate Tasker (SG) dec. Patrick Thomas (O) 3-2
132 - Elisha Skipper (SG) dec. Liam Popkin (O) 8-5
138 - Wyatt McCoy (O) pins Joey McComas (SG) 2:28
145 - Jake Sweitzer (SG) dec. Ramy Freeman (O) 3-1
152 - Jace Guy (SG) dec. Zac Leskoski (O) 11-6
160 - Declan McCann (SG) dec. Mike Gula (O) 7-0
170 - Hunter Sanders (SG) pins Matt Harris (O) 3:20
182 - Nick Clarke (O) tech Cole Baker (SG) 15-0
195 - Cameron Golover (SG) via Forfeit
220 - Chris Mersing (SG) via Forfeit
285 - Cole Sweitzer (SG) pins Joe Thomas (O) 1:59

3rd Time's A Charm

Tournament champs for the 3rd straight year

The Southern Ram wrestling team entered last weekend's Musselman Duals as two time defending champions with a perfect 9-0 record.  The tournament featured 20 teams from three states and included numerous state place-winners and several defending state champions.  The competition was tough but our Southern Rams were up for the challenge.

Friday evening was set aside for pool competition where the Rams were up against Jefferson, WV, Spring Mills WV, Clarke Co. VA, and Riverbend VA.  The first match of the tournament was against Clarke Co where Southern tore through the line-up, coming away with a perfect 84-0 victory.  In this match, senior Cole Sweitzer scored his 100th career victory with a first period pin.

Win 100 for Cole Sweitzer

Our second match of the tournament was against a tough team from Riverbend.  They featured 6 returning state qualifiers and ended the weekend with 5 undefeated wrestlers.  It was quite a battle, but in the end, the Rams came away with a 39-32 victory.  It would be the only defeat Riverbend would suffer all weekend.

Jake Sweitzer with a pin vs Riverbend

The final two matches Friday evening would end up being all Southern.  The Rams defeated Jefferson 81-0 then followed that with a 60-16 thumping of Spring Mills to finish day one as pool champions with a 4-0 record.

Declan McCann has no trouble vs Spring Mills

Saturday was set aside for the championship rounds and would prove to be much tougher.  Each pool winner would face off head to head to determine the overall tournament champion.  The first match of the day saw the Rams taking on the host school from Musselman.  Southern took an early lead and never looked back, cruising to a 60-21 victory.  Up next were the three toughest teams in the tournament.

Aiden Schwab working for a pin vs Musselman

In round six, Southern faced a tough team from Linganore, MD which features a 2x defending state champion and three other state place-winners.  Linganore took an early lead of 16-0 after winning the first 3 bouts.  After the next three bouts, the Rams still trailed 22-12 before freshman Aiden Schwab won by tech fall.  Colum McCann, Brogan Kealy and Nate Tasker each picked up pins to give Southern the lead 35-22.  Linganore was able to win three of the final four bouts to close the gap but Southern was able to hold on the win the match 41-34 to go 6-0 on the weekend.

Brogan Kealy scores a pin

Round 7 would prove to be one of the most exciting matches in Southern wrestling history.  The match had it all: big comebacks, close bouts and a sudden death overtime thriller.  The started at 182 and the Williamsport Wildcats came charging out of the gate with three straight pins, including an epic upper body throw at 220 handing Hunter Park his only loss of the season.  The match at 285 featured two of the best heavy weight wrestlers in the state going head to head.  The bout did not disappoint as the two big men battled tough with the Williamsport wrestler coming away with the victory in the final ultimate ride out overtime period.  With a pin at 106 and a win at 113, the Rams found themselves in unfamiliar territory, down 30-0 in a dual meet wrestling match.

Cole Sweitzer in the battle of the big men

At 120, things were looking pretty bad for the Rams when Colum McCann fell behind early and was down 16-4 in the third period.  The sophomore never quit wrestling and hit his opponent with an impressive headlock to score the win by pin and keep the Rams hopes alive.  Brogan Kealy and Nate Tasker scored pins for the Rams to close the deficit to 30-18.  At 138, Williamsport scored a win by decision and led 33-18 with four bouts remaining.  It would be their final win of the match.

Jake Sweitzer would win by decision and Jace Guy would receive a forfeit to make the score 33-27 with two bouts remaining.  At 160, junior Declan McCann scored a big pin for the Rams to tie the score at 33 with only the bout at 170 remaining to determine the winner of the dual meet.  Freshman Hunter took the mat in the final bout with everything riding on his shoulders.  That's a lot of pressure on a young man but he wrestled tough with poise and came away with a 3-1 victory to clinch the match for the Rams 36-33.

For all the marbles

In the final match of the tournament, Southern faced Eastern View, VA who has wrestled for the championship of the tournament three of the past four years.  The Rams score pins at each of the first for weights to take a 24-0 lead.  Eastern View won the next four bouts to close the gap to 24-19 but the Rams scored pins by Evan Paugh at 138 and Jake Sweitzer at 145 to stretch the lead to 36-19.  The bout at 152 featured two of the best wrestlers in the entire tournament going head to head.  Senior Jace Guy faced off against Drew Shurina in great match that ended with Shurina squeaking by with a 10-8 victory, handing Guy his only loss of the season.  At 170, Hunter Sanders picked up another big win for Southern to clinch the match victory and the tournament championship for the Rams.

The Southern Rams are now 17-0 on the season and are off until December 29 when Oakdale and Century come to town for a tri match.

Team Results

Southern 84 - Clarke Co. VA 0
Southern 39 - Riverbend VA 32
Southern 81 - Jefferson 0
Southern 60 - Spring Mills WV 16
Southern 60 - Musselman WV 21
Southern 41 - Linganore MD 34
Southern 36 - Williamsport MD 33
Southern 42 - Eastern View VA 31

Individual Results

7-1 - Jake Sweitzer (145) - 4 pins
7-1 - Jace Guy (152) - 6 pins
7-1 - Hunter Sanders (170) - 4 pins
7-1 - Hunter Park (220) - 5 pins
6-2 - Colum McCann (120) - 5 pins
6-2 - Brogan Kealy (126) - 4 pins
6-2 - Declan McCann (160) - 5 pins
6-2 - Cole Sweitzer (285) - 2 pins
5-3 - Aiden Schwab (113) - 2 pins
5-3 - Cameron Glover (195) - 1 pin
4-4 - Jeremiah Mellinger (106) - 3 pins
4-4 - Nate Tasker (132) - 4 pins
Elisha Skipper 3 wins, Nathan Sweitzer 2 wins, Evan Paugh 1 win.

On Track

Southern at Brunswick in front of the student body

The Southern Rams hit the road Tuesday afternoon for a daytime contest at Brunswick High School against the home standing Railroaders.  The bleachers were filled with an excited student body who was ready for some action on the mat.  The Rams, coming off the big tournament victory last weekend, were ready to put on a show.

Brogan Kealy got things started with a pin

The match started at 126 where sophomore Brogan Kealy got the Rams on the scoreboard first with a second period pin.  After a forfeit at 132, sophomore Elisha Skipper scored another pin for the Rams to bring the team score to 18-0.

Elisha Skipper followed up with another pin

Brunswick forfeited again at 145 and Southern followed up with three straight first period falls by Jace Guy, Declan McCann and Hunter Sanders to extend the Rams' lead to 42-0.  Up next were Brunswick's two top wrestlers.  They were both able to earn wins for the home crowd to make the score 42-7 going into the upper weight classes.

Senior Hunter Park remained undefeated on the season by winning by fall at 220 and senior Cole Sweitzer remained unbeaten after being awarded a forfeit at 285.  The Rams led 54-7 going into the light weights.

Declan McCann [ins in the first period

Freshman Jeremiah Mellinger scored a quick pin at 106 and Brunswick forfeited the final two weight classes to bring the final team score to 72-7 in favor of the visiting Southern Rams.

Southern travels to Musselman High School this weekend to defend the championship title after winning this tournament each of the last two years.  Wrestling begins at 4pm on Friday.

Southern 72 - Brunswick 7

106 - Jeremiah Mellinger (SG) pins Jordan Herbert (B) 1:04
113 - Aiden Schwab (SG) via Forfeit
120 - Colum McCann (SG) via Forfeit
126 - Brogan Kealy (SG) pins Ethan Grossnickle (B) 3:01
132 - Nate Tasker (SG) via Forfeit
138 - Elisha Skipper (SG) pins Max Bucynski (B) 1:24
145 - Jake Sweitzer (SG) via Forfeit
152 - Jace Guy (SG) pins Anthony Pecora (B) 1:37
160 - Declan McCann (SG) pins Eston Conner (B) 1:59
170 - Hunter Sanders (SG) pins Jacob Henderson (B) 1:59
182 - Shane Cockerham (B) m dec Brayden Warnick (SG) 11-2
195 - Brady Kerns (B) dec Cameron Glover (SG) 7-5
220 - Hunter Park (SG) pins Anje (B) 1:13
285 - Cole Sweitzer (SG) via Forfeit

Grinstone Champs!

The Southern Rams entered this weekend's Grindstone Duals wrestling tournament with a score to settle.  Last season, we dropped two close matches to finish the tournament in second place.  The losses were to perennially tough Owings Mills and Winters Mill, both 2A schools with long histories of state championship success.  This date was circled on our schedule early as a focal point to gauge our standing in the hierarchy of wrestling in the state of Maryland.

The first match on Friday evening was against Broadneck High School.  The match started at 106 and the Rams started winning early and never looked back.  The top bout of this dual was a sudden death victory for Hunter Park over Broadneck's team captain and top wrestler.  Southern won the match 64-8 for the first win of the tournament.

Next up for the Rams was cross county rival Northern Garrett.  This match started at 113 with the big match up between Southern freshman Aiden Schwab and Northern's Shane Fink.  Schwab got the upper hand in this match to score the first points for his team.  The Rams kept winning and pinning and ended up with a 50-17 victory over the Huskies to move to 2-0 for the tournament.

In the third round, we were finally facing Owings Mills.  They featured two returning state champions and six wrestlers who are ranked in the official state rankings.  Sophomore Brogan Kealy squared off against state champ Alex Dufour.  Kealy wrestled a tough six minutes and dropped an 8-3 decision.  Jake Sweitzer drew the other state champ and also battled his opponent for nearly six hard minutes.  In the end, the Southern wrestlers won 8 of 14 bouts to score a decisive 45-27 victory over Owings Mills to end Friday night's action at 3-0.

On Saturday morning, our first match was against the team from the Maryland School of the Deaf who were depleted by sickness and injury.  Southern received several forfeits and scored three pins on the way to a 72-12 win.

In round five, Winters Mill only wrestled a few of their starters and Southern dominated the match from beginning to end to score a 63-15 victory to bring the tournament record to 5-0.  The win set up the showdown with Leonardtown with their own set of state champions and state ranked wrestlers.

The battle for the tournament championship was tight throughout and was filled with exciting matches and tough wrestling.  The two top bouts were at 126 and 152 with some of the top wrestlers in the state going head to head.  At 126, sophomore Brogan Kealy drew his second state champ of the weekend and again wrestled a tough six minutes.  In the end, Vosburgh won a brutal 12-9 decision but Kealy earned his place as a state contender this season.  At 152, senior Jace Guy fell behind early and battled back for the win against Trevor Crowley who was ranked 5th in the state.  In the end, the Rams came out on top 39-36 to come one step closer to the tournament championship.

In the final match of the weekend, the Rams dominated Westminster 57-24 to claim the Grindstone Tournament championship.

Individual Results
7-0 - Cole Sweitzer - 285 - (6 pins)
7-0 - Jace Guy - 152 - (4 pins)
7-0 - Hunter Park - 220 - (4 pins)
7-0 - Aiden Schwab - 113 -  (2 pins)
6-1 - Colum McCann - 120 -(5 pins)
6-1 - Jake Sweitzer - 145 - (3 pins)
5-2 - Cameron Glover - 195 - (4 pins)
5-2 - Brogan Kealy - 126 - (2 pins)
5-2 - Declan McCann - 160 - (2 pins)
5-2 - Hunter Sanders - 170 - (3 pins)
5-2 - Nate Tasker - 132 - (2 pins)
3-4 - Jeremiah Mellinger - 106 - (2 pins)
1-6 - Elisha Skipper - 138 - (1 pin)
1-6 - Nathan Sweitzer - 182 - (1 pin)

Team Scores
Southern 64 - Broadneck 8
Southern 50 - Northern 17
Southern 45 - Owings Mills 27
Southern 72 - Maryland School of the Deaf 12
Southern 63 - Winters Mill 15
Southern 39 - Leonardtown 36
Southern 57 - Westminster 24

A Perfect Start

Junior Jake Sweitzer working for a pin

The Southern Rams opened the season last evening with an 84-0 perfect match against the visiting Campers from Allegany High School in Cumberland.  Our wrestlers were excited to get started with the defense of our state championship and if last night was any indication, we are ready.

Freshman Jeremiah Mellinger with his first high school pin

The Campers had a number of holes in the line up and had a couple wrestlers on the bench who were unable to compete on opening night.   With only 5 wrestlers competing, the final outcome was predetermined, but there was still plenty of excitement under the spotlight.

The match started at 106 with freshman, Jeremiah Mellinger, making his Southern High School wrestling debut.  Mellinger made the best of the opportunity, pinning his opponent in only 55 seconds.  The Rams received forfeits in the next 5 bouts and the team score was quickly 36-0.

Senior Jace Guy in control

Allegany had contestants competing in the next three weight classes.  At 145, junior state place-winner Jake W Sweitzer dominated his opponent, building an 11-0 lead before scoring the fall at 2:51.  Senior Jace Guy flowed that with his 78th career pin late in the first period.  Junior Declan McCann continued our pinning ways with a first period fall of his own.

Junior Declan McCann just before winning by fall

After three more forfeits, senior state place-winner Hunter Park took the mat at 220 in a match that only lasted 18 seconds.  Senior Cole Sweitzer finished things up by receiving a forfeit at 285 to bring the final team score to 84-0 in favor of the Southern Rams.

The Rams are right back after it today as we travel to Winters Mill High School in Westminster, MD to compete in the Grindstone Duals.  Wrestling begins at 4pm.

106 - Jeremiah Mellinger (SG) pins Jared Kelly (A) :55
113 - Aiden Schwab (SG via forfeit
120 - Colum McCann (SG) via forfeit
126 - Brogan Kealy (SG) via forfeit
132 - Nate Tasker (SG) via forfeit
138 - Elisha Skipper (SG) via forfeit
145 - Jake Sweitzer (SG) pins Tyler Dunmeyer (A) 2:51
152 - Jace Guy (SG) pins Caden Weaver (A) 1:46
160 - Declan McCann (SG) pins Tyler Murphy (A) :52
170 - Hunter Sanders (SG) via forfeit
182 - Nathan Sweitzer (SG) via forfeit
195 - Cameron Glover (SG) via forfeit
220 - Hunter Park (SG) pins Kaiden Baker (A) :18
285 - Cole Sweitzer (SG) via forfeit

2018/2019 Season Preview

When our Southern Rams hit the mat on Thursday night against the Allegany Campers, we will begin our quest for our 2nd straight state championship and the 5th in school history.  Our team is missing some big names from last year's squad, but our returning starters, returning JV wrestlers and all the newcomers are ready to fill their shoes and help the team reach the ultimate goal.  Our focus this year is #StriveforFive and the boys have been working hard in the practice room, getting ready to chase that dream.

The Lower Weights - 106/126

This group of Ram wrestlers is anchored by returning state qualifier Joey McComas and regional qualifiers Colum McCann and Brogan Kealy.  Joining this bunch are freshmen Jeremiah Mellinger, Aiden Schwab, Skyler Glotfelty and Brian Davis, sophomore McGuyver Dewitt and juniors Tyler Landis and Zane Jones.  This talented group of young athletes has extensive experience and will undoubtedly "get the ball rolling" for our team.

The Lower Middle Weights - 132/152

Leading this part of our lineup are returning state place -winners Jake W. Sweitzer and Jace Guy.  Joining Jake and Jace are state qualifier Nate Tasker, seniors Evan Paugh and Michael Moon, juniors Kyle Horvath and Sam Robinette, sophomores Elisha Skipper and Elisemarie Bittinger and freshmen Jaxsen Tasker and Zach Schoch.  Now the ball is really rolling and picking up momentum.

The Upper Middle Weights - 160/182

Returning starter, Junior Declan McCann, anchors this part of our line up.  Joining Declan is Senior Nathan Sweitzer, juniors Brayden Warnick and Cole Baker, sophomore Justin Richter, and freshman Hunter Sanders.  These hard working boys will continue to score points for our team, and in many cases, put the match out of reach for the Rams.

The Big Boys - 195/285

Senior co-captains Hunter Park and Cole Sweitzer are the leaders of the top part of the line up.  Cole and Hunter are joined by junior Trenton Tasker, sophomore Chris Mersing and freshmen Cameron Glover, Colin Shreve and Dylan Thornburg.  The big men will continue what the lower weights started and will lead the Southern Rams to many victories this season.

Flying High

The match against Winters Mill was on Cole Sweitzer's shoulders and he delivered!

The Southern Rams are flying high, beating the Winters Mill Falcons and the Urbana Hawks in back to back matches on Saturday afternoon and Monday evening last week.  Add in a 60-12 win against Perryville and the Rams had a 30-3 record heading into the final dual meet of the season.  The Mountain Ridge Miners came to town on Thursday evening with the winner earning the distinction of hosting the 1A West Regional Dual meet tournament.

The contest against Winters Mill was a re-match from an early season tournament meeting.  The Falcons came out on top back in December, but that Rams had their sights set on winning the January contest.  The match started at 106 and Winters Mill took an early 6-0 lead.  Southern dropped each of the next three bouts and suddenly, the Rams were down 22-0.  Three pins and a decision later and Southern was back in it, trailing by a single point.

The Falcons scored two more pins at 160 and 170 and took a 34-21 lead with only four bouts remaining.  The Rams came storming back again with big wins by Joe Embleton, Kris Tusing and Hunter Park.  The score was 36-33 in favor of the Southern Rams with only the heavyweight bout remaining.  Our big Cole Sweitzer took advantage of his size difference and quickly threw his opponent to his back and scored the decisive pin.  The final score was Southern 42 - Winters Mill 33.

Southern 42 - Winters Mill 33

106: Garrett Dell (WM) win by FFT
113: Hunter Merson (WM) major-decision Brogan Kealy (SG) 13-4
120: Logan Konold (WM) fall Joey McComas (SG) 1:29
126: Zach Kirby (WM) fall Evan Paugh (SG) 3:03
132: Jake E. Sweitzer (SG) decision Colby Unkart (WM) 6-3
138: Nate Tasker (SG) fall Isaac Ousley (WM) 1:28
145: Jake W. Sweitzer (SG) fall Justin Toney (WM) 2:26
152: Jace Guy (SG) fall Josh Burndley (WM) 5:09
160: Troy Blessing (WM) fall Declan McCann (SG) :27
170: Trevor Fawley (WM) fall Alec Horner (SG) 1:35
182: Joey Embleton (SG) win by FFT
195: Kris Tusing (SG) fall Noah Ocasio (WM) 1:59
220: Hunter Park (SG) decision Alex Miller (WM) 8-3
285: Cole Sweitzer (SG) fall Blake Billings (WM) :50

In the match against Perryville, the Rams won 11 of 14 bouts, cruising to a 60-12 victory.  Winning by pin for the Rams against Perryville were Brogan Kealy, Jace Guy and Hunter Park.

Hunter Park with a pin vs Perryville

Southern 60 - Perryville 12

106 - Josh Barnett (P) via forfeit

113 - Brogan Kealy (SG) pinned Nickolas Weatherington (P) 4:44

120 - Jeff Leonard (P) dec Joey McComas (SG) 7-2

126 - Jake E. Sweitzer (SG) via forfeit

132 - Nate Tasker (SG) via forfeit

138 - Jake W. Sweitzer (SG) dec Hunter Zacerous (P) 4-3

145 - Jace Guy (SG) pinned Adam Campbell (P) :52

152 - Jarrett Hunter (P) dec Brad Davis (SG) 8-5

160 - Alec Horner (SG) via forfeit

170 - Joe Embleton (SG) via forfeit

182 - Kris Tusing (SG) via forfeit

195 - Nathan Sweitzer (SG) via forfeit

220 - Hunter Park (SG) pinned Leslie Patterson (P) 3:08

285 - Cole Sweitzer (SG) dec Steven Thomas (P) 4-2

On Monday, Southern took another long bus ride, this time to Urbana High School to take on the Hawks.  Last season, the Rams won the match in a close battle and this season's event was set up to be the same.  The match started at 138 and Urbana took an early 3-0 lead by winning a decision in the first bout of the evening.  Jake W. Sweitzer and Jace Guy each score pins in the next two bouts to put the Rams on top 12-3 but the Hawks scored pins of their own at 160 and 170 to retake the lead 15-12.

At 182, senior Joe Embleton scored a dominating 8-0 major decision against a state ranked wrestler to put Southern back in front.  That lead would last only 17 seconds as another of Urbana's state ranked wrestlers won by fall to bring the score to 22-21 in the Hawks favor.  At 220, junior Hunter Park took control of the match in the second period, turned his opponent and scored the pin half way through the bout.  Urbana forfeited at 285 and Southern enjoyed a 28-21 lead heading into the final five bouts.

Jace Guy pins again!

Urbana won by decision at 106, Southern won by decision at 113 and Urbana won by decision at 120 in three tightly contested bouts.  The team score stood at 31-27 with two bouts remaining.  Southern would be forfeiting 132, so the match came down to the bout at 126.  Southern's senior co-captain and winner of over 120 career matches took the mat for the Rams, looking to clinch it for his team.  The Urbana wrestler took and early 2-0 lead and then made it a 5-0 lead in the second period.  Suddenly, Sweitzer came out from the bottom, scored a reversal and threw in a half.  He would not be denied and drove that half nelson with all his might until the Urbana wrestler was on his back and all the Southern fans waited for the pin.  At the 3;12 mark of the match, the referee slapped the mat and the Rams came out on top of another epic battle against the Urbana Hawks.

Southern 37 - Urbana 33

138 - Ryan Gilligan (U) dec. Nate Tasker (SG) ; 4-1
145 - Jake W. Sweitzer (SG) pinned Jakob Arneson (U), 3:48
152 - Jace Guy (SG) pinned Parker Liposky (U), 1:33
160 - Shane Acton (U) pinned Alec Horner (SG), 2:53
170 - Jake Nielson (U) pinned Blade Sharpless (SG), 1:51
182 - Joe Embleton (SG) maj. dec. Mason Newton (U) ; 8-0
195 - Kevin Makosy (U) pinned Nathan Sweitzer (SG), 0:17
220 - Hunter Park (SG) pinned Anthony Schifano (U), 3:40
285 - Cole Sweitzer (SG) won by forfeit (U)
106 - Anya Knappenberger (U) dec. Colum McCann (SG) ; 8-4
113 - Brogan Kealy (SG) dec. Collin Acton (U) ; 8-4
120 - Austin Rohn (U) dec. Joey McComas (SG) ; 5-2
126 - Jake E. Sweitzer (SG) pinned Jon Song (U), 3:13
132 - Cody Swigart (U) won by forfeit (SG)

Senior Celebration

Our Amazing Seniors and their families

Our 9 seniors were honored on Thursday evening before our match with Mt. Ridge.  Here are the write-ups for each amazing senior.

Joe Embleton is the son of Joe and Lita Embleton of Oakland.  Joe has been a 4 year starter on the wrestling team and has earned 115 career wins.  His record this season is 32-1 and placed 5th a the state wrestling tournament last season.  Joe was also a 4 year member of the football team, a 4 year member of the tennis team and placed second in the state as a member of the Southern Garrett Bass Slayers fishing team.  After graduation, Joe plans to attend college and continue his wrestling career and pursue a degree in Criminal Justice.

Joe Embleton and with his mother & sister

Alec Horner is the son of Donnie and Tracey Horner of Oakland.  Alec is a 4 year member of the wrestling team and has earned 73 career wins.  He was also a regional and state qualifier last season.  Alec has also been on the football, track, tennis and cross-country teams while at Southern.  After graduation, Alec plans to attend Garrett College and then transfer to a 4 years school to pursue a career in Marine Biology.

Alec Horner and his mom and dad

Jake E. Sweitzer is the son of Gary Sweitzer and Wendy Miller.  Jacob is a 4 year starter on the wrestling team and has earned 125 career wins.  His record this season is 31-2.  Jacob was also a 4 year member of the football team.  After graduation, Jacob will continue his career as a member of the very first Garrett College Laker wrestling team.  While at Garrett College, Jacob will study Wildlife and Fisheries to obtain a career with the Department of Natural Resources.

Jacob E Sweitzer with his mother and father

Bradley Davis is the son of Matthew and Sherry Davis of Oakland.  This is Brad's 3rd year on the wrestling team and has earned 13 varsity wins  He is also a 4 year member of the football team.  After graduation, Brad plans to attend Frostburg State University to study Criminal Justice and pursue a career with the Department of Natural Resources.

Bradley Davis with mom and dad

Kris Tusing is the son of Jack and Tammy Tusing of Oakland.  This is Kris's first year on the wrestling team and has won 14 varsity matches.  He is also a 4 year member of the bowling team and 3 year member of the football and baseball teams.  After graduation, Kris plans to go to college with an undecided major at this time.

Kris Tusing escorted by his mother

Quinn Iden is the son of Greg and Julie Iden of Oakland.  This is Quinn's first year on the wrestling team.  Quinn was also a 4 year member of the soccer team and a 4 year member of the track team.  After graduation, Quinn will attend Frostburg State University to study Wildlife and Fisheries.

Quinn Iden and family

Scotty Tichnell is the son of Jeannie and Rusty Tichnell of Kitzmiller.  This is Scotty's third year as a member of the wrestling team, has earned 34 career wins and was a regional qualifier last season.  Scotty was also a 4 year member of the football team.  After graduation, Scotty plans to attend Garrett College and study in the Outdoor Adventure Sports program.

Scotty Tichnell with his mother

Eli Ward is the son of Chuck and Shelby Ward of Oakland.  This is Eli's first year on the wrestling team.  Eli was also a 4 year member of the football team.  After graduation, Eli plans to attend Garrett College and pursue a career with the Department of Natural Resources.

Eli Ward and family

Mikey Greene is the son of Joanne Roberts and Mike Greene of Swanton.  This is Mikey's third year on the wrestling team.  Mikey was also a 4 year member of the soccer and cross-country teams and a 2 year member of the track team.  Mikey is also a member of the National Honor Society and a proud member of the SAT 1200 club.  After graduation, Mikey plans to attend Frostburg State University to pursue a career in Cyber Security.

Mikey Greene with his mom and dad

Senior Night Showdown

Junior Nate Tasker earned career win #100

On Thursday evening, the 11-2 Mountain Ridge Miners visited the 12-1 Southern Rams for the final regular season dual meet.  The winning team would earn the #1 seed in the 1A West Dual Meet Championships and would earn the right to be the host for the Regional Duals on Wednesday evening, February 7th.  The gym was packed with excited fans looking to witness a great wrestling match and they were not disappointed.

Our amazing seniors and their parents honored prior to the big match

After our annual Senior Night festivities and the presentation of plaques for our 100 career winners, the match was set to begin.  Wrestling started in the 138 pound weight class and featured two state ranked wrestlers.  Camren Ritchey from Mt Ridge is currently ranked 6th in the state and he was in search of his 100th career win.  He faced off against sophomore Jake W. Sweitzer who is currently ranked 18th in the state.  After a scoreless first period, Sweitzer took the lead in the second with an escape but gave up a takedown late in the period to go down 2-1 heading into the final period.  Ritchey was able to escape and fight off Sweitzer's attacks to win the match by a decision, giving the Miners an early 3-0 lead.

Senior Bradley Davis wins by major decision

Jace Guy took the mat at 145 for the Rams and was a winner by pin.  Senior Brad Davis won by major decision at 152 and the Rams had a 10-3 lead.  Mt Ridge won by major decision at 160 and senior Joe Embleton won a decision at 170 and the Rams had a slight 13-7 lead heading into the upper weights.

Senior Alec Horner in a battle against Mt Ridge

Senior Kris Tusing fought a great battle at 182 against one of the Miners top wrestlers.  Tusing kept it close and fought hard before giving up a quick pin with only seconds remaining in the match.  Southern's Hunter Park scored a fall at 195 which set the stage for Trenton Tasker's first ever varsity match at 220.

Trenton Tasker with his first varsity win in a pressure packed situation

The 10th grade Tasker has worked all season to drop 50 pounds to make 220 and he took the mat looking to score a win for his team.  The match was close throughout and as the clock was ticking down, the crowd was going wild as Tasker was able to hold on the a 6-4 advantage to win the decision for Southern.

Senior Joe Embleton with another big win for his team

At 285, Southern's Cole Sweitzer won by fall and the Rams led 28-13 with 5 bouts remaining.  The Miners won at 106 and 120 but Southern scored wins with Brogan Kealy at 113, Jake E. Sweitzer at 126 and Nate Tasker at 132 to close out the 44-24 victory for the Southern Rams.  For the second match in a row, senior Jake E. Sweitzer took the mat with the ability to clinch the victory for his team by winning his bout and for the second match in a row, he came through with a big pin for the Rams.  The win by Nate Tasker in the final match of the evening was his 100th career win and he joined the exclusive club of outstanding wrestlers who have come before him.

Jake E Sweitzer squares off with the match on the line

Southern 44 - Mt Ridge 24

138 - Camren Ritchey (MR) dec Jake W Sweitzer (SG) 5-1
145 - Jace Guy (SG) pinned Daimen Harold (MR) 2:38
152 - Bradley Davis (SG) m dec Chase Thomas (MR) 13-5
160 - Jay Miller (MR) m dec Alec Horner (SG) 13-2
170 - Joe Embleton (SG) dec Dustin MacDonald (MR) 6-0
182 - Marcus Folk (MR) pinned Kris Tusing (SG) 5:50
195 - Hunter Park (SG) pinned Luke Vinci (MR) 1:20
220 - Trenton Tasker (SG) dec Kenny Muir (MR) 6-4
285 - Cole Sweitzer (SG) pinned Nick Harden (MR) :44
106 - Jesse Fresh (MR) pinned Colum McCann (SG) 2:49
113 - Brogan Kealy (SG) m dec Jordan Kight (MR) 12-4
120 - Teddy Baker (MR) tech Joey McComas (SG) 16-0
126 - Jake E Sweitzer (SG) pinned Jacob Renotas (MR) :53
132 - Nate Tasker (SG) pinned Michael Warnick (MR) 1:22

The Southern Rams concluded the regular season with a record of 31-3 and a record of 13-1 in MPSSAA regional dual meet competition.  Southern will play host to the 1A West Dual Meet Championships on Wednesday the 7th with wrestling set to begin at 5:30pm.