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Reservoir's Tim Schwartz pins defending Grapple at the Brook champion Michael Henning of Northwest in 1:52.
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By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

When Reservoir’s wresters were handed the Grapple at the Brook XI first place trophy Saturday, they immediately noticed the wrestling figurine on the top had broken off.

But after a couple gripes and before a tournament official walked out with tools to fix it, they carted off the trophy anyway. After all, it’s not like its Reservoir’s only trophy.

The Gators from Howard County defeated Sherwood by a resounding 47.5 points with a team score of 253.5 for their third tournament championship of the season. Host Springbrook finished 2.5 points behind Sherwood in third.

Reservoir, who are 15-0 this season in duals, also won the Tuscarora tournament and Churchill Bulldogs Duals.

“It’s still a trophy!” Reservoir 125-pounder Tim Schwartz said.

Schwartz was one of two champions for Reservoir out of five finalists. The Gators had 11 wrestlers place in the top four.

Schwartz defeated defending Grapple at the Brook champion Michael Henning of Northwest via fall at 1 minute, 52 seconds. Gators sophomore Mark Colabucci was the Gators’ other champion at 130, which may have been the tournament’s toughest weight class. He defeated Clarksburg’s Roja Stephenson, 6-4, after placing second here last season.

Across the board, Reservoir is having a breakout season following a disappointing year. The Gators went 16-5 last season and failed to qualify for the 4A/3A regional duals.

This was Reservoir’s third season wrestling at Grapple at the Brook. Previously, the team never finished higher than fifth and never had more than two wrestlers in the finals.

“It’s one of those things where you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel and see the page turn,” Coach Ryan Kanaski said of the tournament victory. “It’s huge for the program.”

Danny Poore (119), Mike Mullens (152) and Tyler Breitschwerdt (189) were Reservoir’s other finalists. Mullens took his first loss of the year to Sherwood’s Josh Lowy and the three of them lost their finals matches by a combined seven points.

Reservoir has already defeated rival Hammond and defending 2A/1A state champion Glenelg this season. Stephen Decatur is next as the defending state 4A/3A duals champions travel to the Gators’ gym.

“Coming into the season I think we were all pretty excited about our opportunity,” Schwartz said. “We thought we were going to be pretty solid, but we definitely didn’t expect to be undefeated.”


SHERWOOD HAS THREE CHAMPS

The Warriors had the most champions in the tournament and each had a good story.

Josh Lowy won at 152 in what may have been the most hotly contested finals match of the tournament, Steven Gamble won his third Grapple at the Brook championship at 160 and in perhaps the shocker of the day, sixth-seeded James Kerrick took home the 119-pound title.

Kerrick didn’t know his record last year but it was bad enough that he didn’t even get to wrestle at counties when snow forced the Montgomery County tournament to be shortened to one day. His match was cancelled.

But after dedicating himself to wrestling before his senior year, and thereby gaining more confidence in himself, Kerrick emerged with his first-ever tournament title.

Kerrick defeated Reservoir’s Danny Poore, who entered with just two losses on the season, 6-4 in the championship match.

“I was just thinking, ‘Maybe I can place in this tournament.’ Yeah, I’m totally surprised,” Kerrick said. “I had a lot of regrets from last season. I’ve always had a lack of confidence. I’ve always walked out onto the mat thinking I’m going to lose. I told myself today, ‘Who cares, you’ve got the ability to be up there with the big boys.’”

Despite winning his third Grapple at the Brook championship with an injury default from Smithsburg’s Alex Akers, Gamble was still stinging from a loss he took in the finals of the tournament four years ago as a freshman to Whitman’s Brian Flores.

It is still the only Montgomery County loss Gamble has ever suffered and he still remembers the score, 7-4, and as he says it, that there were a few bad calls.

“I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t get it a fourth time with my freshman year when I lost to Brian Flores,” Gamble said. “But it’s fun to win it three times in a row.”

Gamble said the only way to totally get over that loss would be to win the Montgomery County championships four years straight. After all, Gamble beat Flores in the Montgomery County finals his freshman year.

Lowy continued his stellar wrestling this season by controlling a previously unbeaten wrestler, Mike Mullins of Reservoir. The younger brother of three-time state champion Andy Lowy, Josh is getting to the level that more and more people are starting to compare the two brothers.

But while Josh seems flattered, and says only positive things come out of his sibling relationship, he is doing his own thing. And like it was for Andy, that means remaining focused on a possible state title.

“I never think about it. I just set my own goals and shoot for those,” Lowy said. “It’s just another step towards the end of the season.”


SPRINGBROOK IS OUTSTANDING

Springbrook certainly made a big impact in its own tournament, emphasis on big.

Springbrook 171-pounder Nadijitade Badje was awarded the Outstanding Wrestler award after pinning Smithsburg’s Jeb Slick in three minutes, 16 seconds. It is Badje’s second Grapple at the Brook championship.

“All I’m thinking about is winning,” Badje said. “This is my last year. We have the names in our wrestling room. When you win something your name goes up there. So all I’m trying to do is put my name up there.”

Blue Devils heavyweight Gerrad Brown took home the title with an 8-6 win over Sherwood’s Andrew Midgette after placing fifth here a year ago. It is his second tournament victory this year after also capturing the Smithsburg championship. Before this year, Brown never won anything.

“Last year I wasn’t as tough as I am this year,” Brown said. “I get to bring a medal home. Just to be able to get first place in anything is awesome.”


ONYEKWELI SURVIVES CRAZY 103

Eleanor Roosevelt freshman Tito Onyekweli may have been the only person in the gym that thought he would win the 103-pound Grapple at the Brook championship.

Onyekweli was a No. 4 seed entering the tournament but didn’t even have to face the tournament’s top two seeds. Top-seeded Monica Hovermale of Smithsburg lost her first match Friday night and second seed Josh Knox of Reservoir lost his first match of the season to Clarksburg’s Mac Raum in overtime in the semifinals.

Onyekweli handled Raum in the finals, 12-4. But for Onyekweki, who has been wrestling for six years, coming out on top of the jumbled heap was expected.

“I worked hard,” Onyekweli said. “It pays off.”


ATHOLTON’S BECK AND STEINEL WIN

Since Kevin Beck won last year’s 103-pound 2A/1A state title, he’s been yearning for nothing more than to be a two-time champion.

Well he’s not a two-time state champion yet, but for the first time in his varsity wrestling career he is a two-time champion of something. Beck dominated the 112-pound Grapple at the Brook competition for the second straight year.

“It’s a pretty good landmark for me,” Beck said. “I can say I’m a two-time something now.”

Beck (15-0) used a beautiful fireman’s roll in a 9-0 win over Cape Henlopen’s (Del.) Chris Young in the finals. Before that he won by technical fall, 15-0, in the semifinals and by fall in 49 seconds in his first match.

The Raiders also got a championship from 145-pound senior Bruce Steinel, who last won a tournament as a sophomore. Steinel (14-2) tore ligaments in his left shoulder and sat out most of last season.

He sat out from the middle of December last year until May and still hasn’t gotten his endurance all the way back up, he said. Despite being exhausted from the end of the first period on, Steinel went on for an 11-7 finals win over Chris Williams of Cape Henlopen.

“It’s huge for me, big for my confidence,” Steinel said.


CLARKSBURG’S WILLIAMSON BREAKING OUT

It was Clarksburg junior Chris Williamson’s third time at the Grapple at the Brook and he had never placed. He won two matches his freshman and sophomore year.

But as Williamson said, “this is kind of my breakout year.”

Williamson battled from behind with a takedown in the final 20 seconds of his finals match and then won in overtime over Sherwood’s Tyler Tockman for the 135-pound tournament title. Tockman immediately shot at the start of overtime and Williamson easily spun around him for the win.

“I earned it this year,” Williamson said. “I’ve been working hard over the summer and in the season. I hate losing.


LUCKETT CONTINUES TO IMPRESS

Northwest senior Tyler Luckett won his second tournament of the year over the same opponent, Sarantos Tripoulas of Wheaton.

Luckett, who won when Tripoulas pinned himself at the Mad Mats Tournament, defeated Tripoulas 7-2 this time around. It continues his turnaround season. Last year Luckett lost his first two matches at the Grapple at the Brook and was done.

“Overnight it just hit me and I was tired of just being okay,” Luckett said. “I’ve been working hard in practice and taking wrestling more seriously. Not goofing off and being more confident. It’s going on the mat and thinking, ‘Nobody can beat me.’”


SMITHSBURG’S SCOTT TAKES TITLE

Smithsburg's Tyler Scott had already won one tournament this year, but the Grapple at the Brook 189-pound title left him with a broad, sweaty smile.

“This one is definitely a lot harder than the Kent County tournament,” Scott said.

Scott (19-2) was given quite a challenge from Reservoir’s Tyler Breitschwerdt, who also had lost only two matches this season. But the Smithsburg senior held on for a 4-2 finals victory.

Prior to this season, Scott had finished second at this tournament, third at Smithsburg, third at Parkville and second at the regional tournament.

He has since put on 15 to 20 pounds of muscle and improved his work ethic in the room. He won one match and lost two in the 2A/1A state tournament last year and has his sights set on a top-four finish this season.

“It was pretty disappointing and I’m trying to fix that this year,” said Scott, who has done well this season fixing his other second place finishes.


TEAM SCORES

1.    Reservoir – 253.5
2.    Sherwood – 206
3.    Springbrook – 203.5
4.    Cape Henlopen (Del.) – 156
5.    Smithsburg – 134
6.    Clarksburg – 119
7.    Paint Branch – 107
8.    Northwest – 98.5
9.    Eleanor Roosevelt – 92
10.    Atholton – 89.5
11.    Watkins Mill – 60
12.    Wheaton – 43
13.    Montgomery Blair – 33
14.    Gaithersburg – 29.5
15.    Frederick – 21


CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

103 – Tito Onyekweli (ELR) maj.dec Mac Raum (CLB), 12-4
112 – Kevin Beck (ATH) maj.dec Chris Young (CHH), 9-0
119 – James Kerrick (SHE) dec Danny Poore (RES), 6-4
125 – Tim Schwartz (RES) fall Michael Henning (NWM), 1:52
130 – Mark Colabucci (RES) dec Roja Stephenson (CLB), 6-4
135 – Chris Williamson (CLB) dec Tyler Tockman (SHE), 7-5 OT
140 – Tyler Luckett (NWM) dec Sarantos Tripoulas (WHE), 7-2
145 – Bruce Steinel (ATH) dec Chris Williams (CHH), 11-7
152 – Josh Lowy (SHE) dec Mike Mullens (RES), 7-3
160 – Steven Gamble (SHE) inj.dflt Alex Akers (SMI)
171 – Nadjitade Badje (SPR) fall Jeb Slick (SMI), 3:16
189 – Tyler Scott (SMI) dec Tyler Breitschwerdt (RES), 4-2
215 – DJ Reed (CHH) dec Ian Banson (PBR), 2-1
285 – Gerrad Brown (SPR) dec Andrew Midgette (SHE), 8-6