FOUR ON THE FLOOR: (Clockwise) Logan Kirby, 12, Brian Kirby, 11, Cameron Kirby, 15, and Sean Kirby, 17, all wrestle. Sean and Cameron, the first to engage in the sport, compete for River Hill. Brian and Logan are in the Howard County Vipers of the youth leagues.
THE THINKER: Cameron Kirby (above) will enter his sophomore year at River Hill this fall as a returning Class 2A-1A state runner-up.
(See video interviews and highlights below)
When Cameron Kirby started wrestling at the age of 6 with the
Glenelg Gladiators' recreation league team, his practice partner wound up being a future and present River Hill High School teammate,
Scott Mantua.
"When my mom told my younger brothers, they started and they enjoyed it.Then Sean got onto the
Centennial Eagles' wrestling team, and he started to enjoy it," said Cameron Kirby, 15.
"Of course, there's always a rivalry. We wrestle on a mat in our basement," Cameron Kirby said. "They all have potential to become state champs when they get to high school. I just want to see how they improve throughout the years."
The four brothers were all trying to do just that on Tuesday at
River Hill High, as they attended the second of five days they're spending along with more than 50 other boys at Hawks' coach Brandon Lauer's Next Level Wrestling Camp.
Among those present at the camp were the White twins, Zach and Tyler, who are two-time state placewinners from Walkresville High of Frederick County. They'll be back as seniors next year in the middleweight ranges at 140-to-152 pounds.
Sean Kirby, 17, the eldest of the brothers, said Cameron "dragged the other two [brothers] into it," adding, "I didn't start wrestling until sixth grade, just because I was the only one not wrestling. I was like, 'alright, I'll give it a shot.'"
"I got involved because I was jealous of my brother because he was having so much competition and so much fun," said Logan Kirby, 12. "I joined the same [junior league] team, and I wasn't the best my first year. But I was O.K."
Brian Kirby, now 11, said that he was similarly attracted to the sport soon after his siblings.
"When Logan and Cameron were on the Centennial Eagles, it seemed like they were having fun. So I wanted to do it too, and I got interested and started wrestling," said Brian Kirby, who is entering his sixth year in the sport and who competes, with Logan, on the Howard County Vipers' squad.
"In recreation leagues, I've won two county championships," said Brian Kirby. "But I haven't placed in the travel counties yet."
That won't likely be long for Brian Kirby, who, like Logan, endured some difficult times in the sport before they begin to come into their own.
"I started to feel the competition and I was forced to be better. When me and my brother, Brian, got lifted up to the Vipers, we got destroyed," said Logan Kirby. "But that was probably the best year of wrestling for us because we learned so much. It wasn't very fun, but it was good, learning-wise."
Since the early days, Logan Kirby has won three recreation league county championships, placed fifth at the regionals and third at the age-weight state tournament.
Sean Kirby will be a senior at River Hill, where, last year, he was third at the
Howard County High School Tournament, and fourth at the
Class 2A-1A South Regional Tournament.
Cameron, next year, will return to his sophomore year for the Hawks, this after having placed third in the Howard County Tournament, first at the Class 2A-1A South Regionals, and second at the
Class 2A-1A state tournament -- all at 103 pounds.
Cameron, 15, is likley to rise to 112 or 119 pounds next year, where his practice partener, yet again, will likely be the Hawks' Scott Mantua, a winner of
Class 4A-3A and Class 2A-1A state titles, respectively, at 103, and, 112 pounds.
"That's given me a whole bunch of motivation next year to be an actual state champ," said Cameron Kirby. "Just like Scott Mantua got his first state championship during his sophomore year."
Also present at Next Level was Howard County champion Nathan White of River Hill, a runner-up in past Class 4A-3A and Class 2A-1A state tournaments, will return next year as a senior at perhaps 140 or 145.
One of Sean Kirby's biggest moments of a year ago came when the 135-pounder upset the No. 1 seed in the regional quarterfinals on the way to qualifying for the Class 2A-1A state tournament, where he won two of four bouts.
"We're [River Hill] going to be good next year. Coach has high expectations, and hopefully, we're going to be able to live up to those expectations," said Sean Kirby, who then spoke about his siblings.
"We're [Kirbys] definitely going to leave a mark on the River Hill program. I mean, there's four of us," said Sean Kirby. "And from here on out, there's always going to be two of us in the program. So Brandon's going to be dealing with us for a long time."