Crofton wrestling stepped past Arundel’s once dominant advantage to lead by a single point after a 190-pound triumph. Then Pierce Read strapped on his headgear.
The Wildcats’ 215-pound junior trotted through a tunnel of teammates onto his home mat as the chorus of his teammates – “Pierce, Pierce, Pierce” – battled for audio supremacy against the empowered cries from the Cardinals’ side.
Any victory by Read would put Arundel back ahead, setting up the heavyweight bout to seal the overall victory.
“There’s always pressure when you’re getting on the mat,” he said. “But the second the whistle blows, it all goes away. It’s just you and the other guy. And you know what you can do.”
The Cardinals’ 215 entry, Val Patterson, struggled against Read as the Wildcat racked up points — takedowns and near-falls. But Read didn’t want any decision.
Then, Patterson made the mistake of pulling Read on top of him. The two scrambled; Read gripped the Cardinal’s right side. Just as Patterson lunged to escape, Read caught him by the neck. The 18-1 tech fall bumped Arundel by four points, pushed Arundel to its ultimate 40-33 win.
With one class left and a four-point deficit, Crofton needed bonus points to steal the win. Arundel heavyweight Manasseh Ojaomo understood he could take the easy route, simply prevent bonus points. Or, he could simply win.
Earlier in the winter, Arundel coach Rob Connolly could’ve placed Ojaomo at 190 or as a “light heavyweight.” After what Ojaomo did on Wednesday night the coach knew he made the right call.
“He has the heart of a lion and he showed it tonight,” Connolly said.
Anne Arundel wrestling has proven itself a deeply perilous county scene this winter, with underdogs dragging down state contenders on any given night. In scenarios like Wednesday’s, Connolly praised his upperclassmen for steering his team toward victory, no matter how difficult it became.
That included senior Luca Brown, who notched his 100th career win by a 16-1 tech fall at 144.
“He’s the kind of dream kid you only get so often,” Connolly said. “He has the work ethic that makes him one of the best wrestlers in the state.”
The Wildcats seemed ready to rout their budding rivals, as Tyler Tablada (106 pounds), Ricky Cox (120) and Cole Figueroa (138) all stacked pins in the lighter weights.
Ryan Eremita shifted the tide. From his raucously-celebrated pin at 157, Crofton rolled with Octovius Brown (25 seconds) and Chris Coleman (1:14) earning first-period pins.
Crofton’s LaDarian Roulac hunted his pin through multiple takedowns and near-falls. He slipped Arundel’s Lucas Bailey’s grip and stalked him around the mat until jerking his body flat down. Half his teammates and coaches screamed “Circle!” while the other half chanted his name. Roulac strained to twist his body over Bailey’s until he could spin around and pin.
Crofton’s headlights glared in Arundel’s rearview mirror. When Coleman earned the thump of the official’s fist and rose, the Cardinals passed the Wildcats.
The fact that Arundel did not falter then proved to Connolly that a playoff run is not so distant a dream.
“We got a murderer’s row of state champions and great programs in this county, but iron sharpens iron,” the coach said. “We’re gonna be battle-tested when it comes to March, because that’s when it matters, right?”
Arundel’s coed team has only suffered one loss so far: first-place Chesapeake.
“We’re heading up and up and up,” Read said, “and we’re gonna do big things.”
The brand new Arundel girls team seems to be aimed in a similar direction, defeating Crofton, 44-30.
On the other mat, the Wildcats traded six-point blows with the Cardinals by forfeits and pins through 140 pounds. Ava Quinlan (105) and Camille Rumeau (130) kept the Wildcats afloat via pin.
Crofton’s Isabella Coe snapped an 18-18 tie at 140, tallying her pin in 1:24. It did not faze 155-pound Dayanara Rico. The seasoned Arundel wrestler followed a Crofton forfeit by pinning her opponent in five seconds. Erin Wright followed with a fall at 170. Arundel did not look back.
“My teammates were getting it going before me,” Rico said. “I couldn’t continue momentum just for myself. It was for them.”
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