The last few years have not been kind to C. Milton Wright wrestling. The Mustangs were in the same region as state-power Stephen Decatur and could just never get over that speedbump. When the regions were redone, the Mustangs found themselves in the same region as another traditional power, Sparrows Point.
This time, though, would be different.
The Mustangs used their advantage in the larger weights to defeat host Sparrows Point, 41-33, in the Class 2A North Region finals to claim their first regional title since 2020.
Sparrows Point advanced by defeating Hereford, 42-33, in the semifinals, while the Mustangs defeated Owings Mills, 45-27, in the other semifinal.
C. Milton Wright advances to Saturday’s 2A state dual meet semifinals at North Point High School in Waldorf. The Mustangs will face either Damascus or old rival Stephen Decatur, who have to wait to have a coin toss determine their seedings.
“It was a team victory for us. We think of this as an individual sport, but in a dual meet setting, everyone has a job to do,” C. Milton Wright coach John Thornton said. “You have guys that just go out there and not give up bonus points. That’s what won us this match.”
The Mustangs trailed 21-12 seven matches in, but then started to pick up wins. First, it was Jaxon Simms at 175 who defeated the Pointers’ Darren Barys with a pin 1:52 into their match to make it 21-18. The Mustangs took the lead at 190 pounds when Hayden Goscinski pinned Sparrows Point’s John Olusawan 1:05 into their match for a 24-21 advantage. After pins by Joel Tufts at 215 pounds and Josh Oshuwaga at 285, the Mustangs led 36-21.
Sparrows Point got wins by Wyatt Rossi at 106 and Brandon Wunder at 113 to cut the lead to 36-33 with one match remaining, but a Kane Desch 15-0 tech fall win at 120 pounds over Ryan Whisner gave the Mustangs the title.
“This feels great,” Goscinski said. “We put in the work and it finally paid off for us.”
For Sparrows Point, the loss was bittersweet.
“We gave it a great effort,” Pointers coach Mike Whisner said. “They got pins where we got wins. The total match score was 7-7; they got more pins than we did. Our guys fought hard. It just wasn’t our night.”
Looking forward to Saturday, Thornton likes his team’s chances.
“We don’t know who we’re wrestling, but we’ve already wrestled some of the teams which I think will be there,” he said. “I think we can be very competitive in that group.”
SEMIFINALS
Sparrows Point 42, Hereford 33
106 – Rossi (SP) p Cline, :5:26; 113 – Wunder (SP) p Sanchez, : 5:04; 120 – Whisner (SP) p Bennett, 5: 33; 126 – Dorsey (SP) p Feeney: 5:29; 132 – Burton (HER) p Shoo, :48; 138 – Weber (SP) p Hollander, 1:19; 144 – Gaylin (SP) d Walter, 4-3: 150 – Fary (SP) p Brosnan, 5:12; 157 – Cooper (SP) d Massengill, 9-7; 165 – Garbarino (HER) p McPhail, 1:27; 175 – Burton (HER) d Barys, 9-6; 190 – Baron (HER) p John, 3:42; 215 – Pribula (HER) p Anuszewski, :20; 285 – Keever (HER) p Dennison, 3:25.
C.M. Wright, 45, Owings Mills 27
106 – Downey (CM) p Tiskona, 3:35; 113 – Desch (CM) p Beck, 5:00; 120 – Baltisar (OM) d Lane, 10-7; 126 – Nguyen (CM) p Goode, 1:28; 132 – Doofere (OM) p Cox, 1:26: 138 – Roche (CM) d Morgan, 7-5; 144 – Peters (CM) p Morgan, 5:06; 150 – Simpson (OM) d Lobianco, 4-3; 157 – Sweeney (CM) p Roberts, 4:35; 165 – Creig (OM) p Simms, :33; 175 – Goscinski (CM) p Korie, 1:47; 190 – Aluemh (OM) d Herseck, 9-6; 215 – Tufts (CM) p Savore, 1:12; 285 – Bryan (OM) p Oshuwaga. 4:55.
FINALS
C.M. Wright 41, Sparrows Point 33
106 – Wunder (SP) p Downey, 1:48; 113 – Rossi p Sherly, :23; 120 – Desch (CM) maj d Whisner, 15-0; 126 – Dorsey (SP) d Layne, 9-0; 132 – Nguyen (CM) p Shoo, :46; 138 – Weber (SP) d Roche, 8-0; 144 – Gaylin (SP) d Peterz, 16-7; 150 – Fary (SP) d LoBianco, 10-3; 157 – Sweeney (CM) p Wofford, 1:09; Cooper (SP) p Lorence, 1:16; 175 – Simms (CM) p Barys, 1:52; 190 – Goscinski (CM) p Olussawen, 1:05; 215 – Tufts (CM) p Anuszewski, :58; 285 – Oshuwaga (CM) p. Denison, :22.
