Catonsville's Andrew Southwell scored a 6-4 decision over Hereford's Russell Carter to secure a 37-30 victory Tuesday night at Catonsville High School in a battle of unbeaten dual meet squads in Baltimore County league play.
The Comets (11-0) built a 34-14 lead on the strength of pins by Alejandro Mendez (126), Trey Glover (182) and Kojo Danquah (195), but Hereford (11-1) rallied to 34-30 on pins from Kahlil Rich (106), Jimmy Cavin (113) and Colin McNicholas (120), setting up the final match which Southwell (20-5) won at 126 pounds.
"I was just thinking don't get turned, wrestle smart, fight the whole match and never give up," Southwell said. "I've been working on bottom a lot just for those situations where they are a little bit stronger than me."
Southwell took a 4-0 lead on a pair of takedowns in the first period before Carter answered with a reversal with 32 seconds left in the period, making it 4-2.
After the Comet junior stayed on bottom during a scoreless second period, the two wrestlers traded reversals in the final period and Southwell emerged with his 11th straight dual meet victory without any losses.
"That kid (Southwell) is tough," Hereford coach Ron Causey said. "Trying to pin that kid was a very tall order and just beating him was a tall order and his (Carter's) job was obviously he had to pin him or win a major decision."
Catonsville coach Eric Warm traced Southwell's ability to win from the bottom to an earlier match this season.
"Southwell lost a match at the Mount Hebron Duals to a Hebron kid in the last few seconds when he was on bottom and we worked on moving and clearing wrists and not giving up points late, and if he doesn't lose that match, he very well loses this match cause he doesn't work on that stuff," Warm said. "So, a loss, in a tournament that counts for nothing, sealed the dual meet win against Hereford for us."
The match was the first time the two schools met since 2010 and Catonsville won that match 35-34 at Hereeford on a decision in the final match of the night.
This showdown looked like it was going to go down to the wire early as the teams traded close decisions in the first two matches of the night.
Hereford's Patrick Meadowcroft decisioned Jarrad Martin, 7-4, at 132 and Catonsville's Conor Hurd returned the favor with a 5-1 decision over Ryan Godfrey at 138.
But, the match took a dramatic twist at 145 when Alejandro Mendez rallied past Tyson Fava and pinned him in the third period.
Fava had a 4-0 lead until Mendez scored a reversal with two seconds left in the second period.
With 1:30 left in the final period Fava earned another takedown for a 6-2 lead, but 15 seconds later Mendez caught him on his back for the fall.
It was only Mendez's second match since returning from two broken bones in his hand.
"I wasn't sure how healthy his hand was," Warm said. "He pinned a Woodlawn kid last week and that showed me that he was healthy and ready to wrestle."
Nick Blake tied the match at 9-9 with a pin and the match stayed tied 12-12 when Hereford's Craig Worpell's 13-8 decision over Brian Taylor at 160 was answered by Luke Mercier's 6-0 blanking of David Senna at 171.
Mercier's win was the first of five straight wins for the Comets.
The streak continued with pins from Glover (3:35), at 182, and Danquah (2:59), at 195, for a 24-12 lead.
Naseef Kareem was awarded a forfeit at 220 and Danny Bruno secured an 11-2 decision for a 34-12 Catonsville lead.
Four pins in the final four matches would have given the Bulls the victory and they got the first one early and the next two in dramatic fashion.
Sophomore Rich decked Robert Johnson in 1:42 at 106.
At 113, Cavin fell Eduardo Kelly with just 36 seconds left in the third period.
The 120-pound bout between Catonsville's Kelly Lassiter and McNicholas was the most exciting match of the evening.
McNicholas led 7-1 after the first period, but Lassiter rallied to 7-6 on a reversal and three back points with under a minute left in the second period.
McNicholas responded and secured the fall with 15 seconds left in the period.
"I knew I had to go out there and get a pin," McNicholas said. "It was a fun match."
The junior admitted Lassiter made him work extra hard.
"He had muscle on him and he was strong," McNicholas said. "I just bridged up and hoped for the best."
He also gave him team hope, but Catonsville's Southwell took that away with his clutch victory.
"I'm just glad we made it to the last match," Causey said. "Congratulations Catonsville. They wrestled well and it was a good match. It was exciting. It was a great high school match and that's the way it should be."
Catonsville's Warm was equally impressed with Hereford.
"Hereford, top to bottom, they are all tough," he said. "There were the least amount of pins of any dual meet we've had all year. Those guys are conditioned and they are tough. They fight off their backs and even if they don't win, they don't give up the six."