Harford County All-Decade Wrestling

The past decade (2011-2020) in Harford County High School wrestling has been nothing short of spectacular.

Wrestlers, between public and private schools, won 22 state titles. There were 14 championships in MPSSAA competition and eight more in Maryland Private School action.

Harford wrestlers and teams dominated the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference (UCBAC) tournament (9-of-10 titles), led by Bel Air, which won the title six straight years (2014-2019). Fallston won back-to-back UCBAC titles in 2012 and 2013, while C. Milton Wright won in 2020.

Patterson Mill wrestlers won region championships and reached the Class 1A-2A dual meet state tournament in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

CMW added a region dual meet title in 2020, the school’s first.

In the private school ranks, John Carroll’s highlight of the decade came in 2015 with a first-ever and only Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament championship.

TEAM OF THE DECADE

John Carroll 2015 (28-4, MIAA champions)

John Carroll's Chris Almony comes up celebrating after pinning Glenelg Country's Reid Chaconas in the finals of the 170 weight class during the 2015 MIAA wrestling tournament. John Carroll won the title for the first time ever. (Brian Krista, Baltimore Sun Media Group)

The John Carroll wrestling team, coached by Keith Watson, closed out the strongest season in school history in 2015 with a fifth-place finish at the National Prep Championship tournament held annually at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

The Patriots went 28-4 that season and won the MIAA Tournament championship for the first time in program history. In addition, John Carroll was runner-up at both the Solanco (PA) and MD State Private School Tournaments.

The Patriots went into the highly challenging National Prep tournament with a school record 10 wrestlers, all of whom contributed points to help the team. Individually, Hunter Ritter was crowned a National Champion at the 195-pound weight class. Chris Almony finished in third place, going 5-1 with five pins.

The Patriots also got excellent performances from CJ Skokowski, Zach Dwyer and Christian Scott. All three became All-Americans.

In addition to the historic team finish, Coach Watson was also named National Prep Coach of the Year.

CO-WRESTLER OF THE DECADE

James Riveira, C. Milton Wright (2021)

C. Milton Wright junior James Riveira works Atholton junior David Panda into position for a pin in the final of the 3A-4A 126 weight class during the 2020 state wrestling tournament at The Show Place Arena. (Brian Krista/Baltimore Sun Media Group)

Riveira has been near perfect in three seasons for the Mustangs, winning all but two matches. Riveira was an All-Harford first team selection all three seasons.

Riveira is a three-time MPSSAA state champion, winning 120-pound titles in 2018 (44-1) and 2019 (40-1) and the 126 title in 2020, when he went 37-0.

Unfortunately, losing his senior season to the coronavirus pandemic cost Riveira the chance to become the ninth public school wrestler to win four state titles.

CO-WRESTLER OF THE DECADE

Hunter Ritter, John Carroll (2015)

John Carroll's Hunter Ritter moves around Loyola's Conan Shuster at a past MIAA Wrestling Tournament held at Mount St. Joseph. (Noah Scialom, Baltimore Sun Media Group)

Ritter had a stellar career for the Patriots, finishing with a school-best 216-8 record. Ritter, who wrestled at 160, 170 and 195, won three private school state titles.

Ritter was also a three-time National Prep All-American and, as a senior, won a National Prep championship.

Ritter went on to wrestle for the University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota and he was a four-time NCAA qualifier.

FIRST TEAM ALL-DECADE

Bel Air senior Brent Lorin won three state titles while wrestling for the Bobcats. (The Aegis file photo)

Brent Lorin, Bel Air (2019) Lorin has the most wins in the history of the UCBAC and his career record is 176-5.

Lorin is a three-time state champion, winning twice at 113-pounds (2017, 2019) and once at 106 (2016). He also placed third at 120 in his junior season. Lorin, a four-time All-Harford selection, is also a four-time First Team All-Academic Maryland State Wrestling Association team member. Lorin wrestles for Johns Hopkins University and was 20-11 as a freshman.

Zach Cullison of Fallston, right, controls the leg of his oppoent, Matt Capobianco of Middletown, in the finals of the Class 1A-2A 132 weight class in 2012. Cullison also won a state title for Patterson Mill in 2011. (Brian Krista, Patuxent Publishing)

Zach Cullison, Patterson Mill/Fallston (2012) Cullison won 142 matches as a member of Patterson Mill and Fallston wrestling teams. He won multiple conference and region titles.

Cullison, a two-time state champion, won a title with each school. He won the 119-pound title with Patterson Mill in 2011 and the 132 title with Fallston in 2012.

John Carroll's Scott Strappelli defeats Glenelg's Ryan Carter in the 138-pound final at a past Franklin Invitational Tournament. (Lloyd Fox, Baltimore Sun)

Scott Strappelli, John Carroll (2013) Strappelli wrestled at 119-, 132- and 138-pounds in this decade and posted a career mark of 191 wins and 13 losses.

Strappelli was a two-time private schools state champion and a four-time National Prep All-American.

John Carroll's George Weber tries to put a move on Bel Air's Justin Knowles during a past Battle of Bel Air wrestling tournament. Weber, who won by pin, notched his 150th career victory. (Nicole Munchel | Aegis Staff, Patuxent Homestead)

George Weber, John Carroll (2013) Weber wrestled at 130- and 145-pounds in the decade and posted a career mark of 188 wins and 17 losses.

Weber was a four-time state runner-up and four-time National Prep All-American. He wrestled for Gardner-Webb University.

John Carroll's Chris Almony pushes Bel Air's John Cross into the mat during a past Battle of Bel Air wrestling tournament. (Nicole Munchel Aegis Staff, Patuxent Homestead)

Chris Almony, John Carroll (2015) Almony wrestled at 152, 160 and 170 during his four years with the Patriots.

Almony posted a 200-12 career mark and was a private schools state champ. He was also a three-time National Prep All-American before going on to wrestle for Millersville University.

C. Milton Wright's Wyatt Graham, left, goes for a take down of Walt Whitman's John-Luke Iglesias in the championship match of the Class 3A-4A 220 weight class in 2018. Graham won the state title to complete a perfect 44-0 season. (Brian Krista / Baltimore Sun Media Group)

Wyatt Graham, C. Milton Wright (2018) Graham’s 157 wins are the most in CMW program history.

Graham wrestled at 182, 195 and 220 for the Mustangs, winning a state title at 220 in 2018, when he went 44-0. Graham was also 44-0 in 2017 and in the state final at 195, but he was decisioned 8-5 to finish with a record of 44-1.

United States Naval Academy freshman Mathew Miller won 205 matches at John Carroll. Miller was also a two-time private schools state champ and a National Prep champion. (Courtesy photo by Phil Hoffmann, Capital Gazette)

Mathew Miller, John Carroll (2011) Miller, at 171 pounds, wrestled just once in this decade, but it was the year he closed out a marvelous career with 205 wins and 18 losses.

Miller was a two-time private schools state champ; a National Prep champ and a three-time National Prep All-American. Miller went on to wrestle for the U.S. Naval Academy and was a four-time NCAA qualifier and an All-American.

Aberdeen's Ethan Smith, left, wrestles Oakdale's Ryan Shubert, right, during the Class 3A-4A 170 final in 2016. Smith capped off an undefeated season (33-0) with the state championship. (Jen Rynda / Baltimore Sun Media Group)

Ethan Smith, Aberdeen (2017) Smith wrestled just one season in Harford County for Aberdeen as a junior in 2016, where he went undefeated at 33-0 to win a 170-pound state championship. Unfortunately, Smith left Harford County prior to his senior year. He ended up at Sparrows Point, where he went 41-0 to win the 182 title in 2017.

Smith currently wrestles for the Ohio State University Buckeyes as a redshirt junior. An All-American in 2020, he has a 6-1 record with three major decision wins and one technical fall victory.

CJ Skokowski, a part of the 2015 John Carroll team, went 160-28 in his career with the Patriots. (Courtesy Laura Ashton)

CJ Skokowski, John Carroll (2015) Skokowski wrestled at 106, 113 and 120 for the Patriots in the decade and posted a career mark of 160 wins and 28 losses.

Skokowski was a two-time private schools state runner up and he was a National Prep All-American. Skokowski went on to wrestle for Concordia College in Nebraska.

School-by-school All-Decade teams with weight class in () and graduation year. (State champions marked with *).

Aberdeen

Dylan Morris, (106), 2015; *Shaydaun Velez, (112), 2011; Daniel Velez, (126), 2014; Travis Hubler, (126), 2013; Chris Banko, (138), 2013; Cory Hutchins, (145), 2011; Jordan Stewart, (145), 2016; Jasaan Beck, (152), 2012; *Ethan Smith, (170); 2017; C.J. Allen, (195), 2016; Chris Madera, (195), 2018; Marcus Webster, (285), 2011; Ricky Denu, (285), 2016.

Bel Air

David Reagan, (106), 2015; ***Brent Lorin, (106), 2019; Trevor Lorin, (106), 2021; Sincere Montgomery, (126), 2019; Jeff Taylor, (132), 2012; Steve Cross, (140), 2011; Cameron Watts, (145); 2015; Scott Miser, (152), 2017; David Abboud, (160), 2019; *William Holder-Moore, (170), 2013; Tom Gomez, (182), 2017; Tom Kuegler, (189), 2011; Dakota Crawford, (220), 2016; Jack Brink, (220), 2019.

C. Milton Wright

Michael Mitrega, (113), 2018; *Staki Gourgoulianis, (113), 2021; ***James Riveira, (120), 2021; Jacob Blanchard, (138), 2019; Carter Goscinski, (138), 2022; Ben Swanson, (145), 2013; Ryan Messer, (170), 2018; Doug Thier, (182), 2014; *Wyatt Graham, (195), 2018; Theodore Stinson, (195), 2020; Ty-Jhai Rochester, (220), 2012; Sawyer Sturla, (285), 2019.

Edgewood

Noel Spencer, (126), 2013; Kyle Brown, (138), 2020; Ariq Nixon, (138), 2017; Telfer Algard, (160), 2018; Traeton Hughes, (160), 2021; Tyreak Carey, (170), 2020; Shawn Kluchinsky, (170), 2014; Daviyon Johnson, (285), 2019.

Fallston

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Joe Medicus, (103), 2013; Devin Hyman, (113), 2016; Donavyn Hohman, (126), 2017; *Zach Cullison, (132), 2012; Zack Kauffman, (138), 2017; CJ Austin, (145), 2013; Cameron Pires, (145), 2021; Christian Wilson, (170), 2019; Austin Rutkowski, (182), 2014; Ridge Myers, (220), 2013; Jesse Harmon, (285), 2013; Alex Helm, (285), 2014.

Harford Tech

Tyler Granese, (113), 2012; Zach Granese, (113), 2017; Bret Blevins, (119), 2012; Andrey Kalwa, (145), 2016; Joey Malanga, (145), 2011; Tyler Butler, (145), 2015; James Rappazzo, (152), 2011; Dillon Brush, (182), 2012; Nathan Cook, (182), 2013; Caleb Warner, (285), 2016; Will Hughes, (285), 2012.

Havre de Grace

Alex Lloyd, (120), 2018; Gavin Lloyd, (145), 2021; Jacob Sweigart, (160), 2016; Mikey Sweigart, (160), 2021; Ben Long, (170), 2019; Tim Peters, (220), 2014; Jesse Fenner, (285), 2019; Jesse Vancheri, (285), 2012.

Joppatowne

Eric Sanders, (125), 2011; Tyree Gibson, (126), 2013; David Volz, (160), 2011; Chris Kalambihis, (220), 2020; Fola Kolawole, (285), 2020.

North Harford

Cruz Cespedes, (106), 2023; Jordan Avig, (113), 2014; Austin Mitchell, (120), 2017; Joshua Mitchell, (126), 2020; Will Sadowski, (132), 2017; Austin Smith, (138), 2016; Tom Carman, (140), 2011; Logan Smith, (160), 2013; Angelo Koulatsos, (170), 2015; Greg Fiackos, (182), 2015; Austin Floyd, (220), 2018.

Patterson Mill

Colin McDonald, (113), 2016; *Zach Cullison, (119), 2012; John Williams, (125), 2011; Jake Nikkila, (126), 2015; Brian Wheatley, (138), 2021; Jordan Myers, (145), 2018; *Hunter Crowley, (182); 2018; Corey Myers, (195), 2012; Connor Morton, (195), 2020; Eric Eckstein, (220), 2014; Joe King, (220), 2015; Mason Sprinkel, (285), 2020.

John Carroll

Zack Dwyer, (106), 2015; CJ Skowkowski, (106), 2015; Luke Strappelli, (106), 2018; Austin Smith, (113), 2016; **Scott Strappelli, (119), 2013; Artie Millner, (120), 2013; Matt Mitrega, (120), 2020; Steve Jernigan, (126); 2015; George Weber, (130), 2013; *Chris Almony, (152), 2015; Austin Ross, (152), 2015; CJ Polesovsky, (152), 2020; ***Hunter Ritter, (160), 2015; Christian Scott, (170), 2015; **Mathew Miller, (171), 2011.