Brent Lorin stays unbeaten; Bel Air beats C. Milton Wright, 42-27, in UCBAC wrestling

Harford County’s two best wrestling teams met in Fountain Green Thursday, with C. Milton Wright hosting Bel Air in an UCBAC Chesapeake Division dual meet.

The Mustangs were trying to end a long-time winless drought against the Bobcats and the meet also featured the season’s best match so far.

Bel Air junior Brent Lorin, who came in with an unbeaten high school record and more than 110 career wins, was matched up with CMW freshman phenom James Riveira, who had not lost a match this season.

Lorin beat Riveira in the 120-pound match and the Bobcats beat the Mustangs, 42-27, keeping both the Bel Air and Lorin streaks alive.

The big match, the 12th of the 14 weight classes, was fast as both Lorin and Riveira knew what was at stake. Lorin took Riveira down and scored a set of back points to take an early 4-0 lead.

Riveira countered with a reversal and after a restart late in the period, Riveira pulled Lorin to his back and nearly scored the pin. It did give Riveira back points and a 5-4 lead into period two.

Riveira added an escape to begin period two and led 6-4. Lorin, though, scored another takedown and two more back points to slip ahead 8-6, entering the final period.

The final period had a delayed start with Riveira using injury time. “I was doing good the first and second period and towards the third, I was just getting gassed,” Riveira said. “He was doing his judo stuff, out muscling me. So all-around it was a good match until I got gassed.”

Leading 8-6, Lorin started the final period down. A minute into the period, Lorin reversed Riveira and right to a near fall position with a chin whip. 20 seconds later, Lorin and the Bel Air team and fans were celebrating a 4:40 pin.

”Going into that match, I knew I had one of the best opponents I’m ever going to face so I didn’t know what the outcome was going to be,” Lorin said. “So I just kept my position good, I worked the technique I’ve been practicing. We flip-flopped around for the match, but in the third period my stamina and some of the new technique and keeping myself sharp was able to give me that edge, So I just had good position and I caught him with a chin whip and I was able to secure that fall.”

Lorin’s win gave the Bobcats a 36-24 lead with just two matches left. It all but locked up the win.

The Bobcats got of to a good start at 138. Jacob Reed scored in all three periods for a 6-0 win over Ben Anders.

CMW answered at 145 with Will Tinney scoring a 6-4 decision over Grant Cole in overtime.

The Bobcats then saw Liam Bowers, 152 (2:29) and David Abboud, 160 (1:53) post back-to-back pins. Noah Beyers added a 3-0 decision over Christian Trombley at 170 and the Bobcats were ahead, 18-3.

The Mustangs cut the lead in half on Ryan Messer’s second period fall at 182, but the Bobcats countered with Jack Brink winning by pin at 195.

CMW then won consecutive matches by pin to tighten up the meet. Wyatt Graham, 220, and Sawyer Sturla, 285, scored the pins and the Mustangs were to within three, 24-21.

The Mustangs, however, forfeited the 106 bout and that turned out to give Bel Air enough points for the win.

Michael Mitrega gave the Mustangs a win at 113, beating Troy Dureza, 4-0, leading to the Lorin-Riveira match.

Following the highlight match, Bel Air’s Sincere Montgomery pinned Juan Ortega in 3:19 at 126 and CMW’s Jake Blanchard outlasted Bel Air Shy-Ello Mosley for a 1-0 win at 132.

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Bel Air's Brent Lorin keeps the pressure on his C. Milton Wright opponent James Riveira as he tries for a pin to win the match in the 120 pound match during Wednesday night's meet at C. Milton Wright. (MATT BUTTON/THE AEGIS / Baltimore Sun)