Oakland Mills senior Jaron Smith doesn't like to make bets he can't win.
Take for instance the one he made with Scorpions coach Brad Howell his sophomore year — win 40 matches, and Howell picks up the tab for a breakfast buffet.
When Smith stepped off the mat after a quarterfinal victory at the state tournament, he bragged to Howell by signaling a big '4-0' with his fingers.
At the breakfast, Howell had the next bet already in mind — "I bet you can't lose 20 matches in the off season," he said.
"At first, I was like 'What do you mean by that, go out there and get 20 losses?'" said Smith, the Howard County Times/Columbia Flier Wrestler of the Year. "But losing isn't always such a bad thing. There's a lot to learn from losses."
"I wanted him to search for losses, to find 20 people that could beat him," Howell said. "That mindset sticks through today. Most guys are afraid to take chances and challenge great wrestlers."
So Smith set off on a journey that summer, wrestling at some of the best national tournaments and facing stiff competition everywhere he went. It's when Smith accepted his challenge that Howell realized his potential for greatness.
"He really saw the light at that point in time his sophomore year. He started to feel himself grow as a person and as a wrestler, being able to take those risks," Howell said. "He's definitely embraced that idea. It's a mentality for him to be searching for that next opponent or competition that can possibly beat him."
Only a torn anterior crucial ligament in his knee in late June 2013, while wrestling for the Maryland National Team at the Cadet National Duals, stopped him from seeking those 20 defeats.
"It felt like a rubber-band snapped in my knee," Smith said. "I kept wrestling because I didn't know how bad it was. I ended up pinning the kid. It sucked because I couldn't go to Fargo (where the Freestyle/Greco-Roman Cadet & Freestyle Nationals are held) that year."
It turned out to be a minor setback, for a major comeback. After undergoing surgery on July 4, Smith returned with a heavily-wrapped knee in February of his junior season. He swept the postseason meets and avenged his only loss in the state finals.
Even with the injury, it was something Smith expected to accomplish.
"It was cool and it was kind of crazy, but at the same time I knew I could do it," he said.
After his first taste of a state gold medal, no bets were needed. He spent the summer as a man on a mission, trying to fine-tune his technique and grow his body into a well-oiled machine.
"I went to Junior Nationals ... I went to Flonationals, after that I did all the Freestyle and Greco-Roman stuff and went to Fargo. Then I went to Junior Olympics," Smith said. "I'm the type of guy that, I'll rest when I'm dead."
His hard work and preparation culminated in one of the most dominating seasons — individually and for his team — in recent Howard County history. Truthfully, though, it wasn't completely clear that would be the case early in the year.
While Smith went 8-0 at the Scorpion Duals, his team lost two matches to Middletown and North Point. The loss to Middletown was reasonable, but the 40-39 slugfest defeat to North Point was an eye-opener for the Scorpions.
"That was kind of a turning point at the beginning of the year," Smith said. "We talked about it afterwards. Coach Howell ... He didn't let that one slide."
After those losses, Smith and his team never felt the pain of defeat again. Oakland Mills dominated county competition, going 11-0 for the first time under coach Howell, then cruised to the 1A/2A South Region dual title.
In the state dual finals, the Scorpions faced Middletown again. Smith pinned his opponent in 52 seconds, and fellow senior Zach Vincent's victory sealed the program's first-ever state dual title.
Throughout the season, it was Smith that everyone looked up to and admired on and off the mat.
"Jaron was a steady force behind the bench, in the practice room, in the hallways," Howell said. "He was pushing the guys to get that extra workout and stuff like that, which had a huge impact on the team's success."
Individually, Smith finished the year 42-0 with 38 pins. He pinned all four of his state tournament opponents in less than 3 minutes, 6 seconds to win his second state title — this time at 182 pounds. He stuck River Hill sophomore Brady Daniel, the 3A/4A 182-pound state champion, in the county tournament finals.
Simply put, he was one of the most dominant wrestlers in the entire state.
"When we sent him out there, it was pretty much six points on the board every match, and everybody knew it," Howell said.
With the chance to look back on his career, one where Smith went 129-22 in four varsity seasons and finished 5th, 3rd, 1st and 1st in four trips to Cole Field House, Smith said he was grateful to be surrounded by teammates and coaches with similar goals.
"Just being able to come out to Oakland Mills, win two state titles, and to be able to help put one up for your school too as a team, it's just really cool to do," he said. "It's just kind of weird to think about because not a lot of people do this. It's really cool to be able to do something that special. ... It felt almost like it was kind of storybook in a way."
His high school career may be over, but Smith's time on the mat certainly isn't.
He traveled to Virginia Beach, Va. March 26-29 to wrestle at the NHCSA High School Senior National Championships. He still seeks out the toughest competition — no matter where in the country it is —looking for the next person to beat him.
At the national tournament, Smith reached the semifinals and finished fourth in a bracket with 54 wrestlers from all around the country. He beat a Virginia state champion in the first round, then topped a third-place finisher from New York, pinned an Oklahoma state champion and beat a Connecticut state champion.
He pinned an opponent from Ohio in the consolation semifinals, and the wrestler's coach told Jaron after the match, "You're the best wrestler we've ever wrestled. My kid has never been pinned."
Howell said of all the state champions he has ever coached, Smith is the best he's ever had wear the orange Oakland Mills singlet.
"I think Jaron, in my mind, has the highest Division-I potential. No doubt. He has the things you can't coach — the natural speed, the enormous wing-span, strong, has great balance — and in addition, you have the character traits that makes someone tough. Courage, perseverance, composure," Howell said. "Jaron's one of these guys that has goals set, and he wants to win a national title. I feel 100 percent confident, and I believe he won't stop until he gets that."
Also named to the first-team:
113: John Rynn (30-11), Oakland Mills sophomore
County: 1st. Region: 2nd. State: 4th.
After starting the season at 120 pounds, Rynn dropped to 113 after the winter break and beat some tough competition. Seeded second at the county tournament, Rynn overcame a late third-period deficit to Atholton's Willie Hampton in the title match to earn the pin and join his father, John, as an Oakland Mills county champion. Rynn lost to Calvert's Kyle Hicks in the regional finals, but avenged that loss at the state tournament en route to fourth place.
106 pounds: Matt Shealy (37-5), River Hill junior
County: 1st. Region: 1st. State: 1st.
A year after winning the county title at the same weight class, Shealy started the season slow and suffered some early losses, including one to Oakland Mills freshman Kyle Farace. But, even after breaking his hand late in the season, Shealy peaked at the perfect time. He controlled his way through the county tournament, where he avenged his loss to Farace in the finals. He continued his roll through the regional tournament, beating Arundel's Nathan Gainey 10-8 in the championship, then beat Gainey again in the state finals, this time 5-3.
120: Dakota Thompson (35-7), Oakland Mills junior
County: 1st. Region: 1st. State: DNP.
Thompson was another steady force in the deep Oakland Mills lineup and had a breakout junior season after finishing fifth in the county last year. A technician in the neutral position, Thompson earned bonus points in each of his matches at the county tournament, where he pinned Howard's returning county-finalist Darian Kassiri in 51 seconds in the finals. He also shined at the regional tournament, where he beat Southern's Alex Rounceville in the finals by major decision. Thompson earned a tough draw at the state tournament and fell one win short of placing.
132: Trent Kilcarr (27-7), Reservoir senior
County: 1st. Region: 1st. State: 4th.
After placing third at the county tournament last season, Kilcarr entered the season with high expectations and big shoes to fill after his older brother Mason won the state title at the same weight class in 2014. Kilcarr beat Mt. Hebron sophomore Jimmy Hayden for his first county and regional titles, and reached the semifinals at the state tournament. Kilcarr, however, lost to North Hagerstown's Hunter Faith, who fell in the state finals last year to Mason, in the semifinals. He did bounce back after that to finish fourth.
126: Jeff Hayden (40-1), Mt. Hebron senior
County: 1st. Region: 1st. State: 3rd.
Hayden entered the season with two trips to the state finals under his belt, but two crushing losses. He dominated league competition all season and beat Reservoir senior Troy Kilcarr in the county finals, then topped Howard's Nick Williams for the regional title to keep his unbeaten record at the time intact. At the state tournament, however, Hayden fell short in the semifinals, where he lost to Westminster's Cole Wetzel. Hayden bounced back to win two more matches and finish third. He ends his career with 140 victories and 28 losses.
138: Parker Griffie (32-15), Glenelg junior
County: 1st. Region: 3rd. State: DNP.
Griffie had a strong season start to finish for Glenelg, and placed in a deep weight class at Mount Mat Madness. After losing his first match there, Griffie won four straight bouts en route to an 8th place finish. Seeded first at the county tournament, Griffie cruised to the finals, then beat Reservoir freshman Todd Del Tufo, 2-0 to win his first county title. He avenged a first-round loss to Bel Air's Liam Bowers in the placement round at the regional tournament to qualify for states.
152: Austin Kraisser (39-3), Centennial junior
County: 1st. Region: 1st. State: 1st.
Kraisser proved he was one of the top 152-pound wrestlers in the country by battling several nationally ranked wrestlers and finishing sixth at the Walsh Ironman tournament in December. Against state competition, Kraisser dominated. He pinned Oakland Mills senior Alex Asifo in the county finals, won via disqualification in the regional final, and then won his second state championship in his third state-finals appearance by defeating Leonardtown's Andrew Lee by technical fall. He has committed to wrestle for Division-I Campbell University after graduating next year.
145: Mike Budock (38-10), Glenelg senior
County: 1st. Region: 2nd. State: 5th.
Like Griffie, Budock had a breakout season that started in December at Mount Mat Madness, where he reached the quarterfinals and ended up fifth at 152 pounds. Budock cruised to a 5-1 victory over Oakland Mills senior Matt Claxton in the county finals, and battled Arundel's third-place state finisher Tyler Rendina to a 1-0 defeat in the regional championship. Budock wrapped up his season with a fifth place finish at Cole Field House, and he ends his career with 119 victories.
160: Sean Guthier (41-5), River Hill junior
County: 1st. Region: 3rd. State: 6th.
On a team with three state finalists, Guthier was a standout all season for River Hill. After finishing third at the Damascus Holiday Tournament in late December, Guthier ran through county competition and dominated in the county finals where he pinned Atholton senior Jahmyrie Jones in the third period. He finished third in the region, behind the eventual state champion and runner-up, then at the state tournament he upset a regional champion to reach the state semifinals before falling and placing sixth.
220: Brian Kirby (40-3), River Hill senior
County: 1st. Region: 1st. State: 2nd.
Kirby missed almost all of the 2013-14 season with an injury he suffered playing football, but he made up for time missed with a dominating senior year. Kirby won the Damascus Holiday Tournament title in December, and earned the top seed for the county tournament. There, he battled Glenelg senior Austin Twigg to a 3-2 win after securing a late takedown. Kirby topped Twigg again in overtime in the region finals, and then made a run to the state finals where he lost to North Point's Kyrahn Perez, 3-1, in overtime.
195: Steven Wysocki (29-6), Centennial senior
County: 1st. Region: 5th. States: DNQ.
On a team that was relatively short of experience, Wysocki — along with teammate Austin Kraisser — led Centennial all season long. Trailing River Hill senior Bebe Kum 7-0 in their dual meet on Jan. 8, Wysocki recovered to earn the pin. Wysocki bounced back from a loss to Reservoir junior Shawn Hamilton by winning the Franklin Tournament title with a pin. Then, in the county tournament finals, Wysocki avenged the loss to Hamilton by earning a first-period pin of his own.
170: Sidique Furet (34-4), Oakland Mills senior
County: 1st. Region: 1st. State: 1st.
After finishing sixth at the JV county tournament his sophomore season — his first year on the mat — Furet made bigger strides than any other wrestler in the county, and perhaps the state. Training with two-time state champion and teammate Jaron Smith, Furet broke through in the postseason and swept the county, region and state tournaments — all firsts. Along the way, Furet beat the wrestlers that finished second, third and fourth in his weight class at the state tournament, including then-undefeated regional champion Wade Slatniske of South Carroll.
195: Bebe Kum (37-7), River Hill senior
County: 3rd. Region: 1st. State: 3rd.
A year after finishing seventh at the county tournament at 182 pounds, Kum had a break out season and peaked when it mattered most. Training with teammate and state-runner up Brian Kirby, Kum saw a vast improvement from last year. He won the Damascus Holiday Tournament in late December, but lost his first match at the county tournament before finishing third. He bounced back by turning it on and upsetting his way to the regional tournament title, then reached the state semifinals before falling and taking third at Cole Field House.
182: Brady Daniel (41-2), River Hill sophomore
County: 2nd. Region: 1st. State: 1st.
After failing to place at the state tournament as a freshman, Daniel broke through this season and dominated most of his competition. Finishing with only two losses — to Damascus' state finalist Owen Brooks at the Damascus Holiday Tournament and Oakland Mills senior state champion Jaron Smith in the county finals — Daniel pinned all 11 of his county opponents. He bounced back from the county tournament by dominating the regional competition, and then cruising to the finals at states, where he beat Huntingtown's Tristan Ramburg, 4-2.
285: Jeremy Nelson (26-9), Hammond senior
County: 1st. Region: 5th. State: DNQ.
While Hammond didn't experience the season the team had hoped with several competitors missing from last year, the Golden Bears had a standout grappler in Nelson. In the county finals last year, Nelson fell in a tight overtime match to River Hill's Tyler Smith. He used that loss to fuel him in the league this year, where he went unbeaten and pinned Glenelg junior Jamie Cooch in the county finals. In the regional tournament, Nelson fell one win short of qualifying to wrestle at states.