Trailing 4-0 entering the final period of his 130-pound title bout with Randallstown's fourth-ranked Brandon Grodnitzky, North Carroll's Andy Kiler seemed on his way to his first loss.
But as he stood up from the bottom starting position, Kiler (8-0) saw an opening he had earlier missed. Twice, he hurled Grodnitzky to his back before the final buzzer to win, 10-5.
"At that point, I had wrestled pretty sloppy, so I was looking for a desperation move," said Kiler, one of five champions for the fifth-ranked Panthers (211 points), who won McDonogh's 19th annual Ray Oliver tournament for the eighth straight time.
The Panthers placed 11 wrestlers in the top four of the weight classes, with additional champs Doug Dell (103), Jeremy Myers (112), Tommy Kiler (125) and Chris Boog (171) -- all of whom improved to 8-0 -- and three runners-up.
Third-ranked Randallstown (174) finished second for the second straight time, with champions Javin Rudolph (145, 8-2), fourth-ranked state champion Johnny Montgomery (152, 8-1) and Kent Morrison (160, 8-2). Gilman (166, third) had champs in Gerard Harrison (119), Alex Slagle (140) and heavyweight David Shapiro.
Franklin's second-ranked county and regional champion Jerry Hudson (135, 8-0) finished Brandon's twin brother, Justin, in 1:26 for his sixth pin of the season. McDonogh freshman J. R. Plienis (189, 8-0) continued be impressive, planting all three opponents to raise his pin total to six.
Gilman's third-ranked Harrison won his second straight tournament, pinning one of two opponents in 20 seconds before taking the title bout, 12-1.
Third-ranked Dell, a junior with six pins, used a third-period reversal and a 2-0 win over Franklin's previously unbeaten Sean Groszkowski (8-1, six pins).
"I thought I'd be able to take him down pretty easily, but he kept backing off," said Dell, who pinned his previous two rivals in a combined 1:42. "He was long and wiry, so I couldn't turn him."
His top-ranked teammate, 2A-1A state champion Myers (8-0), used a 54-second pin and two major decisions to win the tournament for the second straight year, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors.
Rudolph's buzzer-beating escape edged North Carroll's Eric Hott, 8-7, and Morrison (8-2) hoisted North Carroll's Shawn Utz high above his head before decking him in 39 seconds.
"I just call it the double to the cradle," said Morrison, who also had a 22-second pin.
Rudolph earned a measure of revenge over last season.
"I felt good about beating someone from North Carroll," said Rudolph. "This is the first tournament I've ever won, and last year, I lost to North Carroll and got second."