Francis Scott Key Eagles
1993-94 record: 10-1-1. Coach: Bill Hyson.
Top wrestlers: Randy Owings, Sr., 145; Zac Yinger, Sr., 152; Steve Lessard, Sr., 135; Ryan Etzler, Jr., 119; Tony Cahoon, Jr., 140; Jason Hooper, Jr., 125.
Outlook: Hyson isn't ready just yet to stake claim as the county favorite, but the Eagles are looking as good as any. State champs Owings and Yinger are only the start of what the Eagles have returning from last year's squad. Etzler, Lessard and Hooper all had 20 or more wins last season. Cahoon, J.T. Chiaruttini (152), Robert Buntin (160/171), Mike Putman (130) and Brian Sanders (112) are all back. Chiaruttini is nursing a dislocated thumb injured during the football season. Questions still remain for the Eagles. "We need for someone to settle in at 103 and have some inexperience at the upper weights where there's some guys with not a lot of mat time," Hyson said. Senior John Frech, who enjoyed plenty of success at the junior varsity level, will be at heavyweight. Sophomore Bobby Bollinger is at 189 and freshmen Jason Fogus and Todd Madonna are at 103. Hyson also is high on freshman Matt Yinger (112), Zac's younger brother. Hyson likes the way the veteran wrestlers have taken the younger ones under their wing. The county race promises to be an exciting one and Hyson said defending county champ North Carroll is still the team to beat. "North Carroll's got to be the favorite. They seem to have the most kids back," he said. "I don't care if they have a new coach, the tradition those kids have established remains. South Carroll is very good and we'll also be right there."
Liberty Lions
1993-94 record: 6-11. Coach: Jeff Hash.
Top wrestlers: Joe Smith, Soph., 112; Conor Gallagher, Jr., 119; Brandon Schifflitt, Jr., 160; Dave Phillips, Sr., 145; Rob Saylor, Jr., 152.
Outcome: A .500 season would be quite an accomplishment for a Liberty program working hard on finding an identity under Hash. The third-year coach said the overall goal once again this season is to maintain a rapport with the athletes to help build a successful program. "We're a young team with not a lot of experience going in," Hash said. "We're keeping it low-key. Our expectations are not too high and not too low. We just want to be a .500 team -- that's what we're reaching for and it would be a major success." The Lions have a solid nucleus with Smith, a state qualifier as a freshman after going 25-6 and winning the county title, and Gallagher, a transfer from Buffalo, N.Y. who was 23-7 there last season. "Joe's very dedicated and a motivated individual who just loves the sport of wrestling," Hash said. "There're so many things you can say about him, but there's just not enough paper. He has a lot of tenacity and a real strong drive inside. I see a lot of the same out of Conor as well." The Lions have a number of experienced wrestlers who are looking to come into their own. Phillips, Saylor, Brandon Wagner (130) and Brian Seiffert (135) all have varsity experience and Schifflitt was the county champ at the junior varsity level last year.
North Carroll Panthers
1993-94 record: 17-1. Coach: Brian Wetzel.
Top wrestlers: Tom Kiler, 135, Jr.; Corey Rill, 130, Sr.; Bill Beltz, Hwt., Sr.; Erik Hott, 145, Sr.; Jason Sims, 171, Sr.; Adam Boog, 125, Fresh.; Dameon Davis, 119, Soph.
Outlook: The talent is still there for the Panthers but the man, Dick Bauerlein, who built a high school wrestling dynasty is gone. His replacement is Brian Wetzel who is just two years out of Slippery Rock where he was an outstanding 158-pound wrestler for the Division I school. The turnout for wrestling at North Carroll was down to 43 from 60 last season, but Bauerlein insists it has nothing to do with his departure. "It's a trend in all high school sports," he said. "We only have nine players on the girls basketball team at North Carroll this year." Wetzel has at least five and maybe seven wrestlers who will be ringing up a lot of points in every match. The five sure point winners (Kiler, Hott, Beltz, Rill and Sims) already have had celebrated careers. The other two top Panthers wrestlers, Boog and Davis, are young but figure to have a big impact right away. Boog is the brother of Chris Boog, who finished a superb career at North Carroll last season, and Davis is the brother of Eddie Davis who won the county 112-pound championship last season. Adam Boog won a junior league state championship last year, and Dameon Davis was a second-place finisher in junior league state competition. The key to Wetzel's success will be how the other wrestlers in the starting lineup perform. Five of those six have won starting positions, with three seniors fighting for the final spot at 140. The certain starters are sophomore Brad Hewitt (103), freshman Jesse Leister (112), junior Eric Giffi (152), junior Colin Eutsler (160) and senior Jason Simons (189). Dueling for the 140 position are Gene Phillips, Taylor Stetson and Jason Elmo. Another wrestler who might provide some important points for the Panthers is junior Brian Seabrease (189).
South Carroll Cavaliers
1993-94 record: 10-4. Coach: Pete Olson.
Top wrestlers: Mike Chenoweth, Jr., 171; Dan Peiffer, Sr., 130; Kevin Sakalas, Sr., 135; Dan Alberter, Jr., 125; Charlie Conaway, Jr., 160; Steve Yokay, Sr., 189; Dan McKennie, Sr., Hwt.; Dan McKinney, Sr., 189; Chris Heard, Jr., 119.
Outcome: Veteran coach Olson isn't quite ready to compare his squad with perennial county powers North Carroll and Francis Scott Key, but the Cavaliers are certainly very close. In recent years, the Cavs' program has methodically improved and with seven of its eight state qualifiers returning from last season, they look ready to step up among the elite. It all starts with Chenoweth. Last year, he crushed the school record in pins with 27 and became the Cavs' first state champ since 1980 when Hank Burke was the school's first. There's plenty more with the Cavaliers fairly deep from top to bottom of the lineup. "Other than a couple of soft spots, we're pretty solid. We have a lot of returning guys and that's always a help," Olson said. "The question is whether the .500 guys can be .600 or .700 wrestlers. The mid-line guys will need to turn the corner from fair to good and good to very good." Peiffer, the county champ at 125 last season, is already very good and Yokay is very steady. Heard, Alberter, Sakalas, Conaway McKennie and McKinney are all on the verge of taking it to the next level. The county title in recent years has always come down to Key and North Carroll. The emergence of South Carroll adds an interesting new wrinkle. "That's a long way off and remains to be seen," said Olson, who's gearing up for the Cavaliers' early-season, out-of-county slate. The Cavaliers' four losses last season came against North Carroll, Key, Central Maryland Conference foe and state champ Frederick and Howard County power Hammond. "The competition in our county and league is as good as you're going to get anywhere. When we go outside the county we more than hold our own," Olson said.
Westminster Owls
1993-94 record: 6-8. Coach: Henry Mohlhenrich.
Top wrestlers: Jason Hare, Jr., 171; Matt Warner, Sr., 125; Charlie Minor, Jr., 140; Bobby Biden, Fresh., 103.
Outcome: The Owls begin their second season under Mohlhenrich and strides are being made in re-establishing the once-proud program. Mohlhenrich said the athletes have acclimated themselves to his program that is based on rigorous conditioning and discipline. The Owls are full of youth with six seniors graduated from last season's team. They are trading experience for a little more consistency up and down the lineup, which Mohlhenrich believes should bring a more competitive squad. "None of the six we lost were close to being superstars, but they were still kids that had experience and mat time," he said. "We have a lot of sophomores and a couple of freshmen starting with only one senior. Overall, I think we'll be a little more competitive because we're more balanced." Hare came on strong at the end of last season to qualify for states -- the only Owl to do so. Mohlhenrich is looking for even bigger things from his 171-pounder. Minor also looks strong at 140 and Warner, the only senior starter, is full of talent, but didn't make weight for the Owls' first tri-match on Tuesday against C. Milton Wright and Owings Mills. Biden, who came up from the Westminster Junior League program, was impressive with two wins in the opener. The Owls defeated C. Milton Wright and had some difficulties against a solid Owings Mills team in coming away 1-1. Mohlhenrich is confident the Owls will turn the corner, the question is when. "We're working real hard and if they can come around, we could challenge," he said. "It's just a matter of how the kids mature and evolve. We have the talent in the room and the kids wrestled over the summer. It's going to pay off and we'll click maybe halfway through the season or by next season."
PRESEASON TOP 15
1. Mount St. Joseph
2. Old Mill
3. Northeast-AA
4. North Carroll
5. Francis Scott Key
6. South Carroll
7. Perry Hall
8. Owings Mills
9. Aberdeen
10. Broadneck
11. Boys' Latin
12. Gilman
13. McDonogh
14. Arundel
15. Loyola
How the poll was selected: The 1994-95 Preseason Wrestling Top 15 was selected by the local sports staff. Each week during the 1994-95 season a new poll will be chosen by the staff through match observations and consultations with area coaches. The poll will appear each Monday.