Talk is cheap if you ask DeMatha's top-ranked Todd Beckerman, a Crofton resident.
Entering the weekend McDonogh Tournament Beckerman got word that Hanover coach Terry Conover had predicted Beckerman (112-1 for his career) would lose for the second time if he wrestled the event at 125 pounds.
Conover, whose team is ranked No. 4 in Pennsylvania's AA category, specifically meant that his Nighthawks' wrestler, Nate Becker, would have an easy time with Beckerman, a two-time National Prep champion.
Yet Becker, who entered the tournament with a career record of 82-26-1, didn't even reach the title bout, getting upset 9-5 by Centennial's Jason Nagle in the semifinals.
Beckerman scored a technical fall and a pin before hammering Nagle, 14-1, in their title bout.
His only loss, an 8-7 decision to Northeast's Marty Kusick as a freshman, was avenged last season.
"I don't know why he had to run his mouth like that," said Beckerman. "It just pumped me up more."
DeMatha's Josh Bender (189), a Mayo resident, was second at McDonogh after being second at Annapolis a week earlier.
Lackey Tournament
Top-ranked defending 1A-2A state champ Tyrone Neal Jr. (135) used a pin, a technical fall and a decision to reach the title bout, where he ground out a 5-1 decision over Chiayana Black of Frederick Douglass in Prince George's County.
It was an impressive win and the second straight tournament victory for Neal, who opened the year by winning the Annapolis Tournament for the second straight time.
Black, a junior, has returned from a one-year absence from the sport. Two years ago, he was a 103-pound county champ and placed second in both the regional and state tournaments, along the way beating Old Mill's Jason Bryant, a state champ for the Patriots last season.
Southern's Trumaine Graves (189) pinned Lackey's fourth-ranked Scott Supulski in 4:42 of their semifinal bout before dropping his title bout, 10-8, to Rising Sun's fifth-ranked Bruce Knisely.
South River's fifth-ranked Travis Murdock (119) trailed in his Lackey title bout, 7-4, when an ankle injury forced him to default to Quince Orchard's David Chee in the second period. Chee was third in last year's 3A-4A state tournament.
Chesapeake revisited
Chesapeake's strong finish (fourth) was led by champion Travis Gottlich (103, 6-0), who owns among his victories a 5-3 decision over Spalding's sixth-ranked Jimmy Foster.
Runner-up Matt Howard (125) of Chesapeake was joined by sophomore standout Carl Cicchetti (130), who used a decision and two pins to reach the final where he dropped a 5-1 decision to Frederick's Dusty Bane (5-0, three pins).
Chesapeake's Jason Schmitt (135) won three straight matches, including an overtime decision over two-time Carroll County champ Dan Peiffer of South Carroll, before being pinned by Northeast's Jay Queer.
Queer (135, 8-1), a transfer from Glen Burnie, had an excellent tournament at Chesapeake despite finishing third.
Queer, who dropped only a 4-3 quarterfinal decision to Linganore's eventual champ Ryan Green (6-0), who had four pins and a technical fall in the tournament.
Green's 12-4 title-bout victory came over Franklin's Sean Groszkowski, who two days earlier won, 7-1, over Perry Hall's No. 4 Steve Boothe.