State champion Tom Horwat (171 pounds) escaped with 15 seconds left, securing a 4-3 decision over sixth-ranked Ron Katzenberger and a match-clinching lead as Damascus downed Northeast, 34-20, in yesterday's 1A-2A dual-meet state championship at South Carroll.
Damascus had gone up, 28-17, on consecutive pins by third-ranked Danny Wolford (152) and Ricky Stott (160) with three bouts left, putting the Eagles in position to need victories in their last two bouts -- one having to be a pin.
But Horwat (29-2) won, as did Bill Swaney (189) on a 5-3 decision over Adrian Spears, who was coming off an upset victory over Rising Sun's top-ranked Bruce Knisely.
Horwat, who pinned Katzenberger en route to winning a state title last year, also had clinched a 38-24 victory for Damascus (15-0) over Francis Scott Key in the other semifinal.
"I just wanted to get a win to pump up my team," said Horwat, whose win gave Damascus an insurmountable 31-17 lead. "At least two of us, me, Stott or Wolford, usually gets a pin. So when they did, it took the pressure off."
Northeast (16-2) trailed, 16-14, after six bouts, with Damascus getting a major decision by Brandon York (103), a pin by Kevin Potter (112) and a pin by Montgomery County champ Randy Pickett (130).
The Eagles came back with a technical fall by top-ranked Marty Kusick (112, 27-0) and a 3-2 decision over Damascus' Nick York by Mike Kusick (27-1), and with T.R. Fleming (140) overcoming a 4-1 deficit to beat the Hornets' Andy DeVriendt, 6-4.
Northeast had its first lead, 17-16, when Chris Morrow (145) overcame a 2-0 deficit for a 7-6 victory over Joe LaFavre -- a match in which the Eagles expected a pin.
In the midst was a marquee match of county champs, as Damascus' second-ranked Bobby Mann (135, 27-2) lost, 12-7, to Northeast's sixth-ranked Jay Queer (28-2, 19 pins).
Northeast downed Owings Mills, 33-25, in its semifinal. Northeast ranks No. 3 in the area and No. 6 in the state, and Owings Mills is No. 5 and No. 8, respectively.
A 2-0 decision by Paul Schulman (152) and a pin by Josh Ezrine (160) put Owings Mills ahead, 25-18, with three bouts left, but Northeast got a forfeit to Katzenberger (171), a decision by Spears (189) and default victory to heavyweight Paul Laumann.
Northeast had trailed, 20-18, after nine bouts, as Owings Mills got a 24-second pin from Steve Kellner (112) and another pin from county champ Jimmy Hudson (130, 27-3).
Owings Mills went up, 17-14, when sophomore Steve Kessler (140) used a technical fall to improve to 29-0 on the season and a state-record 65-0 for his career. But Morrow (145), a regular 140-pounder, scored a 16-4 decision over Shaun Andoll for an 18-17 advantage.