As early-season tests go, the No. 2-ranked Chesapeake wrestling team has a dandy one coming tomorrow night.
The defending Class 4A-3A state champion Cougars will play host to No. 1 Mount St. Joseph, a perennial Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association power with a lineup loaded with talent from top to bottom.
"I'm a firm believer that the tougher the competition, the better wrestler you're going to be," said Chesapeake coach Rex Miller.
The teams compete in the Hammond Tournament each year, but Miller and Gaels coach Jay Braunstein both saw benefit in finding a date to wrestle head-to-head in a dual match. The varsity should get started at around 6:30 p.m. tomorrow.
That will be the season opener for the Cougars, who had last night's match against county rival Arundel postponed because of inclement weather.
Mount St. Joseph got its season off to an impressive start with a win at last weekend's Archbishop Curley Tournament, soundly defeating St. Mark's, a power from Wilmington, Del., by 236.5-202.
"I would have liked to have found an opening a little later, but this gives us a good chance to see what we have early," said Miller. "They're pretty stacked with good kids throughout the lineup. I always tell our kids, it's not what we do early on but who's standing atop the podium in the end."
Miller is hoping for a fast start with help from Corey Bowers (119 pounds) and Shane Fraser (125/130) with some other questions to be answered later.
Can Seppi Serio hang with the Gaels' Mack Lewnes at 152? What about Jake Couch up against Sam Lewnes at 171?
Another telling match is scheduled for tonight, with No. 9 Severna Park getting a visit from No. 4 River Hill, a Howard County power.
Power in the south
In girls basketball, it appears the teams from the south will have to work twice as hard to reach this season's county championship game.
No. 9 Severna Park, the defending county champ; No. 14 Arundel; South River and Annapolis, both also-mentions in The Sun's Top 20 poll; Broadneck and Southern all have to play each other twice.
In the north, No. 11 Chesapeake and Meade are the primary contenders. Both teams will play North County, Northeast, Old Mill and Glen Burnie twice while seeing teams from the south only once during the regular season.
The two teams with the best county records will play in the county championship game. South River coach John Wardell believes it could easily be Chesapeake and Meade with the benefit of lighter schedules.
"It's going to be a grind in the south. We know we can't have an off-day. This is how it's been the last couple of years, and it's something we live with, but we're excited about the year," said Wardell.
No makeup date set
Also in girls basketball, No. 8 Archbishop Spalding and No. 18 St. Mary's had their Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference opener postponed yesterday due to the bad weather. St. Mary's coach Harry Dobson said the game will likely be rescheduled in January.