Middletown and Damascus Win MPSSAA Dual Wrestling State Championships

The day belonged to both Middletown from Frederick County and Damascus from Montgomery County at the MPSSAA Dual Wrestling State Championships yesterday.

Middletown won its first dual state championship after losing in the state final to Oakland Mills last year. The Knights, who won the 1A/2A competition, topped Oakland Mills this year in the state semifinal, 38-36.

That set the stage for Middletown to face Dunbar, the first team to ever qualify for the dual state final from Baltimore City, in the state final. The Knights trailed 9-0 after three matches before Ed Guerrero pinned his opponent in the heavyweight division to make it 9-6. Dunbar was able to hold onto its lead until Danny Bertoni picked up a pin in the 132 pound division to make it 24-18. Middletown would cruise to the championship from there, winning 36-25.

Guerrero and Bertoni led the way for the Knights with pins against both Oakland Mills and Dunbar. Sean Farron and Josh Paige also picked up points for Middletown in both matches.

Damascus won its fourth straight 3A/4A dual meet championship by topping Huntingtown in the semifinals, 52-18, and Oakdale in the finals, 41-22.

In the finals, the Hornets and Oakdale both picked up two pins in the first four matches, leaving the score tied at 12. The next match was a true epic in the 220 pound division which was won by sophomore Jevani Christian on an escape from bottom position point in overtime. Christian's big win sparked a seven match win streak for Damascus, which featured one pin by Ethan Rendelman in the 106 pound division, which clinched the championship for Damascus.

The Hornets got victories in both matches from the team's lone senior in the starting lineup, Colin McLaughlin. Joining McLaughlin in picking up points for Damascus in both of their matches at the meet was Colin's younger brother Jon McLaughlin, Ben Lokos, TJ Macklin, Scott Obendorfer, Ryan Lawrence and John Allan Fergeson.