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VivaLoudoun Editor
South Riding (Feb. 6, 2011) - In the afterglow of a runaway repeat title romp through the Dulles District wrestling meet Saturday, Freedom High School coach Kent Nagy gathered his team on the center mat where they had just taken eight individual titles before an appreciative home crowd.
"This is the second year in a row that we have been here ... now we want to take that next step," Nagy said in a strained voice as he had coached 10 athletes in the finals and all 14 varsity members finished in the top five to qualify for next Saturday's always-tough Region II meet at Orange County. "All year our focus has been on doing well at Regionals and getting as many guys through to States."
Fans walking in off the street could be forgiven for thinking that the finals Saturday were a Freedom dual meet as the Eagles dominated from start -- with 103-pounder Anthony Chau's 6-3 upset over Broad Run Akhil Gowda, who had been unbeaten in district this year -- to the end where Freedom brought the crowd to its feet with three consecutive pins to put the exclamation point on the championship as Pat Haggerty (189 pounds), Chris Freda (215), and DaQuante Timbers (285) all won by falls.
"Our fans are amazing. They show up and they are just awesome," said Nagy.
In between the Eagles only fell twice in 10 bouts in the finals and Steven Marquina (119), Sean Gaetani (130), Michael Hosti (135), and Cody Hamm (140) all won titles to help Freedom pile up 268.5 points -- more than 100 points ahead of runner-up Potomac Falls which finished with 163 and a champion at 145 in Batchka Zulkhuu.
Broad Run finished third with 158 and also had one champion in No. 2 seeded Angel Rios who captured the 112 finals -- one of the deepest weight classes in the district -- with a fall over No. 5 seed Tuan Dang of Park View with just three seconds left in the match. Dang had decisioned top seed Nick Rea of Potomac Falls, 8-5, in the semifinals while Rios squeezed by No. 3 seed Michael Hulcher of Briar Woods, 3-2.
Loudoun County didn't bring as much depth as the other squads but the Raiders took fourth with 120.5 after a great showing the finals as the team from Leesburg crowned three champions: Tyler Anthony (125), David Richardson (152), and Kenton Perez (160).
Fifth-place Park View had the other district champion on the night as Salman Gill decisioned Zack Causey of Potomac Falls, 6-2, at 171.
Freedom also advanced 14 wrestlers to Regionals last season but the Eagles struggled a bit at a weather-shortened Region II meet and Hosti said the team is aiming to make-up for their 2010 showing.
"Our goal is to be top two or three in Regionals and definitely be in the top 10 team-wise at States," said Hosti who won his 135 finals Saturday,. 9-0, over Dominion's Andrew Fawkes, the No. 3 seed who took out second seed Sloan Meadows of Broad Run, 8-6, in the semifinals.
After Chau's win and Rios' pin got the crowd buzzing, it was a close battle between Marquina and Loudoun County's Logan Smith at 119. Marquina led 1-0 heading into the third period but Smith escaped with 1:33 left in the match to tie it, 1-1. Marquina then scored a takedown with 50 seconds left. Smith was able to work his way free with 33 seconds to go to make it, 3-2, but he couldn't secure a takedown as Marquina hung on for the 3-2 win.
"I went for the move that I have been practicing and it worked," said Marquina of the winning takedown.
At 125 it was all Loudoun County's Anthony as he scored a tech fall in the third period after building an 18-1 lead over Brian Hulcher of Briar Woods. Anthony's first two matches of the day ended in first period falls.
At 130, Broad Run's Neil Hartman shot for the upset with an early takedown over Gaetani but the Eagle senior regrouped and went on to win, 13-3.
"That early takedown kind of threw me off a little. I knew I had to be smart and bounce back," said Gaetani.
After Hosti's win at 135, it was Hamm's turn and he won a close match with Anwar Causey of Potomac Falls, 10-6. The match was tied 4-4 early in the third after Causey scored a reversal. Hamm, however, escaped with 55 seconds left and then scored a takedown with 35 seconds to go. A nearfall near the buzzer and reversal by Causey at the buzzer left the final score, 10-6.
Zulkhuu at 145 defeated Pablo Garcia of Park View, 12-4. Garcia, having wrestled only twice at the weight class during the season was seeded sixth with his 1-1 record but he advanced with a pair of falls.
At 152 Richardson and Freedom's Tyler Young were locked in a tight struggle. Richardson scored a takedown in the first period but Young countered with a reversal with one second left in the second period. Young chose to let Richardson up to start the third period but was unable to execute a takedown in the final two periods as the Raider held firm on his feet for the 3-2 win.
Perez's win at 160 was another exhausting match between the Raiders and Eagles as Perez went into the third period with a 2-1 lead over Jason Scrivo. Perez added the insurance with an escape and takedown for the 5-1 win.
After Park View's Gill won at 171 it was Haggerty's win by fall with 14 seconds left over Dominion's Emile Khattar at 189, that brought the biggest smile of the night to Nagy. Haggerty won the weight class with three straight falls despite weighing in at 167 for the tournament.
"He gives up 20 pounds and then pins his way through the tournament," said Nagy.
Haggerty's fall was just the start of Freedom's finals flourish as Freda pinned Robert Villoch of Briar Woods early in the third period in a match was scoreless after the first. And then DaQuante Timbers finished the night with a pin over Dylan O'Connor of Woodgrove with 38 seconds left in the opening period of the 285 bout. Timbers had a bye to start the tournament and needed just 34 seconds in the semifinals for a fall so he spent a total of 116 seconds on the mat while picking up the district title.
Final Team Scores1, Freedom 268.5
2, Potomac Falls 163
3, Broad Run 158
4, Loudoun County 120.5
5, Park View 117
6, Dominion 101.5
7, Woodgrove 70
8, Briar Woods 63.5
9, Tuscarora 29
Medalists
103
1, Anthony Chau (F) JR
2, Akhil Gowda (BR) JR
3, Stephen Cathey (PF) JR
4, Jack Pluth (T) FR
5, Brandon Thien (D) FR
112
1, Angel Rios (BR) JR
2, Tuan Dang (PV) SR
3, Nick Rea (PF) SR
4, Michael Hulcher (BW) FR
5, Levi Hamm (F) SO
119
1, Steven Marquina (F) SR
2, Logan Smith (LC) SO
3, Nelson Schmidl (BR) SR
4, Mohamad Ali (PV) SR
5, Jack Norby (T) SO
125
1, Tyler Anthony (LC) SR
2, Brian Hulcher (BW) SR
3, Mitchell Sandoe (D) SR
4, Tarkan Martin (BR) SO
5, Matt Allison (F) JR
130
1, Sean Gaetani (F) SR
2, Neil Hartman (BR) JR
3, Kaden Palacio (PF) JR
4, Paolo Garcia (D) JR
5, Scott Rossell (LC) SO
135
1, Michael Hosti (F) SR
2, Andrew Fawkes (D) SR
3, Antony Oswald (PF) SO
4, Sloan Meadows (BR) JR
5, Michael Schwinabart (PV) SR
140
1, Cody Hamm (F) JR
2, Anwar Causey (PF) SR
3, Luke Segerdahl (W) SO
4, A.J. Pittas (LC) JR
5, Mustafa Ahmet (BR) JR
145
1, Batchka Zulkhuu (PF) JR
2, Pablo Garcia (PV) SR
3, Andrew Nelson (F) JR
4, Edwin Rodriguez (D) SR
5, Alec Scheller (LC) SR
152
1, David Richardson (LC) SR
2, Tyler Young (F) JR
3, Bret Decker (W) JR
4, Micha Hotz (PV) FR
5, Andrew Chverchko (D) SR
160
1, Kenton Perez (LC) SR
2, Jason Scrivo (F) SR
3, Joe Cavaliaro (W) SO
4, Noah Saunders (PF) SR
5, Patrick Dunlap (BR) SR
171
1, Salman Gill (PV) SR
2, Zack Causey (PF) SO
3, Jordan Lutz (BW) SR
4, Matt Murphy (F) SR
5, Matt Kloc (D) SR
189
1, Pat Haggerty (F) JR
2, Emile Khattar (D) JR
3, Diego Loya (BR) SO
4, Wilbur Machado (PV) JR
5, Dionte Fitts (T) JR
215
1, Chris Freda (F) JR
2, Robert Viloch (BW) SR
3, Hakim Warney (PF) JR
4, Phillip James (BR) SO
5, Daniel Villalobos (PV) JR
285
1, DaQuante Timbers (F) JR
2, Dylan O'Connor (W) SO
3, Austin Mehalic (PF) JR
4, Xavier Perla (BR) JR
5, Filemon Caballas (PV) JR
Finals
103: Chau (F) dec. Gowda (BR), 6-4
112: Rios (BR) fall Dang (PV), 5:57
119: Marquina (F) dec. Smith (LC), 3-2
125: Anthony (LC) t-fall Hulcher (BW), 18-1
130: Gaetani (F) MajDec Hartman (BR), 13-3
135: Hosti (F) MajDec Fawkes (D), 9-0
140: Hamm (F) dec. Causey (PF), 10-6
145: Zulkhuu (PF) MajDec Garcia (PV), 12-4
152: Richardson (LC) dec. Young (F), 3-2
160: Perez (LC) dec. Scrivo (F), 5-1
171: Gill (PV) dec. Causey (PF), 6-2
189: Haggerty (F) fall Khattar (D), 5:46
215: Freda (F) fall Viloch (BW), 4:29
285: Timbers (F) fall O'Connor (W), 0:34
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