Marriotts Ridge and Guilford Park wrestling coaches Vince Muscato and Dave Roogow stood side-by-side at the table with an official and a palpable tension in the air.
The back-and-forth match between two of the top four teams in Class 3A South ended in a 42-42 deadlock, meaning the winner would be decided by criteria. Scrolling through the rule book only heightened the intensity as the trio found themselves landing all the way down on criteria F: number of forfeits.
The Mustangs forfeited at 106 and 285 pounds while the Panthers conceded one. Marriotts Ridge’s second forfeit at 285 was unplanned because of an injury earlier in the tri-meet. Roogow left that conversation with a sigh of relief while Muscato parted with immense frustration as the teams each entered the dual with one loss. The forfeit difference ultimately decided the match as No. 15 Guilford Park prevailed in a 43-42 win, then defeating Reservoir, 49-28, sweeping Thursday’s tri-meet.
The Panthers (11-1) control their own destiny to lock up a top-three regional seed with just two duals remaining on Saturday against River Hill and Mt. Hebron. Merely three years ago Guilford Park was in its infancy in the school’s first year, opening with only freshman and sophomores.
Despite that youth, inexperience and many wrestlers new to the sport, Roogow knew his team had the potential to be competing in the county’s upper echelon. However, it would take diligent work and a year-round commitment.
While those expectations may have seemed rapacious at the time, they’ve come to fruition as the Panthers have blossomed into a contending team motivated to win a county tournament title in its home gym Feb. 21.
“At the end of our first season, I said, ‘I think we have the team when you guys are seniors. If you buy-in, that’s the goal. That’s where we’ll be, we’ll be competing for that county tournament title,’” Roogow said. “Everyone bought in. These guys worked their butts off, not just during the season. They go to clubs in the offseason.
“There’s no egos. Some guys wrestle some matches and then they take a back seat because I know if I bump this up, they don’t care. They want the team to win and seeing that and building that. Going from two wins your first year, to seven last year, to where we are now is really what you’re hoping for.”
Entering this season, Roogow knew the Panthers would be able to fill every weight class, which was an encouraging sign. However, Guilford Park’s 44-35 win over Hammond in its second dual of the season was a watershed moment for the group.
Many of the Panthers’ wrestlers came over from Hammond, including 126-pound senior Leo Saravia, who became the program’s first county champion as a junior last season. It marked the first time the Panthers had defeated the Golden Bears and foreshadowed what was to come in Guilford Park’s best season yet.
Roogow and his staff also learned a great deal in the team’s only county dual loss against perennial Howard County powerhouse Glenelg. The Panthers were unable to hold onto a 26-3 lead and ultimately dropped the match, 41-32. However, they’ve since responded with five straight wins, a testament to their resilience.
Saravia and fellow senior Elijah Fields (285) are the leaders of the group, with Fields also winning his first county title last year. Saravia’s been a lynchpin in the lineup for three years, while Fields has emerged into an anchor in his two seasons after transferring from Long Reach.
Roogow described Saravia as the “best captain I’ve ever had” and praised Fields’ presence. Both veterans have dealt with dual losses throughout their career. However, they’ve hardened through those defeats, showcasing their collective grit and are seeing the fruits of their labor in their final high school seasons.
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“Sometimes the only way to get better is just to get beat up,” Saravia said. “I think over time, it just makes you tougher. You just got to be there. The only match that matters is the next honestly. You can’t dwell on things.”
Nearing the final days of the team portion of the season, the Panthers are focused on remaining healthy. They’re in a stacked region with undefeated Sherwood and consistent powerhouse Chesapeake-AA currently the top two seeds.
However, they hold high aspirations that extend to the county and beyond.
“As a freshman, I won a county championship on my old team,” Saravia said. “I really wanted to win with this team. We really have hopes to do that this year and we have a realistic shot. Hosting counties, it would mean so much to me if we could win it.”
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com, 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.
Show Caption1 of 9Marriotts Ridge’s Ismail Noori goes for a pin during the 157 lb. bout of the tri-meet between Reservoir, Guilford Park, and Marriotts Ridge High Schools at Guilford Park High School in Jessup, MD. (Haldan Kirsch/Freelance)Expand
