Green Hornets Wrestling Finishes Outstanding Season

A couple years removed from a program-wide hiatus, Green Hornets wrestling is back in full force.

Severna Park’s young wrestlers proved it with a team championship this winter.

Green Hornets wrestling took a large contingent of athletes to the county championship tournament at North County High School on February 23 and produced 17 place-winners to dethrone the defending-champion Panthers and claim the title of Anne Arundel Wrestling League county champions for the 2019-2020 season.

Commissioner and coach Tom Wheeler said the Hornets have come on strong as they lay groundwork for the future — but the present has come with success, too.

“Last year we were able to build a foundation for Green Hornets wrestling with the support from our wrestling families and the hard work of our kids,” said Wheeler. “This year we took further strides in building the program into a feeder system for the area high schools. Everyone in our wrestling room worked hard all season and made a commitment to excellence. Our coaching staff preached about getting better each time we stepped on the mat, and our kids were able to put those words into action and perform when it mattered.”

Severna Park upped its showing from last year’s county championships, when the program brought just 17 athletes to the county tournament and produced six individual place winners, to a total of 47 county competitors, 17 county place-winners and three county champions this year.

Parker Housel (52 lbs), Leo Wheeler (55 lbs) and JP Lighthizer (90 lbs) all claimed individual county titles.

Ryan Beall (95 lbs), Tristan Morante (85 lbs), Axel Cornett (80 lbs), Cole Atallah (65 lbs), Liam Hawse (52 lbs), Landon Goller (50 lbs) and Merrick Fraser (45 lbs) were all runners-up at the county tournament in their weight classes.

Individual accomplishments were many for the Green Hornets in a season of highlights at several tournaments that included the county championships, the Southern Holiday, the Defend the Den, the Battle on the Mat, Battle of the Bay, and the Matt Morrow Memorial tournaments.

William Abboud placed first at the Battle on the Mat and second at the Matt Morrow Memorial at 57 lbs. Jack Tenenbaum placed first at the Battle on the Mat at 90 lbs. Matt Bruffey placed second at the Defend the Den at 70 lbs. Eamon Ensor placed third at counties at 95 lbs. Timmy Gately placed third at counties at 40 lbs. Gabriella Gauthier was fourth at counties at 40 lbs. Austin Hausmann placed fourth at counties, second at the Southern Holiday and third at the Battle on the Bay at 45 lbs. Sawyer Latchaw was fourth at the Defend the Den at 50 lbs. Will Lucas placed second at the Battle on the Mat at 90 lbs. Henry Peake was third at the Defend the Den at 45 lbs, and Paul Puckett was fourth at 70 lbs. At 80 lbs, Adam Rather placed third at counties, second at the Battle on the Mat and second at the Defend the Den. Jackson Rausch was third at counties at 65 lbs. Jack Seely was second at the Battle on the Mat at 65 lbs. Oliver Seely was fourth place in the county at 60 lbs.

Housel paired his county title with a first-place finish at the Battle on the Mat. Fraser placed second at the Battle on the Mat and second at the Battle of the Bay in addition to his runner-up county finish. Hawse, in addition to placing second at counties, placed second at the Battle on the Mat and third at the Defend the Den.

Leo Wheeler followed his county championship with an outstanding showing at regionals and states, placing second in his weight class at the Maryland State Wrestling Association South Region championships and fifth at the MSWA State Championship.

Coach Wheeler commended the total team effort that contributed to the Green Hornets’ successful season.

“All the success that we had as a team was due to the hard work and dedication of our wrestlers, their families and our awesome coaches: Shane Fraser, Richard Hawse, Steve Seely, Jason Dewald and Rich Goller,” said Wheeler. “I’m proud of everyone that was a part of Green Hornets wrestling. It was a great season and we look forward to putting in the work and taking more strides forward next season.”