Still perfect, Whitman wrestling outduels the rest of the state

Washington Post

16-02-2025

The regular season battle of Bethesda was canceled because of inclement weather, but nothing could stop Whitman and Bethesda-Chevy Chase from tangling on the mat: The rivals found each other in the Maryland Class 4A dual meet championship match Saturday. The Whitmaniacs nearly blew the roof off North County High as their Vikings prevailed, 50-29, and repeated as Maryland Class 4A state champions.
'It's more personal than other teams because you know the people — and especially in the finals, it just adds that much more pressure but also reassurance that we know what energy we have to bring to the match,' Whitman senior captain Justin Rommel said.
The title match capped a hectic stretch in which each team competed in five matches among the region tournament, Saturday morning's state semifinals and the championship matchup. Whitman survived to improve to 17-0 this season and 35-0 over the past two years — with two trophies to show for it.
'These are very special matches, and emotionally they're very draining,' Whitman Coach Derek Manon said. 'But this is a group that loves each other. They wrestle as a family. They wrestle for each other. And I think that, more than anything, helped them through these last not even 72 hours.'
In its semifinal, Whitman beat Annapolis, 39-32. With the win in hand, the Vikings were so comfortable that they forfeited the final two bouts.
'We worked really hard this offseason. We had a good graduating class, but we had a lot of underclassmen who wanted it, and they came out to camps and practices all summer long, and now it's paying dividends,' junior captain Solomon Randall said.
One of the new additions was senior Stephen Sloan. He had never wrestled, but seeing the 'hectic' events last year inspired him to join the team.
'It is a unique feeling, coming from other sports,' he said. 'Some sports have a very toxic environment, very competitive. Here, everybody's here to build each other up. We just want the best for each other and for the team.'
This year's championship came 20 years after Whitman's first state title in 2005. Current junior varsity coach Will Sharbaugh was on that team.
'Back in 2005, we had great team chemistry, and I feel like it's the same here. They really love the sport, and they just want to get better and win for each other,' Sharbaugh said.
'We're not just a team — we're a family,' Randall said.
On the other side of the gym in Class 2A, Huntingtown and Stephen Decatur traded the first two bouts before Huntingtown went on a 7-0 winning run that locked up the title with a 51-22 victory. At Severn Run High, Chesapeake narrowly defeated Linganore, 31-30, to win the Class 3A title, and South Carroll dominated Middletown, 58-12, in Class 1A.