2004 Season Preview
Graduation
Hammond loses 8 Seniors from last season, including all five captains Sean Smith (119), Corey Wright (171), Caleb Lowe (135), Dan Snyder (140) & Pat Wallace (160). Also graduating were Todd Loisel (125), Elliott Cohen (135) and Regional Champion Austen Merson (215). Wright and Lowe were sidelined with injuries for most of last season. Cohen finished 3rd in the County in absence of Lowe. Smith was the team's MVP, a county runner-up and a regional qualifier. Snyder and Wallace qualified for the state tournament along with Austen Merson who finished strong with a 2nd place county finish and Regional Title. Wright, Wallace and Merson's absence will hit the Bears the most as the lineup lacks depth up top.
Hammond loses 8 Seniors off of last year's team.
Other Losses
Senior Chase Nelson (145) will miss the entire season due to a shoulder injury incurred this fall. Chase was 5-14 last season and finished 4th at the Francis Scott Key Tournament. Senior Chris Giroux (152) may not compete this year due to Baseball obligations, however his return is unsure. If Giroux does return he will likely wrestle 152 or 160 lbs and will contend for a county and regional title. Chris finished with a 17-9 record last season while placing 4th in the county and qualifying for the Regional Tournament. In addition, Sophomore Marcellos Harvard (275) transferred from Hammond to Southern Baltimore and will not wrestle for the Bears this season. Marty finished 4th in the county last year, after wrestling just 12 varsity matches.
The Bears lose Most Valuable Wrestler and County Runner-Up Sean Smith
Returning Wrestlers
Hammond returns 2 state placewinners and two other state qualifiers. Junior Ethan Cohen (112) placed 4th in the state last season compiling a 22-11 record with runner-up finishes in both the county and the region. He currently holds a #3 class 1a/2a ranking. Stephen Sessa (189) returns with a top 30 ranking in the country among Juniors. Sessa was a County Champion and finished 3rd in both the region and the state. He compiled a 32-5 record last year with 15 pins and is ranked #1 in 1a/2a and #4 overall in the state. Also returning and ranked #5 in 1a/2a is Junior A.J. Smith (140). A.J. placed 3rd in the county last year and 4th in the region. He was also a member of Maryland's Junior National Freestyle and Greco-Roman team. Senior Sean Vorsteg (119) also returns from a runner-up finish in the county and 3rd in the region. He finished 17-12 last year with 7 pins.
Hammond returns 3rd year starter & Captain Ethan Cohen (112).
Sophomore Bryce Harley will look to fill the void at 103 left by Cohen who will move up to 112. Harley finished 3rd in the county on JV last season. Senior Dave Rogowski looks to get his shot in the varsity line-up at 130 lbs. Rogowski was the JV Most Valuable Wrestler and finished with an undefeated record and a JV County Championship. Junior Brian Cridlin returns and looks to fill the 135 lbs spot. He placed 3rd in the County on JV last season. A much improved Eric Yee will return and challenge for a varsity spot at 119 or 125 lbs. The Sophomore wrestled over 50 matches this summer and placed in numerous tournaments. Sophomores Jimmy Parsells, Nick George and Jose Maldonado will also challenge for spots from 125 through 135. Juniors David Chicca and Dylan Tubbs have put in tons of off-season work and will look to fill gaps in the upper part of the line-up. Senior Andrew Coon (275) will returm after only wrestling 3 varsity matches last year before being declared ineligible.
Junior Stephen Sessa is ranked #1 in the small schools division. He looks to take home his first State title this season.
The Bears will add a strong freshman class to the team this year, headlined by Freshman Vince Taweel. Vince was a MJWL champ and Junior League State Champion last season. He also finished 2nd in the Middle School Nationals wrestled in Virginia. Taweel should start at 119 or 125 lbs. this year. Another Junior League product to join the squad will be Freshman Zach Halper. Zach finished 4th at the Junior League State Tournament last season and could challenge for a 103 varsity spot. Another newcomer will be Chance Vacek, a transfer from Long Reach High School. Chance is a Senior this year and will likely start at 160 or 171 lbs.
AJ Smith is the Bears other Junior Captain. He has a pre-season rank of 5th in the state.
The Bears once again will look to challenge for a County Title. Their main competition will once again come from the River Hill Hawks, who are coming off of a Dual Meet State Championship season. Other challenges could come from Oakland Mills, Centennial & Glenelg.
The Bears looked poised to recapture the South Region Title with challenges from Oakland Mills and Glenelg. Walkersville and Owings Mills look to be Hammond's main competition for a state title this season. Owings Mills has a pre-season rank of #2 overall in the state of Maryland. Hammond will also host the State Dual Tournament this season on the 14th of February.
For a full list of returning wrestlers, Click Here.
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Hammond Coach Pedro Barbosa
(Photo by Francis Gardler)