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2005 Season Preview
Graduation
Hammond loses its smallest Senior class this year in over 10 years. Still though, it doesn't make the losses any easier. The Bears lose four year wrestlers Sean Vorsteg and Dave Rogawski as well as Andrew Coon and Jesse Lozier. All four wrestlers saw time on varsity last year. Vorsteg was the most successful placing 2nd in the county & 3rd in the region. Coon finished 4th in both the county and the region.
Returning Wrestlers
Hammond returns its most promising young lineup since 2001 when the Bears finished 2nd at the State Tournament. The lineup is headlined by State Champion Vince Taweel (130) and State Runner-Up Ethan Cohen (119). Taweel was Howard County's first freshman State Champion last season at 125 lbs. and also took home a County & Region title. Cohen won both the County & the Region before falling in the State Finals to Northern Garrett's Casey Kamp. In addition to Taweel & Cohen, Hammond will return 4 other State Qualifiers. Zach Halper (125), Ryan McKevitt (140), AJ Smith (145) and Jeff Nuss (152) all return for the Bears this season. Halper and Smith both took 2nd in the Region last season. Nuss placed 2nd in the County and 3rd in the Region while McKevitt placed 4th in both the County and the Region. The Bears also gain a huge impact wrestler back from 2003. State Placewinner and Howard County Champion Steve Sessa will return to wrestle 189 lbs. for the Bears.
Other Returners and Challengers
Joe Burns (103) looks to move up from the JV ranks to start at the 103 pound spot. Bryce Harley will likely remain at 112 and compete with Sophomore Jon Nuss for the Varsity spot. 125 looks to be the most competitive weight with potentially 6 wrestlers going for the spot. JV County Champ Eric Yee and Halper appear to be the front runners for the starting spot. Other challengers will potentially be Senior Jared Greene, Junior Jimmy Parsells & Sophomore Matt Ketchum. Antonio Alonso may also challenge for the 125 or 135 position. Another potential varsity starter appears to be JV County Champion Jose Maldonado who will likely compete at 135 or 140 lbs. State Qualifer Ryan McKevitt will be at 140 with challenges from Senior Brian Cridlin and Junior Eric Sealfon. Adam Blake will likely fill the 160 pound position along with JV Rookie of the Year Jay Miller. Mark Greenstein is slated to start at 171 lbs. with likely challenges from newcomers. The upper weights appear to be at a state of uncertainty for the Bears, but will be strengthened by the return of Sessa at 189.
The Team
The Bears have earned their first pre-season #1 ranking ever, ranked 1st in the A/AA Division in Maryland. The biggest competition for the Bears this season will likely come from perennial powerhouses South Carroll and Owings Mills, as well as challenges from Harford Tech & Francis Scott Key. In County the Bears top competitor will once again be the River Hill Hawks who are going for their 6th straight county tournament title. Other tough schools in the county appear to be Glenelg, Atholton & Oakland Mills.
For a full list of returning wrestlers, Click Here.
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