2003 Season Summary

Injuries Plague Bears, fail to defend Region Title The loss of team leader and State Champion Russell Tebeleff would be a tough hole to fill along with the loss of the Graham twins, Chad & Jarrell as well as Lee Seidman. The Bears would return a strong group of seniors including Captains Sean Smith, Dan Snyder, Caleb Lowe, Corey Wright & Pat Wallace along with Todd Loisel, Austen Merson and Manuel Patino. Corey Wright would be the first Bear injured, suffering a broken arm in a dual meet vs. Glenelg. He would end his season and career at South Carroll High School in his first match vs. Kevin O'Conner. Patino would be the next to go down suffering a season and career ending injury to his ankle after starting the season 10-1 with 9 pins at 189 lbs. Strong support was provided from Sophomore's AJ Smith, Ethan Cohen and Steve Sessa. Sessa would eventually earn a county title and place 3rd in the State. Cohen, in only his second year wrestling, would rally to place 4th in the state and become a county & region runner-up. Despite a promising 2nd place finish at the Francis Scott Key Tournament, Caleb Lowe would suffer from a season ending medical condition that would cut short his career at Hammond. Sean Smith cashed in a long four years of a hard work with a Francis Scott Key Tournament title, a County Runner-Up finish and Hammond's Most Valuable Wrestler award. Most improved was no suprise as Austen Merson in his first full year of wrestling took home Hammond's only Regional Championship and placed 6th in the state in Maryland's first year of the 215 lbs. weight class. Sean Vorsteg also shocked a few spectators with a second place county finish as well as a state qualifying run with a 3rd place finish in the region tournament. Another newcomer that made an impact was rookie Heavyweight freshman Marty Harvard. Although Marty finished 4th in the County in his first year wrestling, he would move to Baltimore City after the school year, and never return to Hammond. 2003 saw the first Hammond season since 1995 that the Bears did not take home at least one Post-Season Championship Title. Was it just bad luck for the Bears? Or is this the beginning of a decline for Hammond's most successful sports program?