UPPER MARLBORO — Forty-eight Baltimore-area wrestlers kept their hopes for a state championship alive by advancing to the semifinal round MPSSAA state wrestling tournament at The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro on Friday night.

No local team had as many in the final four as Owings Mills’ five. Reigning state champions — Alex DuFour (113) and Phil Smith (138) — cruised to the final four in their respective weight classes, while Machiavelli Amaya (145), Roell Ngounou (160) and Diondre Space (182) also reached the semifinal round.

DuFour (39-4) advanced with a pair of falls, while Smith (35-0) had a pair of technical falls and Amaya (39-6) won two major decisions. Ngounou (35-2) and Space (39-4), however, needed one-point decisions to earn their spots.

“I’m happy with it. I’d say that was a reasonable goal walking in. We didn’t overdue the expectation but I feel like we set high goals,” Eagles coach Ryan Mackin said. “Machiavelli making it was big — he bounced back well from a loss at the region tournament — Diondre Space and Roell found ways to win and Alex and Phil did what they were supposed to do.”

Glenelg had four wrestlers advance to the final four: senior Kevin Hansberger (126), senior reigning state champion Jared Thomas (138), junior Drew Sotka (170) and senior state finalist Sam Alsheimer (195).

Hansberger (39-5) won his quarterfinals match 1-0, but the other Gladiators had bigger cushions en route to guaranteeing a spot on the podium. Thomas (44-0) and Sotka (38-6) won by fall, while Alsheimer (41-1) won a hard-fought 7-2 decision.

Dunbar has two competing in the final four: De’airus Carr (145) and two-time defending state champion Jorden Pryor (285). Carr (38-2), a junior, rolled through his first two opponents, earning a 12-0 victory and a first-period fall, while Pryor’s (33-0) quest for a third state championship nearly had a controversial end.

In his quarterfinal match, the senior was ruled to have slammed Parkside’s Mike Collins, who was unable to continue as a result. However, the Parkside coaches agreed to rule it an injury default on Collins, which awarded Pryor the victory.

“It’s something we see him do all the time — run through a double. This is a high-caliber kid and his stuff is explosive like that,” Poets coach Doug McClain said. “It wasn’t malicious. I gave the Parkside coaches an opportunity to realize that. We went through that last week when his brother got slammed and instead of forfeiting the tournament out we let the other guy go on. It’s good for the tournament, good for the guys. He didn’t mean it but I was definitely scared for Jorden. I know he’s chasing history and I hope that guy is OK.”

Freshman Ryan Athey (106), senior Steven Dahl (152) and sophomore Antonio Bradford (160) advanced to the final four for South Carroll a year after the Cavs got just one through.

Athey (41-1) won his first two matches by fall in a bracket that features four wrestlers from the same region — 2A/1A West — in the final four. Dahl (39-3) also had little trouble moving on, winning 9-1 and 16-4 major decisions, while Bradford (31-7) won via fall and a 6-0 decision.

Oakland Mills seniors and regional champions Anthony Morales (36-4 160) and Ernie Smith (285) advanced to their respective semifinals. In the quarterfinals, Morales (36-4) won a 3-2 decision, and Smith (29-3) won, 7-1.

Loch Raven senior Marquis Kemp (42-2) edged returning state finalist Shane Hovermale of Smithsburg, 4-2, in the quarterfinals and will wrestle Sparrows Point junior Matt Fouts (17-2), who won a 3-2 decision to advance at 120 pounds, for a spot in the finals. Pointers junior Lexx Carr (19-1) also reached the semifinals with a fall and a 6-3 victory at 195 pounds.

Winters Mill sophomore Zach Kirby (36-4) earned top-six finish at 126 pounds and will face Hansberger of Glenelg in a semifinal, as did Eastern Tech senior Ryan Wagener (38-1), a reigning state finalist. He needed just 44 seconds to pin his quarterfinals opponent.

North Harford junior Josh Mitchell (41-1) cruised to the semifinals at 132 pounds, where he will wrestle River Hill senior Will Henrickson (43-0), who also dominated in his two bouts.

At 220 pounds, Hammond senior Loic Tueguo (46-1) and Western Tech senior Ike Kalu (33-1) pinned each of their two opponents to advance on opposite sides of the bracket.

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