Hammond coach William Yeo got a sense in the offseason this year’s group could be special, seeing many Golden Bears wrestling year-round, developing their skill set.

That all came to fruition Feb. 18 at the 53rd Howard County Tournament, as the Golden Bears secured the county team title with 232 points, edging second-place Glenelg (182) and third-place Oakland Mills (160). Reservoir (154) and Marriotts Ridge (130) rounded out the top five. It’s Hammond’s first county tournament title since 2006.

Beyond their team success, Hammond crowned five individual county champions: Cody Johnson (113 pounds), William Terry (126), Joseph Munyaneza (145), Jinan Khan (182) and Raynard Kanu (285). Jeffrey Acheampong (106) and Jonathan Neypes (152) were also finalists.

“It’s validation for all of the work that they’ve done,” Yeo said. “It’s validation for the sacrifices that the coaches have made, the parents have made, our athletic director has made, the school has made. It really validates everything that we’ve been preaching to them and it’s a great ending to the county season.”

Kanu was the first Golden Bear up in the finals, matching up against fifth-seeded Nathan Faulkner of River Hill. Despite being the sixth seed in the tournament, the coaching staff told Kanu he’d win the whole week leading up to counties. Trailing 2-1 in the third period, Kanu reversed Faulkner’s takedown attempt and scored one himself to take a 3-2 lead he maintained the rest of the way.

Johnson was Hammond’s second county champion, with the No. 4 seed facing No. 2 seed Rocky Alabaddi of Marriotts Ridge. A close 2-1 match entering the final period, Johnson executed takedown and two nearfall points to secure the 6-1 victory, as the Hammond faithful chanted “Cody, Cody, Cody.”

One of the evening’s best between Terry, the top seed and second-seeded Sam Vissers from Reservoir, came two matches later. Vissers took a 4-3 lead early in the third period on an escape. However, Terry immediately bounced back, executing a quick takedown to retake a 5-4 lead, fending off Vissers’ late escape attempts.

“Go, you need to score at all costs,” Terry said of his mindset in the final period. “I knew I needed a takedown, so I just went for it. I wasn’t thinking, I just went for it.”

Munyaneza, one of the Golden Bears’ two top seeds, faced off against the No. 2 seed Jose Lazo from Reservoir. Munyaneza took control from the jump with multiple first-period takedowns, ultimately closing out the 8-2 decision victory.

The Golden Bears’ final individual champion came in the final bout of the night, as Khan looked to defend his county title. Khan the No. 3 seed was facing top seed Brighton Barker of Oakland Mills. Khan was aggressive from the outset. He orchestrated several takedowns in the 7-2 victory, promptly mobbed by teammates in celebration, closing out a successful county season for the Golden Bears who will look to channel that momentum into regionals and states.

“A feeling of relief just washes over you and you look out to the crowd and realize you won the tournament,” Khan said. “I know my teammates wanted to see a good match out there, so I just went out there and wrestled my hardest giving the people what they want and it ended up a really strong win.”

Glenelg, Oakland Mills crown multiple champions

Glenelg’s Peter Danko (195), the No. 4 seed was the opening match of the county finals against No. 7 seed Dax Haak of Mt. Hebron. Trailing 1-0 late in the second, Danko performed a takedown just before the second period ended. Danko built off that momentum early in the third period with a second takedown, closing out a 4-1 win.

The Gladiators’ second title came from one of their youngest wrestlers, freshman Phil Key (106). Matched up against a senior in Acheampong. Key asserted early control with a takedown and a near fall in the opening period. The young wrestler maintained that momentum into the second period, pinning Acheampong just before the period expired.

Both of the Scorpions’ county champions were in matches that went down to the wire. No. 2 seed Mason Cowell faced off against top seed Atley Turner from Marriotts Ridge with Cowell looking to improve on his second-place county finish last season. He built an 8-4 lead midway through the final period, battling for several tough takedowns. Bury fought back inside the final minute, but Cowell had just enough cushion to hang on for the 8-7 win.

Joe Clark (160), Oakland Mills’ other champion, faced a daunting challenge, matching up against the top seed, Glenelg’s Ethan Sotka. Sotka defeated Clark at a dual earlier in the season and was the defending county champion at 152 pounds. A tight match throughout, Clark managed a pair of escapes in the third period, finishing out a 4-2 win.

Other champions

Centennial sophomore Calvin Kraisser entered this season with lofty expectations, coming off an undefeated state-championship freshman campaign. Moving up a weight class, Kraisser once again dominated at the county championships. The top seed, Kraisser earned the quickest victory of the evening, pinning Oakland Mills’ Raul Rodriguez 1:08 into the opening period, securing his second consecutive county championship.

“It feels great,” Kraisser said of the county title. “I’ve been working hard in the room every day and it pays off.”

Marriotts Ridge had multiple finalists, however, Tyler Bury (152) was the Mustangs’ only top seed entering the tournament. The veteran delivered with a 10-5 victory over Neypes. With the score tied at 4 late in the second period, Bury earned a pivotal two points with a late takedown. He sustained that momentum into the final period with two more takedowns to build separation.

One of Mt. Hebron’s two county finalists, senior Sam Jordan was the top seed at 220. Matching up against No. 3 seed Tori Smith of Oakland Mills, Jordan quickly took control in the opening period. Building an early 4-0 advantage, he added another takedown to secure the 6-1 victory.

Reservoir’s Andrew Dolezel has been of the Gators’ most consistent wrestlers all season. The top seed at 120 pounds, Dolezel started out fast. Taking down River Hill’s Jacob Cohen several times, Dolezel pinned Cohen 1:25 into the second period, emphatically closing out the bout.

One of four returning county champions, River Hill senior Dylan McCullough (170) entered the county tournament with just one loss all season. The veteran and state runner-up as a junior dominated in his match against second-seeded Jonah Obitz of Marriotts Ridge. McCullough led 11-0 after the opening period with several takedowns and a near fall, closing out the match shortly after with a technical fall victory, cementing his second consecutive county title.

“The job’s not finished yet,” McCullough said. “I’m just looking to keep working and looking to come out on top. I fell a little bit short last year, which motivated me to work really hard in the offseason and hopefully be able to get to the top this year. That’s the goal and I’m just looking forward to competing.”

Team scores:

1. Hammond: 232; 2. Glenelg: 182; 3. Oakland Mills: 160; 4. Reservoir: 154; 5. Marriotts Ridge: 130; 6. Mt. Hebron: 122.5; 7. Atholton: 112.5; 8. Centennial: 100; 9. River Hill: 70.5; 10. Howard: 57; 11. Wilde Lake: 20; 12. Long Reach: 11.

Championship finals:

106: Phil Key (G) pinned Jeffrey Acheampong (Ha), 4:00; 113: Cody Johnson (Ha) 6-1 decision win over Rocky Alabbadi (MR); 120: Andrew Dolezel (Re) pinned Jacob Cohen (RH), 3:25; 126: William Terry (Ha) 5-4 decision win over Sam Vissers (Re); 132: Mason Cowell (OM) 8-7 decision win over Atley Turner (MR); 138: Calvin Kraisser (C) pinned Raul Rodriguez (OM), 1:08; 145: Joseph Munyaneza (Ha) 8-2 decision over win Jose Lazo (Re); 152: Tyler Bury (MR) 10-5 decision win over Jonathan Neypes (Ha); 160: Joe Clark (OM) 4-2 decision win over Ethan Sotka (G); 170: Dylan McCullough (RH) win by technical fall over Jonah Obitz (MR); 182: Jinan Khan (Ha) 7-2 decision win over Brighton Barker (OM); 195: Peter Danko (G) 4-1 decision win over Dax Haak (MH); 220: Samuel Jordan (MH) 6-1 decision win over Tori Smith (OM); 285: Raynard Kanu (Ha) 3-2 decision win over Nathan Faulkner (RH).

Consolation finals:

106: Boden Pistorio (MR) 3-1 decision win over Johnathan Maslan (A); 113: Michael Cowen (OM) ultimate tiebreaker win over Jonathan Sexton (G); 120: Zach Terry (Ha) pinned Kivuva Mativo, 0:41; 126: Malachi Johnson (A) 11-4 decision win over Ben Schott (G); 132: Sebastian Meza (Re) 6-4 decision win over Isaac Choi (G); 138: Olav Jensen (Re) pinned Justin Soriano, 4:41; 145: Ezra Ruiz-Lebron (C) 5-2 decision win over Griffin Thurfield (G); 152: Ethan Gauthier (C) 7-5 decision win over Sam Schott (G): 160: Sahith Mada (MH) 6-4 decision win over Noah Whipkey (C); 170: Braydon Fisher (OM) 7-2 decision win over Demetrius Battle (Re); 182: Omar Palmer (A) 9-3 decision win over Leo Conti (G); 195: Tristan Yee (C) 5-3 decision win over Jose Vasquez (Re); 220: Caleb Snype (Ho) pinned Mark Enamorado (A), 4:59; 285: Travis Goodwin (G) pinned Skye Song (MR), 2:28