(Feb. 27, 2015) The Stephen Decatur wrestling team finished in fourth place during the Bayside Conference championship tournament, Monday and Tuesday, in Cambridge.
“I thought they wrestled great. I was happy,” said Decatur Coach Todd Martinek. “A bunch of kids avenged early season losses.”
The meet was originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21, but it was postponed because of snow and several schools being closed last Friday.
North Caroline won the Bayside team title, scoring 202 points. Easton took second with 183 points, followed by Kent Island with 173 points. Decatur tallied 171 points.
Seven Seahawks have advanced to the 4A/3A South Regional tournament, Feb. 27-28, at Henry A. Wise High School in Prince George’s County because of their performances during the regional meet. The top four wrestlers in each weight class qualified for regional.
Senior TJ Scafone (16-6) earned a Bayside title in the 120-pound weight class.
“He crushed the tournament. He beat everybody handily,” Martinek said.
Scafone missed the first half of the season sidelined with a broken leg. He returned to the mat in early January.
Sophomore Andy McKahan (27-6) became a two-time Bayside champion, winning the 126-pound division.
Tyler Vansice (22-9), a junior, placed second in the 145-pound weight class. Sophomore Ean Spencer (17-14) was runner-up in the 220-pound division.
Sophomore Josh Lawson (17-11) and junior Brett Kim (23-8) finished in third place in the 106- and 160-pound divisions, respectively. Senior captain Jeremiah Purnell (14-17) took fourth in the 132-pound weight class.
Senior captain Brandon Wooten (195 pounds) didn’t place at Baysides but he will compete at regionals because of his season performance.
Martinek is expecting tough competition at regionals . Typically, the conference championship meets take place a week before the regional tournament and teams have several days to prepare. Because the Bayside meet was rescheduled to Monday and Tuesday and school was closed Wednesday and Thursday, the Seahawks didn’t have much time to fine-tune before regionals. But Martinek said the boys are focused and ready.
“If we can get four to states I think it will be a good regional tournament for us,” he said.
