Howard County wrestling at a glance

Atholton Raiders

1994-95 record: 5-8 overall, 3-4 league.

Coach: Bruce Lindblad.

Top wrestlers: Tim McGrail, 152, Jr.; Wade Zancan, 140, Soph.; Paul McElheny, HW, Jr.; Shawn O'Haragan, 119, Soph.; Elliott Lipple, 135, Jr.

Outlook: The Raiders will be the youngest team in the county, and the second smallest in numbers next to Mount Hebron. They have 22 participants (no seniors) and will start five wrestlers who are freshmen or sophomores. Two-time county champ Ricky Trott decided to run indoor track, and two other experienced wrestlers have not returned. That leaves McGrail as the only returning state qualifier and the only returnee with a winning record. McGrail finished second in the county to Lignelli of Glenelg. McElheny (6-foot-6 and 275 pounds) has improved a lot by working in the weight room and playing football. "If we have a .500 season we'll be doing well," Lindblad said.

Centennial Eagles

1994-95 record: 9-5 overall, 5-2 league.

Coach: Todd DeCrispino.

Top wrestlers: Billy Allen, 112, Soph.; Lance Rhodes, 125, Sr.; Matt Augustin, 140, Sr.; Robert Rix, 152, Sr.; Joon Kim, 189, Sr.

Outlook: The Eagles, ninth in the state 3A-4A, graduated two county champions, but will start nine seniors, including state champion Kim, The Baltimore Sun's Howard County Wrestler of the Year. Last year was a break-through season for Centennial, which had three county champs -- one more than in the previous four years combined. The Eagles finished second in the dual-meet standings and fourth in the tournament last season. Allen (11-6) finished third in the county; Rhodes (24-6) was second; Augustin (18-12) was third and Kim (32-1, 18 pins) was first. The team also has three junior varsity champs -- Nick Sabatini (119), David Roogow (135) and Tony Carmadella (145). "We will have a very strong team with a lot of depth," said DeCrispino. He was The Baltimore Sun's Howard County Co-Coach of the Year last season.

Glenelg Gladiators

1994-95 record: 7-7 overall, 4-3 league.

Coach: Ed Ashwell.

Top wrestlers: Jim O'Connor, 119, Soph.; Jeremy Lignelli, 152, Jr.; Kevin Ferguson, 171, Jr.; Dave Ferguson, 160, Jr.; Frank Brosenne, HW, Sr.

Outlook: The Gladiators have two-time county champ Lignelli (33-2) who won the region and finished third at states. O'Connor (24-8) finished second in the county and was a second-team All-County pick by The Baltimore Sun. The Gladiators have a new coach in Ashwell, a former Glenelg head football coach. The former two-time county wrestling champ replaces Jeff Kent. "We have 10 freshmen and 10 sophomores so we're young, but I like what I see so far," Ashwell said. "If we finish in the top four in the county that would be good."

Hammond Bears

1994-95 record: 7-5-1 overall, 3-3-1 league.

Coach: Jeff Starnes.

Top wrestlers: Josh Zillmer, 140, Jr.; Hansel Henry, 171, Sr.; Jan Grothe, 125, Sr.; Mike Loula, 135, Sr.; Tony Dakis, 152, Jr.; Tom Borrego, 160, Sr.; Jared Zillmer, 112, Fresh.; Mark Read, 119, Fresh.

Outlook: The Bears return two county champs (Josh Zillmer and Hansel) and two fourth-place county finishers (Grothe and Loula). Zillmer, first-team All- County, was 14-0, but his season was hampered by a shoulder injury that kept him out of regions and states. Henry, first-team All-County, a regional runner-up and state semifinalist, was 30-9 and holds the school career takedown record at 112. Adam Clark (145) won a junior varsity title. Jared Zillmer was 84-0 in youth-league wrestling last year. Read is a noteworthy freshman. Hammond finished second at the county tournament, ending its two-year reign as champs, and was fifth in the dual-meet standings. "Last year was a rebuilding year," said Starnes in his 11th season as head coach. "This year, who knows?"

Howard Lions

1994-95 record: 5-5-2 overall, 4-2-1 league.

Coach: Joe Thomas.

Top wrestlers: P. J. Dameron, 119, Sr.; Matt Sartwell, 145, Sr.; Chris Poling, 160, Sr.; Frank Tortella, 171, Sr.; Brian Neal, HW, Sr.; Ken Neal, 189, Sr.

Outlook: The Lions will be one of the most experienced and talented teams in the league. Five wrestlers, each with at least 20 wins, are back. Sartwell (20-12) was a county champ, Poling (26-5), Tortella (26-5) and Neal (27-6) finished second. Dameron (22-8) failed to make weight at the county tournament. The Lions finished third in the county tourney, third in the dual-meet standings and first in the 3A-4A North Region and qualified six wrestlers for states. Howard graduated only one top wrestler, Eric Paskin. Its two league losses were to Oakland Mills, on the final bout, and to Centennial. It tied Hammond. "If we wrestle well and everything pans out as far as weights, we can have a decent season," said Thomas, The Baltimore Sun's Howard County Co-Coach of the Year last season.

Mount Hebron Vikings

1994-95 record: 2-13-1 overall, 0-7 league.

Coach: Jeff Quinn.

Top wrestlers: Quint Lears, 125, Sr.; James Thomas, 130, Jr.; Joe Fleischmann, 130, Sr.