Calvert Hall's Chris Knox (112 pounds), Gilman's Mike Faust (215) and DeMatha wrestlers Drew Robertson (145) and Wes Cummings (171) all won titles over the weekend at the National Preps tournament at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.
Gilman's Damien Davis (189), battling the flu, was runner-up for the second straight year. Davis lost in overtime to a Germantown wrestler he'd beaten twice before. Knox was third at National Preps last year, and Faust was fourth.
Robertson and Cummings, coached by Elkridge resident Dick Messier, each won their second straight National Preps titles. DeMatha of Hyattsville won its sixth team tournament title.
Finishing second were Davis, Curley's Darien Kess (103), Calvert Hall's Tony Russo (145) and Randallstown native Marvin McClain (171) of West Nottingham Academy in Cecil County.
Russo lost, 2-1, to Robertson in a rematch of their overtime state title bout the previous weekend, which Robertson also won.
Former Calvert Hall product Chris Hanlon (135), a postgraduate wrestling for Pennsylvania's Hill School, was also a runner-up to Peddie School's Foley Dowd, a two-time National Preps champ who is ranked No. 1 nationally.
Bullis of Montgomery County freshman Matt Palmer (119) also was second, losing for the first time in his high school career, and St. Paul's Nick Alevrogiannis (heavyweight) was third.
Fourth-place finishers included Curley's Antwaun Lide (125), Brian Bricker (130) and Paul Boettcher (152), McDonogh's Joe Rosenbaum (171) and Mount St. Joseph's Bryan McDermott (135).
En route to his title, Knox met -- and defeated -- a familiar opponent in the semifinals. Knox edged the Hill School's Will Filbert, 5-1.
A former two-time state champ at McDonogh, Filbert now is a postgraduate wrestler at the Hill School.
Kess dropped his title bout to Blair Academy's Cody Cooperman, who is ranked No. 2 nationally.
Out of 126 teams, Curley was sixth, Calvert Hall ninth and Gilman 11th.
Pub Date: 3/01/99
