Bauerlein

The six-page letter came from a former heavyweight wrestler who was down and out in West Virginia.Brian Keaton's house had just burned down and he had broken up with his girlfriend.At this low point in his life, Keaton sat down and let the thankful words flow to North Carroll wrestling coach Dick Bauerlein."I wondered who was writing me a six-page letter," said Bauerlein who is something of a coaching legend with a 207-20 dual-match record in 18 years at North Carroll. "Brian [who wrestled at North Carroll for Bauerlein six years ago]

The Maryland Youth Hunter Education Challenge took place Saturday on the Mayberry Game Protection Association grounds in Westminster.Here's how the Carroll participants placed in each category:Junior DivisionHunter Responsibility -- Steve Zimmerman, first; Joe Bauerlein, third. Wildlife Identification -- Joe Bauerlein, first; Steve Zimmerman, second; Dan Long, third. Rifle -- Jason Murphy, first; Dan Long, second. Archery -- Jason Murphy, first; Fred Aguilar, third. Shotgun -- Steve Zimmerman, first; Jason Murphy, second; Fred Aguilar, third.

HAMPSTEAD -- Old Mill staked its claim to the top spot in state wrestling with a 39-21 victory over North Carroll last night.The Patriots won six of the last seven matches in the battle of the two teams which shared the top spot in the most recent Marylamd State Wrestling Association rankings.Ernie Longazel provided the clincher for Old Mill, earning a 5-3 victory over North Carroll's Bill Lubking to seal the win for the Patriots, two-time defending state Class 3A/4A champions.Old Mill jumped to a 9-0 lead when Steve Lundstrom pinned Jeremy Myers at 103 pounds and Vytas Dulys held off a late rally by Chad Miller for a 7-5 victory.

North Carroll wrestling coach Dick Bauerlein figures he upset some wrestling fans Friday night when he juggled his starting lineup in theshowdown with Old Mill.Much of the wrestling world was anticipating a thriller at 140 pounds between Brent Layman, the state's top-ranked wrestler, and sixth-ranked Jason Myers. But Bauerlein, looking for an advantage against Old Mill's powerful upper weight classes, shifted Myers to 145 pounds.Had the strategy worked, perhaps Bauerlein's move wouldn't be open to such debate.

Where is high school wrestling headed in Carroll County now that Dick Bauerlein has retired to the hunting fields and the comfort of his living room to spend more time with his wife, Vicki, who is battling lupus?It's easy to say that coaches are replaceable and that wrestling will be just fine without the former North Carroll coach.But let's look at the facts.Bauerlein didn't just show up for practice and the matches and coach his wrestlers for 22 years at North Carroll, compiling a dual-match record of 235-21, winning 11 of the last 12 Carroll county tournament championships, eight regional tournament titles and a state 1A-2A dual-meet championship last season, and guiding the Panthers to three second-place finishes in the state tournament.

While the county is still stunned by the sudden fall of its two high school wrestling powers in the state 2A-1A tournament last weekend, it's time to look at the most logical reason for the failure of North Carroll and Francis Scott Key to battle runaway winner Northeast for the top spot.Call it burnout from the pressures of a season-long duel for supremacy in the county.The Panthers and Eagles spent so much time and energy trying to knock off each other in four competitions before the states that they just could not get up a fifth time.

Coach Dick Bauerlein's high school wrestling machine has run over almost everybody in the past 17 years.And now the North Carroll Panthers are ready to roll again this season, as they continue to search for the only jewel -- a state championship -- that has escaped them. They have finished second three times."We've had bad breaks in the states," said Bauerlein. "One year we had a wrestler disqualified because of a slam, and another time a knee injury to one of our wrestlers probably cost us the championship."

Chris Boog is unbeaten.Tommy Kiler is something of a wrestling machine.Saidrick Lewis is flamboyant.Doug Dell has been celebrated since the first day he stepped on the mat.Erik Hott has a knack for winning the key matches.Corey Rill?All he does is win, win and win some more and get lost in the crowd of superstars on the second-ranked North Carroll wrestling team."You don't even know he's around he's so quiet," said Panthers coach Dick Bauerlein. "But when he gets in a match, he has a lot of heart.

Maryland could have a new method of crowning team wrestling champions if North Carroll coach Dick Bauerlein's plan is approved.Bauerlein's plan would feature a week of dual meets at the region and statelevels to crown a team champion. The current state tournament would remain in place.If the plan is approved, Maryland would join a growing number of states -- most of them in the Midwest -- with a similar championship format. It still must be approved by the state wrestling committee, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association board of control, the state's superintendent and the state Board of Education.

Startling, shocking, unbelievable, breathtaking.All those words describe the performance by No. 2 North Carroll (11-0) last night in its Carroll County wrestling showdown against No. 5 Francis Scott Key (9-1-1).This was supposed to be a fairly close match.But the Panthers looked as if they had come down from a much higher league the way they tore apart the Eagles, 51-18, at Key.Try this on for size:North Carroll won the last five bouts by pins in a total time of only seven minutes, 46 seconds.