As an eighth grader, Bently Schmidt watched his older brother’s Chesapeake wrestling team get upset by South River in the regional duals finals last year. Chesapeake was unbeaten then, just as it was when it arrived at Northeast for this year’s Class 3A East Regional on Friday.
Schmidt also suffered one of the few Chesapeake losses in a blowout of the Seahawks earlier in the season. There were too many reasons that he and Chesapeake could not abide a loss to South River on Friday.
So, they timed everything right.
Not one South River wrestler surrendered easily, but in nearly every weight class, Chesapeake’s wrestlers deployed their attacks at the right moment, racking up points in bunches. It all amounted to a 35-28 victory, redemption for last year’s disappointment, and a place in Saturday’s 3A state semifinal, which will be held at Severn Run at 11 a.m.
Peeples and Schmidt circled each other for a full minute in the second period before Peeples, a 2024 individual state champion attempted a shot. Instead, Schmidt rolled over him for the three-point takedown and padded his lead with an escape in the third.
With 30 seconds remaining in the third, Peeples lifted and slammed Schmidt in search of a pin. Schmidt stiffened, clinging to his victorious decision — and his vengeance.
“I didn’t chase him this time. I wrestled my offense,” Schmidt said. “It worked in that moment. It was perfect timing.”
In the win, Schmidt exemplified one asset Chesapeake timed well over and over again: defense. In the dregs of a period or the matchup itself, some Cougars transformed themselves into immovable rocks to prevent South River from garnering last minute points. Collin Richardson did the same at 165 pounds, muscling his way out Will French’s grip, not only preventing a potential Seahawks pin but ensuring his own decision.
Five of the Cougars’ nine contested victories were by major decision. At 144, for instance, Chesapeake’s Owen Collins shot at Ethan Berger at just the right moment to score a go-ahead takedown, building toward his major decision.
The minor decisions hung on the same decisiveness. At 132, South River’s Austin Langis sprang around Dominic Ayres. Both posted points on the other, and when Ayres nearly wrapped Langis into a fall, the Seahawk escaped.
But in the final minute, Langis lost his footing. Realizing his dangerous position, he tried to hurl himself out of the circle and reset. Ayres snatched his ankle, dragging him into the takedown, and cementing his 10-4 win.
“After our first match with them, we talked about how they were wrestling on the edge of the mat, so we told our guys to go center,” Chesapeake coach Randy Curtin said. “The timing was spot on. It was beautiful.”
Though South River earned a statement pin at 120 thanks to Trent Shipley, the tone of how this meet was going to go was set one bout earlier.
Chesapeake used many of the same tactics were used to quiet rallies from Old Mill in the region semifinal earlier in the night. Matthew Curtin scored a takedown in the final seconds of the 175-pound match, stamping the points Chesapeake needed to safely be able to forfeit out and advance.
It was because of that match that Coach Curtin felt uneasy going into the South River dual. It was too “ugly,” he said.
But after his Cougars’ more aesthetic performance against the Seahawks, Curtin faces the next round with a sense of assured calm.
“I feel so relieved now,” he said. “This was the big one. I’m just happy to get out of this region and make it to states. It’s a quick turnaround, but we’ll think about all that tomorrow.”
Because of the snow earlier this week, Chesapeake will wrestle its fourth match — and potentially fifth — in under 48 hours on Saturday. It’s why Curtin saved his postgame speeches for states and sent his wrestlers to bed, and why Schmidt intends to eat carbs but keep an eye on his weight. There’s little room for rest and even less for error.
“We knew we were gonna come in here and have a state run,” Schmidt said. “We all talked about this. It feels good. We’re ready.”
In the earlier semifinal match over Old Mill, Schmidt earned a pin, as did Richardson. For the Patriots, Keon Gavin (126) and Trey Martini (157) tallied falls.
In the Seahawks’ semifinal with Arundel, key pins by Evan Paximadas (175) and Chris Millard (190) helped to stave off a potential comeback by the Wildcats. Peeples also recorded a pin for the Seahawks, whereas Anthony Allen (132) and Cole Figueroa (138) recorded falls for Arundel.
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