Bill Ryan/The Gazette

Damascus High School’s Mikey Macklin earned a major decision over Northwest’s Dell Ngonga during Saturday’s tri-meet. Damascus is the top seed at this week’s regional duals.

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The regional duals opening round of matches are set for Wednesday as four teams from Montgomery County will be participating.

The most heavily-loaded region is the 3A/4A West, which includes top-seeded (and undefeated) Damascus (14-0), second-seeded Bethesda-Chevy Chase (13-1), and fourth-seeded Thomas S. Wootton (12-2). Wootton faces Damascus while B-CC takes on North Hagerstown. The matches are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday with the finals at 7:30.

“They’re kids and glad they’re in,” B-CC coach Nick Arnone said. “And I’m kind of glad that we’re not matched up with Damascus going into the duals. They’re heavily favored, rightfully so. We wrestled North Hagerstown at the LaPlata Duals and lost, so it gives some incentive for the guys, too. They’ve already lost to them one time, they’ll be motivated this time.”

The Barons won the “Battle for Bethesda” as they beat both Walt Whitman and Walter Johnson on Saturday to finish with a 13-1 record and reach the duals.

“Obviously, there was a lot on the line,” Arnone said. “They definitely rose to the occasion. You worry that the pressure might get to them. Now they’ve got another neat opportunity to wrestle at that next level and see what they can do.”

The other Montgomery County team in the regional duals is Poolesville, which is the third-seeded team in the 1A/2A South bracket. They’ll face Oakland Mills in the first round and enter with a 10-4 record. The winners of Wednesday’s regional finals will advance to Saturday’s finals at North Point High School, which are scheduled to begin at noon.

Dominance continued

Our Lady of Good Counsel High School’s wrestling team won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title on Saturday with ease, gliding to a 108-point win and unseating defending champion DeMatha in the process. It’s the second WCAC title in three seasons for the Falcons, who had seven wrestlers win individual titles at their respective weight classes and 10 finalists. Kyle Snyder (220) and Spencer Neff (195) were solid, as always, in winning their respective weight classes.

While Good Counsel, no doubt, is overjoyed with the victory, their coach Skylar Saar and the team have their sights on bigger things this season, including a Maryland Independent team title.

“We did great,” Saar said. “That [a WCAC title] was something we checked off our list for this year. It’s not necessarily just about the conference championship this year, though. We really want to try to win at St. Albans, the state tournament and do well at National Preps.”

A big loss

Because of an unfortunate and untimely injury, Winston Churchill junior Hunter Sutton has seemingly lost his opportunity to win four Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association state championships. Sutton, who was unable to be reached for comment, posted a message on his Facebook account saying that his season would end with a 23-0 record because he tore his meniscus and will have to miss the remainder of the wrestling campaign.

Sutton won the state championship his freshman and sophomore seasons.

ncammarota@gazette.net

HOW THEY RANK

1. Good Counsel (17-0)

2. Georgetown Prep (16-3)

3. Damascus (14-0)

4. Bethesda-Chevy Chase (13-1)

5. Thomas S. Wootton (12-2)

BEST BET

3A/4A West Regional Duals at Damascus, 5:30 p.m., Wednesday

St. Albans Tournament at St. Albans, Friday and Saturday