After a strong showing at its own Grindstone Duals last weekend and a 78-6 dismantling of Woodlawn, the Winters Mill wrestling team entered its first county test of the season with confidence. Coach Lou Orem trusted not only his lineup but also the culture his wrestlers had built.
“We have a strong connection, we’re like a family unit,” he said. “Everyone shows up every day ready to work hard and get better together.”
Momentum was already high, the crowd energized after the Winters Mill girls earned four pins in a dominant effort of their own. Soon after the boys followed and passed their test with ease, defeating Century 55-22 on Wednesday night.
“Our game plan, our lineup, everything went perfect tonight,” Orem said. “Everyone wrestled hard and wrestled smart.”
As expected, Century’s lightweights opened fast. Justus Bokrosh (120 pounds) and Brayden Brassell (126) each earned technical falls. Orem didn’t waver, knowing his team’s strength was in the middle and upper weights.
Starting at 132, Winters Mill won nine straight matches, all by pin or technical fall. One by one, wrestlers stepped onto the mat with confidence, executing what they had practiced — and dominating while doing it.
“It’s a testament to the work they put in,” Orem said. “We’re strongest toward the upper weights, and those guys always come through for us.”
At 165, sophomore Ethan Bowman delivered another commanding performance, improving to 11-0 on the young season with a 19-4 technical fall. Bowman attacked early and often, and his aggressiveness paid off.
“I’m always the first one to shoot,” he said. “I don’t like getting shot at. I like keeping the match fast and pushing the pace so I stay in control.”
Bowman’s rise didn’t surprise the Winters Mill staff. After a year of steady development, Orem believed in Bowman’s skill and potential from the first day of preseason workouts.
“To see him go from JV last year to 11-0 as a sophomore is pretty impressive,” Orem said. “When he’s on the mat, there’s a good chance he’s going to get me six.”
The loudest moment of the night came two matches later when 190-pound Nathanael McLeod took the mat to face Brayden Johnson. The Falcons senior had his own personal student section as the crowd was clearly ready to see him go to work.
“Having a support system is one of the best things you can have in this sport,” McLeod said. “It makes me happy that I get to live up to and maybe exceed the expectations people have for me.”
The crowd asked and McLeod delivered, earning a pin to stretch the Falcons’ lead. After a junior season in which he narrowly missed a county title, McLeod has continued to climb, improving every day and setting the tone for the entire program.
“Last year, there were a couple things I was good at and I was stubborn and stuck to those, but now I know I can do more,” he said. “I’ve improved my overall knowledge of the sport and learned to find comfort in the uncomfortable.”
Orem is comfortable as well. He knows he has a roster with complete buy-in from top to bottom and the talent to match. With county duals against Liberty and Francis Scott Key approaching, he understands the value of momentum — and knows his team has it.
“Now that we have a good win tonight, we keep going,” he said. “The sky’s the limit.”
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No. 9 Winters Mill 55, Century 22
106: Winters Mill wins via forfeit; 113: Century wins via forfeit; 120: Justus Bokrosh (C) def Abdulaziz Abduraimjonav 17-2; 126: Brayden Brassell (C) def Xander Martin (WM) 14-2; 132: Colton Wasmer (WM) pins Grady Faye (C); 138: Brody Lockwood (WM) def Ryan Vroom (C) 13-1; 144: Willis Kiler (WM) pins Aidan Abrams (C); 150: Luc Djoukam (WM) def Anthony Ellinger (C) 13-5; 157: Jason Acevedo (WM) pins Colton Merson (C); 165: Ethan Bowman (WM) def Sean Bodnar (C) 19-4; 175: Gavin Bowman (WM) pins Michael Burns (C); 190: Nathaniel McLeod (WM) pins Brayden Johnson (C); 215: Victor Tejada (WM) pins Daniel Cruz; 285: Cameron Gernand (C) pins Beni Balsamo (WM).