More News

If "Snowmaggedon" doesn't postpone Wednesday's 4A-3A West Region dual meet wrestling tournament, Steady Eddie will again be the team to beat.

Undefeated Whitman is again the class of the county, and would be the top seed in the four-team tournament featuring host Clarksburg, Quince Orchard and Magruder.

The scenario should sound familiar. Since 2004, the Vikings have been one of the best teams in the state, bar none. The banners state their case: four regional dual championships (2004, '05, '08, '09), one state dual meet title (2005), a state tournament crown (2005), three regional tournament championships (2004, '05, '09), a county tournament title (2004) and six divisional titles (2004, '05, '06, '08, '09, ‘10).

"Whitman has built a strong tradition of success," Damascus coach John Furgeson said. "Derek Manon is an excellent, enthusiastic coach that has helped developed the youth league wrestlers into champions."

Previously an assistant to current Whitman athletic director Andy Wetzel, Manon has 112 career victories since taking over the reigns in 2007-2008. Their combined success sounds even more impressive considering the lack of it beforehand. Until 2004, the Vikings had won nothing of regional or state consequence.

The program into a regular player on the regional and state scene thanks to a boost in participation and wisdom. Its feeder system has strengthened tremendously, providing experienced wrestlers with quality coaching from Wetzel and Manon. And as the years go by, excellence is becoming an expectation, not a goal.

"The Viking Mat Club has been here before I started," Wetzel said. "It is run by volunteers. [They are] mostly dads who were former wrestlers. Dave Case, Mike Lerner, Pete Havenstein, Jim Douglas and Gary Sanchez are some of the people most responsible for the program. The club has grown so much over the past 10 years that they now have to hold practices at other schools to accommodate all the kids. ... Without the feeder program and all the volunteers that run it, it would be very difficult and almost impossible to field a competitive team every year."

The Vikings Mat Club, which also sends wrestlers to Walter Johnson, Churchill and Bethesda-Chevy Chase, boasts an impressive alumni including three-time state champion Eren Civan — now at Columbia University (N.Y.) — and 2006 state-title winner Will Sharbaugh (Maryland). Both starred at Whitman.

Other former Vikings Mat Club performers include Whitman graduates Andrew Robinson (100 wins at the school), Carl Ehrlich and Bethesda-Chevy Chase's Jeronimo brothers, Chad and Eric. Both finished second in the state as seniors.

"There's been a ton of really good wrestlers who came through the Viking Mat Club," said Sanchez. "It definitely feeds Whitman and it helps Whitman."

Added Northwest head coach Joe Vukovich: "It is all about the youth league feeding them. ... They also have strong coaching and a very organized program with dedicated and involved parents."

The Vikings can cement their status, yet again, should Wednesday's tournament go according to schedule. They are gunning for their third-straight regional dual meet title,

The good times didn't come to fruition overnight.

"The old saying that success breeds success is true," Manon said. "Once the kids see that their hard work pays off, they start to work harder to replicate that success. It almost becomes expected that the team will be competitive. They will be able to reload every year ... maybe not always at the same level, but pretty darn close to it."

Note: A water pipe burst in Whitman's gymnasium last week, causing the tournament to be moved to Clarksburg.