Brandywine native a knockout in the ring

County fighters advance in Golden Gloves Championships, Old School wins team honors

Perhaps the most impressive novice performer of the tournament was Brandywine’s Seth Mitchell.

Mitchell, nicknamed ‘‘Mayhem,” stopped all three of his opponents by technical knockout in the first three bouts of his amateur career.

Mitchell, a 2001 graduate of Gwynn Park High School, played several seasons with the Michigan State University football team before a series injuries forced him to leave the team.

Mitchell donned the MSU green colors for his super-heavyweight bout Friday against Bernard Adams (Brooklyn Boxing), but chances are that other participants in the tournament were green with envy about how quickly Mitchell has caught on.

‘‘I expected to win every match,” Mitchell said after the fight.

Mitchell, who has only trained since early January out of Old School boxing in Clinton, admits that he needs to get more experience. He has aspirations to reach the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, but understands that may be difficult given his late start in the sport.

‘‘That’s my ultimate goal, to represent the United States,” Mitchell said. ‘‘Whatever tournaments I have to participate in order to do that, I will.”

Mitchell, who cannot compete as an open division fighter until he has 10 fights, said he will turn pro sometime late next year ‘‘whether I make the Olympics or not.”

Other Novices

Although it was only his fifth fight, Jarrett Hurd claimed his second Washington Golden Gloves championship Friday.

A native of Accokeek and junior at Gwynn Park High, Hurd, who trains out of Hillcrest Boxing in Temple Hills, said he has rededicated himself to the sport. He recorded a technical knockout victory against Allan Perkins (Frederick Boxing) in their 165-pound novice division championship bout.

‘‘I trained really hard for this and I expected to win,” Hurd said. ‘‘I’ve been back and forth with boxing, but I think I’m going to stick with it now.”

Hurd will compete in the 2007 Junior Olympics, which begins its local competition at the end of this month.

Camp Springs resident Marquel Johns (Old School) went out as a champion in his final bout as a novice. Johns won his second consecutive Washington Golden Gloves championship with a decision against Glenn Dezurn (UMAR) in the 125-pound final.

Johns, a native of Philadelphia, improved to 9-1 in his career.

‘‘It’s feels great,” said Johns, 21, who said he would compete in the Open Division next year. ‘‘I’m trying to win a [Golden Gloves] national title.”

Laurel resident Thomas Williams (Charles M. Mooney Academy of Boxing) improved to 7-1 overall and captured his first Washington Golden Gloves title Friday. Williams, 19, a graduate of Bladensburg High, won a decision against Mount Rainier native Sam Crossed (Round One) in their heavyweight showdown Friday.

Shari Moten (Old School) defeated Ginger Guzman (Midtown) in a 152-pound novice division women’s bout.

Fort Washington native Larry Tomlin (Old School) won a decision against Bladensburg resident Alfredo Ramirez (Round One) in their 112-pound novice division bout.

Sulleman Harrington (Hillcrest) won his novice division bout by decision against Prince Kanda (Baltimore).

Old School Boxing’s Dusty Harrison (Clinton, 12-13 year-old, 85 pounds) and Chris ‘‘Rock” Warden (Brandywine, 15-16 year-old, 141 pounds) both won junior division exhibition bouts.

Advancing

Clinton resident Tyrieshia Douglas advanced to the Golden Gloves Region III championships with her decision against Shante Jordan in a 119-pound, women’s open division bout.

Moving on with Douglas is Marlow Heights native Donnell Miller, who won a decision against Jerome Postley (Down Under) in their 125-pound showdown.

Capitol Heights phenom Gary Alan Russell III (Nomis) won a highly anticipated showdown with a decision against Angelo Ward (Upton) at 132 pounds.

Largo native Dominic Wade (Round One) had little trouble winning a decision against Marcus Heathman (Nomis) in their bout at 165 pounds.

Laurel resident Dwayne McRae (Laurel) advanced to the regional championships again with a decision against Edwin Duarte (Keely) in their super-heavyweight bout.

Notes

For the second-consecutive year, Clinton-based Old School boxing took home the team crown, as its eight fighters went undefeated at the Washington Golden Gloves finals.

Old School founder and head trainer Buddy Harrison was elated.

‘‘Everywhere I go, people come up to me and say what a good job I’m doing,” Harrison said. ‘‘I tell them, it’s not me, it’s the coaches I’ve got. Those guys work hard and all of have full time jobs and come to the gym after working.”

Suitland resident Andre Hunter, Oxon Hill resident William ‘‘Flip” Johnson, Clinton resident Doug Avery, Palmer Park native Bruce Williams, Forestville resident Kenny Crouch and Brandywine resident Buck Pinson all coach at Old School.

Taeveon Washington of Laurel Boxing was presented with the Sportsmanship Award for the Golden Gloves Tournament on Friday night. Washington won the junior division championship at 90 pounds.

E-mail Terron Hampton atthampton@gazette.net.