ALEXANDER THE CHAMP

And now, 10 seconds away from becoming the first state wrestling champion in Colonel Richardson High School history, Austin Alexander felt trapped in time.

“It just felt like everything stopped,” Alexander said. “I couldn’t hear the crowd. The only thing I could hear was my breath and the kid’s breath while I just looked up at the clock. I’m not sure if it was just in my head but it felt like those 10 seconds lasted a lifetime.”

In those final seconds, Alexander had gotten a takedown and two backpoints to cement a 7-1 victory over Sparrows Point senior Hunter Petrovia in the 285-pound title match during last Saturday’s Class 2A-1A state tournament at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro.

After his left arm had been raised in triumph, Alexander dropped to his knees, and with his arms extended to his sides, looked upward. He soon was back on his feet approaching head coach Bryan Hall.

“When the match was over I said, ‘How do you feel?’” Hall said. “He was like, ‘Oh, my goodness. I feel so much better. Like I feel lighter.’ I said, ‘You feel 100 pounds lighter now don’t you? You could go wrestle 189 the rest of the season.’ He’s like, ‘Yes.’ It’s like someone took all the cinderblocks off his shoulder that he’s been carrying around.”

As an eighth-grader, Alexander told Hall and Colonel assistant Jacob Benczo he wanted to be the school’s first state champion. That desire didn’t seem to create any added pressure last season, when Alexander went from being unranked at 285 to reaching the state finals, where he lost to Williamsport’s Max Larkin to finish a 28-2 season.

Things were different though this season.

Alexander opened the season ranked second overall in the state at 285, and No. 1 in the public-school ranks. Those numbers didn’t seem to phase the Colonel senior through December, but developed into a mounting burden from the annual War on the Shore tournament in January until Saturday’s final horn.

“I always have anxiety all the time before my matches,” Alexander said. “Even though I’m one of the highest-ranked guys in the state, anxiety is always something big with me. I hate letting people down. I feel like a terrible person. So before my match I always have the jitters.”

Those jitters weren’t detected as much a year ago. Alexander was undefeated until losing to Julien Laventure of Upper Darby (Pennsylvania) in the semifinals at War on the Shore. He rebounded nicely, winning the Bayside Conference and regional titles, then reeled off three consecutive pinfalls at states before losing in the final.

Alexander followed a similar path this season, going undefeated until losing to Mount St. Joe’s Gavin Bage in the semifinals at War on the Shore. Again he bounced back. But Hall noticed his star heavyweight was no longer wrestling like the underdog from the year before.

“I would say at the beginning of the year it was normal old Austin,” Hall said. “But by the time we got out of War on the Shore it’s a different Austin, because it’s getting down to that point where’s he’s got to prove it.

“The anxiety of, ‘What if I lose?’” Hall continued. “Last year (heading into the postseason) he was like 14th (ranked) and he had something to prove; he was the underdog. If he lost, everyone expected him to lose. Where this year he starts the season the top heavyweight for public schools and the number two overall in the state. So he’s expected to win.”

Perhaps Hall’s biggest concern was if Alexander lost, when would that loss come?

“The match with Gavin Bage from Mount St. Joe, he got in his own head and he overthought that match,” Hall said. “We talked about it all year as coaches, like, where does he make the mistake? Does he make it at Baysides? Does he make it at regionals? Does he make it in a match that he can come back from? Or does he make it at states, where there’s no coming back?”

To guard against that potential mistake or loss, Hall, Benczo and Mike Clough began working more with Alexander to improve his technique and moves on bottom.

“At one point all three of us were on him trying to hold him down,” Hall laughed. “It worked out well for us. Austin’s a hoss. He’s strong. He just drags me around the mat. He’s used me like a chew toy. I told him, ‘You get control I’m back on top.’”

Alexander won another Bayside title and reached the Class 2A-1A East Region final, where he carried a lead into the third period against North Harford’s Clay Lawrence, who, starting on top, began banging on Alexander’s elbow.

“He just let that North Harford kid sit on top of him and he’d chop him and chop him,” Hall said. “We’re trying to explain to him, ‘Dude, that guy’s chopping your elbow. You get to states and you do that in the first round and somebody hyperextends your elbow, you’re wrestling the rest of states on one arm. Why sit on bottom? Let’s move. You can get out. You have to move on bottom. You have a good defense so why not get out and defend?

Alexander got out and eventually pinned Lawrence with 44 seconds remaining.

There would be no pinfalls at states for Alexander. But there would be no losses either.

“I think he wrestled very well,” Hall said. “Last year he was pinning everybody. Like no one wanted to be under him last year because as soon as they chose bottom the match was over. He’d just roll them over.

“This year he wasn’t really turning anybody, and again, I think it was nerves,” Hall continued. “‘If I try to turn somebody, they roll me through,’ or ‘I put myself in a bad position.’ He definitely took a different path through states this year, where last year he was pinning everybody, this year he was going six minutes with everybody.”

The first six minutes equaled a 12-4 major decision over Calvert’s Cortez Johnson (29-7). Alexander was scoreless with Williamsport senior Mason Wolfensberger (42-7) through two periods in his quarterfinal match Friday. But Alexander rode Wolfensberger for the bulk of the second period, then hit a switch in the third on the way to a 4-1 decision. A 10-4 semifinal victory over Fairmont Heights’ Jeremiah Fernandors (28-4) advanced Alexander to the championship final.

Petrovia (50-4) shot but was blocked by Alexander, who spun behind his opponent for a takedown then rode the Sparrows Point senior the rest of the period for a 2-0 lead. Starting on top to begin the second, he again rode Petrovia, who worked an escape in the fourth minute to cut his deficit to 2-1 heading into the third.

“That minute-plus of Austin being on top of that guy, I’m sure that wore him out,” Hall said. “Austin rode him, he had his arms pinned behind his back. I’m sure that kid’s shoulders were burning going into third.

“Jake looked at him and said, ‘Are you going to move on bottom?’” Hall continued. “’Are you going to get out?’ And Austin’s like, ‘Yeah.’ ‘Then go down.’”

About 40 seconds into the third, Alexander escaped, bumping his lead to 3-1. The remainder of the match stayed at neutral, with Petrovia angling for a double underhook to try and throw Alexander. Petrovia’s final attempt for a throw resulted in Alexander landing on him for a takedown and turning him to his back for two near-fall points, his 98th career victory, and Colonel’s first state title.

“As soon as I heard that whistle it was just like all I heard was the roar of the crowd,” Alexander said after completing a 41-1 season. “I rolled over and jumped into the air and looked at everyone’s who’s helped me.

“I’m at a loss for words the idea of thinking about it,” Alexander continued. “I was afraid of letting people down. I was more nervous this year because I was the guy everyone came after.”