Longtime Chopticon High School wrestling coach Dane Kramer stands next to the poster commemorating his 500th career coaching victory at the helm of the Braves’ program. Kramer was recognized by the county, the school and the state on Feb. 6 following the Braves’ dual match with visiting La Plata.
Current and past members of the Chopticon High School wrestling team gather on the mat Feb. 6 in the school gymnasium following the Braves’ match with La Plata as longtime coach Dane Kramer was honored for recording his 500th victory earlier this winter.
In the longest, most contentious match on the card on Feb. 6, La Plata wrestler Grant Winkler finally gets the upper hand on Chopticon’s Dylan Hinkle in the fourth overtime of their 157-pound bout in which Winkler prevailed 9-8. La Plata also won the overall match 42-23 on the day that longtime Braves’ coach Dane Kramer was honored for recording the 500th win of his career earlier this season.
Chopticon High School principal Marc Pirner, left, longtime Braves’ wrestling coach Dane Kramer and Mike Watson, chief operating officer of St. Mary’s public school system, stand in front of the school’s trophy case as Kramer holds the plaque that Watson presented to him last Thursday when the longtime Braves’ wrestling coach celebrated his 500th career victory.
Chopticon High School wrestling coach Dane Kramer, seated, watches the action unfold Feb. 6 as visiting La Plata topped the host Warriors 42-23. Kramer was honored for his 500th coaching victory after the match in front of hundreds of friends and former wrestlers who were on hand for the occasion.
Longtime Chopticon High School wrestling coach Dane Kramer stands next to the poster commemorating his 500th career coaching victory at the helm of the Braves’ program. Kramer was recognized by the county, the school and the state on Feb. 6 following the Braves’ dual match with visiting La Plata.
TED BLACK/Southern Maryland News
Current and past members of the Chopticon High School wrestling team gather on the mat Feb. 6 in the school gymnasium following the Braves’ match with La Plata as longtime coach Dane Kramer was honored for recording his 500th victory earlier this winter.
TED BLACK/Southern Maryland News
In the longest, most contentious match on the card on Feb. 6, La Plata wrestler Grant Winkler finally gets the upper hand on Chopticon’s Dylan Hinkle in the fourth overtime of their 157-pound bout in which Winkler prevailed 9-8. La Plata also won the overall match 42-23 on the day that longtime Braves’ coach Dane Kramer was honored for recording the 500th win of his career earlier this season.
TED BLACK/Southern Maryland News
Chopticon High School principal Marc Pirner, left, longtime Braves’ wrestling coach Dane Kramer and Mike Watson, chief operating officer of St. Mary’s public school system, stand in front of the school’s trophy case as Kramer holds the plaque that Watson presented to him last Thursday when the longtime Braves’ wrestling coach celebrated his 500th career victory.
TED BLACK/Southern Maryland News
Chopticon High School wrestling coach Dane Kramer, seated, watches the action unfold Feb. 6 as visiting La Plata topped the host Warriors 42-23. Kramer was honored for his 500th coaching victory after the match in front of hundreds of friends and former wrestlers who were on hand for the occasion.
In hindsight, the outcome of last week’s Southern Maryland Athletic Conference dual match between visiting La Plata High School and host Chopticon High was considerably less important than the surprise celebration planned for longtime Braves coach Dane Kramer, who had recently celebrated his 500th career victory as the Chopticon wrestling coach.
La Plata, which has been among the top SMAC squads all season and earlier owned a 48-21 victory over Chopticon when the two teams met on a historic occasion when Warriors’ coach John Pankhurst notched his 300th win and 30 minutes later Kramer recorded his 500th victory when the Braves trounced Westlake, coasted to a 42-23 victory last Thursday, Feb 6. But even the Warriors were virtually on hand to honor their rival coach.
Pankhurst and Chopticon assistant coach Robert Newton, a former Braves wrestler, had planned the match and ceremonies for Kramer around Halloween and managed to keep the entire proceedings a secret until La Plata arrived 90 minutes early for weigh-ins.
Kramer sensed something was afoot, then a packed house of former wrestlers, some dating back to his inaugural season in 1982-1983, confirmed his suspicions.
“I really had no idea this was happening,” Kramer said after accepting a plaque from Mike Watson, chief operating officer for St. Mary’s public school system, a certificate from Sen. Jack Bailey (R-St.Mary’s) and another trophy from Chopticon Principal Marc Pirner. “There were people here tonight that were on my very first team here.”
La Plata perhaps added a classy, sincere touch to the occasion when the Warriors arrived with T-shirts in which the name “Kramer” and No. 44 were on the back. Pankhurst and his wrestlers even wore them on the bench during the match and later, shortly before departing, bestowed one upon the Chopticon coach, for whom Pankhurst said has the utmost respect for.
“I’ve been wrestling or coaching against him since 1991 when I started wrestling at La Plata,” Pankhurst said. “He’s basically synonymous with wrestling in the SMAC and definitely here at Chopticon. Newton and I began to plan this back around Halloween and we did our best to keep it a secret from him until we got here today. He was a little suspicious when we arrived here at 3:15 for weigh-ins for a 5:30 match.”
Chopticon wrestler Vinnie Holmes recorded a narrow, 4-3 victory in his 138-pound match, but the Warriors responded with an avalanche of nine straight victories for a commanding 42-3 lead. Chopticon, however, won the last four matches as Zach Scarborough (106), Gino Holmes (113), Taft Bailey (120) and Aidan Arnold (126) all succeeded.
While the final score may have appeared somewhat one-sided, the 157-pound match between La Plata’s Grant Winkler and Chopticon’s Dylan Hinkle clearly proved the most contentious. Hinkle owned a 6-1 lead early in the third round, but Winkler chipped away to draw even at 8-all — getting the last point on a stall violation assessed to Hinkle — then finally prevailed 9-8 in the fourth overtime round.
