By Ryan Mink
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, January 11, 2008; E08

After winning Maryland private school titles his freshman and sophomore years and being named the championship tournament's outstanding wrestler both times, Bishop McNamara junior Andrew Bannister came into this season wanting to take his reputation to another level.

"I'm someone who should be dominating," he said. "People should look up to me, and I should be an inspiration to them. I shouldn't ever lose or anything."

Then Bannister placed fifth at the Beast of the East tournament in Newark, Del., on Dec. 16, equal to his seeding but below his expectations, and then lost to Pat Hunter of St. Benedict's, a New Jersey state runner-up.

"That really brought him down to reality," Bishop McNamara Coach Juan Solera said of Bannister, who had just 10 career losses prior to those disappointments. "He really knew right then and there that he has more work to do."

Bannister's work ethic has "gone through the roof" since then, Solera said. Bannister has watched tape of the loss to Hunter twice and plans on a few more screenings before a potential rematch this weekend at the South River Invitational.

Asked if he was excited to get a shot at redemption, Bannister, who is 22-3 this season at 125 pounds, said he was "so-so."

"Sometimes in the past when people beat me, I get more cautious -- but I try not to," Bannister said. "When you hear somebody big, you just automatically have that little guard in you where I better watch out and not make any mistakes."

Even a two-time state champion who says he dominates in about 80 percent of his matches -- meaning he either wins by fall or technical fall -- gets nervous before his matches.

"I just want my name to be out there," Bannister said, "so they know who I am."

When Dan Youngblood took over for Jim Grim as head coach of Old Mill, he inherited a team fresh off a Maryland 4A/3A championship but one that also had few varsity regulars returning.

"I'm looking at the lineup and thinking, 'Oh my God, I've only got two kids coming back,' " Youngblood said. "I thought it was going to be a tough year. But those kids have stepped into their shoes and done a great job."

Old Mill is 8-2 and coming off a 61-6 win over Severna Park, a strong Anne Arundel County team. Old Mill placed fourth at the McDonogh Duals tournament and will enter next week's Mount Mat Madness as an intriguing team.

The transition has been smooth, Youngblood said, because much of the coaching staff returned. He was an assistant for the past two years, and fellow assistants Art Saumenig and Dave Kim stayed on. And former Severna Park wrestler Matt Eveleth, a three-time Maryland state champion, joined the ranks and has brought in new technique.