On Sunday, Oct. 1 the Maryland B.A.S.S. Nation High School State Championship was held for the first time on Deep Creek Lake. Eighteen teams from across Maryland came to compete for the two top spots that would earn them a trip to the 2018 Costa Bassmaster National Championships to compete against hundreds of other High School Bass Fishing Teams from across the U.S. and Canada.
For the third time since starting the club in 2014, one of the two-person teams from the Southern Garrett Bass Slayers have won the championships and for the second time they also had another two-person team come in as runnerup. This makes it the fourth year in a row that the Southern Garrett Bass Slayers will be sending teams to the National Championships and the first time for the Club to be sending the top two teams to the National Championship representing Maryland.
Michael Mayles and Makenzy Winegarnder are the new 2017 Maryland B.A.S.S. Nation Champions bringing in their limit of five fish weighing 9.82 pounds. Michael is a junior at Southern Garrett High School and Makenzy is a freshman. Their boat captain is Bret Winegardner.
Evan Paugh and Joe Embleton are the 2017 runners-up, also bringing in the limit of five fish weighing in at 8.65 pounds. Evan is a junior at Southern Garrett High School and Joe is a senior. Their boat captain is Jason Paugh.
The Bass Slayers had nine teams total competing in the State Championship, Garrett Henry and Nick Ponceroff came in fourth place with 7.43 pounds. JT Mullins and Cameron Pomperoy came in seventh with 6.76 pounds. Defending champions Quinn Iden and Trent Lohr came in eighth with 6.28 pounds. The rest of the Bass Slayers competing were: Peyton Misimer and Evan Germain, Issac Graham and Darren Cosner, Zach Burgess and Zach Warnick and Dalton Perando.
It was an exciting weekend for the Bass Slayers and the other visiting teams. Other high schools that came to compete from across Maryland were: Liganore High School with the third place team of Tyler Ludwig and Jarod Golombieski with a weight of 8.50 pounds, Boonsboro High School with the 5th place team of Tyler Pinkley and James Fitzgerald with a weight of 6.80 pounds and James Fitzgerald with the lunker weighing 5.94 pounds, Jefferson Bass Fishing Club, Sparrows Point High School and Sherwood High School.
Not only was the Championship held on Deep Creek Lake this weekend, but The Butch Ward Memorial Scholarship Tournament was held on Saturday (also sponsored by the Maryland B.A.S.S. Nation, to raise money for their Scholarship fund). The Fishing University TV Show was also here to film a fishing show. The TV show crew hosted a meet and greet with all the high school teams on Saturday night at the Greene Turtle and presented a program to the high school students following the tournament on Sunday.
Last year one of the Southern Garrett Bass Slayers teams (Joe McClosky and Trent Lohr) won the “Make Me A Star” contest through the Fishing University TV show winning more than $66,000 in scholarships and prizes, and now Joe McClosky is a freshman at Bethel University where he also signed to be a part of the Bethel Wildcats College Fishing Team.
The high school bass fishing program/sport of bass fishing has grown tremendously and now offers students many opportunities for college scholarships and prizes.
The Southern Garrett Bass Slayers High School Club was formed in 2014 by Joe McClosky, June McClosky (team advisor) & Bret Winegarnder (coach).
2017 Maryland B.A.S.S. Nation High School State Championship Tournament Results:
1st Place – Michael Mayles & Makenzy Winegardner, 9.82 lbs, Southern Garrett Bass Slayers
2nd Place – Evan Paugh & Joe Embleton, 8.65 lbs., Southern Garrett Bass Slayers
3rd place – Tyler Ludwig/Jarod Golombieski, 8.50 lbs, Linganore High School
4th Place – Garrett Henry & Nick Ponceroff, 7.43 lbs., Southern Garrett Bass Slayers
5th Place – Tyler Pinkley & James Fitzgerald, 6.80 lbs & Lunker 5.94 lbs Boonsboro High School
6th Place – Ian Car & Justin Mills, 6.76 lbs, Jefferson Bass Fisherman
7th Place – J.T. Mullins & Cameron Pomeroy, 6.69 lbs., Southern Garrett Bass Slayers
8th Place – Quinn Iden & Trent Lohr, 6.28 lbs., Southern Garret Bass Slayers
9th Place – Adam Metz & Tracy Kinzer, 6.21 lbs, Boonsboro High School
10th Place – Peyton Missimer & Evan Germain, Southern Garrett Bass Slayers
11th Place – Spencer Powell & Brandon Woods, 3.69 lbs, Boonsboro High School
12th Place – Issac Graham & Darren Cosner, 2.79 lbs, Southern Garrett Bass Slayers
13th Place – Zach Burgess & Zack Warnick, 2.21 lbs, Southern Garrett Bass Slayers
14th Place – PJ Nelson & Vincent Trivelli, 1.68 lbs., Liganore High School
15th Place: Dominic Fiorille & Ryan Appleby, Linganore High School
Hunter Goldberg & Luke Hoening, Sparrows Point High School
Wesley Rhoades & Nathan Lamphsire, Sherwood High School
Dalton Perando, Southern Garrett High School
