In the eyes of Bridgewater-Raynham wrestling coach Sean Petrosino, the potential for achievement was definitely there.
The outcomes have confirmed Petrosino right.
Bridgewater-Raynham put collectively one in every of its finest common seasons in class historical past, posting a 23-1-1 document (3-0 within the Southeast Conference). The solely loss got here early within the season towards Whittier when the Trojans have been lacking a number of starters on account of sickness.
“I liked our team going into the season, but I didn’t know if we could do this well,” Petrosino stated. “I figured we might lose a match here and there due to injuries and the cold and flu season, but we’ve had kids really step up.”
Like any profitable group, good management is among the keys and Bridgewater-Raynham is not any completely different. Captains Chris Hogg (182 kilos) and Christian Hurley (170) have finished all of it each on and off the mat for the Trojans.
“They run the warmups, they run part of the practice – it’s really like having extra assistants,” Petrosino stated. “Hogg is undefeated on the season and recently won his 100th match, while Curley has just one loss. They’re such good leaders and good kids.”
The marque identify within the lineup is Nathan Leach. The top-ranked 195-pounder within the state, Leach has been nearly unbeatable. Brent Von Magnus is the fourth-ranked wrestler at 120 and has solely misplaced as soon as this season. Myles Beckett has been a glue man at 220, keen to do no matter it takes to assist the group.
“He missed some time early in the year with sickness, but ever since he’s come back he’s been a stud,” Petrosino stated. “He’s had some really outstanding wins. He’s also the kind of kid that will do whatever we need. Some matches we’ve bumped him up to heavyweight where he’s giving away 60-70 pounds and has done an outstanding job.”
Perhaps the most important shock has been freshman Kennedie Davis at 106. She’s stepped in and been an enormous issue with 22 wins.
“She wrestled as an eighth grader last year so we all knew she was tough, but wasn’t sure how well she would do at this level,” Petrosino stated. “But she’s been on fire, she’s done well all year long, done well at legitimate tournaments. She’s just tough as nails.”
Coleman stepping down
Norton wrestling coach Pat Coleman loves all the pieces about his job apart from one factor. As a results of that one factor, Coleman introduced final week that he was retiring following the season to do the one factor that wrestling wouldn’t permit him to do – spend extra time together with his rising household.
“I’m 73 years so I’m one of the senior guys in coaching,” stated Coleman, who has greater than 500 wins and three Div. 3 state titles on his resume. “I’m a grandfather of 4 with a fifth coming subsequent month. I simply needed to have extra time with my kids and grandchildren, so I feel that is the correct time.
“I still love the sport, love the team I am coaching. I have a great athletic director (Aaron Summer), strong support from the school and the wrestling families here are great. I’m happy to say with confidence that I am turning over a good program to my successor, Bo Santangelo.”
Family was the rationale Coleman stepped apart years in the past. Having served as head coach at each Brookline and Newton North, Coleman took a two-decade sabbatical from the game to start out a household. When his son Scott confirmed an curiosity within the sport, Coleman stepped up and began the wrestling program at Norton in 2005-2006.
“I appealed to the school to start the sport and they said as long as it didn’t cost them anything, we could do it. I was a volunteer head coach for a couple of years before I got a salary,” Coleman stated with fun. “When we began this system, we wrestled a JV schedule and the group consisted primarily of juniors with no wrestling expertise.
“I was expecting to compete as a JV program the next year, but the kids came up to me and said they wanted to compete as a varsity program so they could get a varsity letter. We started 0-9 and finished 11-15, then won the Tri-Valley League title in 2008.”
Coleman is fast to credit score his assistants who helped him alongside the way in which, beginning with Brian Gallagher, Peter Holmes and Jeff Francis. Gallagher helped Coleman get began earlier than happening to educate at Foxboro and Walpole. Holmes wrestled at Harvard and introduced a no nonsense strategy to the mat, whereas Francis has been all the pieces Coleman may ask for in an assistant.
Source: www.bostonherald.com