Wrestlers take 5th at annual Peckham tourney

The Canton High wrestling squad turned in yet another gritty performance in a season full of them. The host Bulldogs took fifth place at their annual Jim Peckham tournament, despite being racked by injuries and only suiting up eight wrestlers. Norton High School was the champion of the eight-team field, while Xaverian Brothers placed second.

Canton boasted one individual tournament champion, freshman phenom Chris Sullivan (103 pounds), who boosted his overall record to 21-0 in his inaugural varsity season.

“At this point in the year, you have to look back on his body of work,” head coach Brian Caffelle said of Sullivan. “He’s undefeated, he’s riding high. He has been driven since he first started in our youth program in sixth grade. He is a blessing for this team and will continue to do great things for this program in the future.”

Other standout performers included junior David Rosenberg, who took second place in the 125-pound class, and senior captain Kevin Connolly, who claimed third in the 135-pound division.

“[Rosenberg] has really stepped up; he is really trusting his offense now,” said Caffelle. “He’s such an enthusiastic kid. You can tell he’s really having fun out there.”

Senior John McCabe (160 lbs.) also took third place for the Bulldogs. “John is a great listener,” added assistant coach Sean Rockwell. “This is another high point for John. His hard work is starting to pay off.”

Juniors Chris Parsons (152 lbs.) and Brian Matthews (heavyweight) took fourth place in their respective divisions, as did freshman Quinn Merrigan (112 lbs.).

“Every one of those guys had a tough, close loss,” said Caffelle. “In the consolation semifinals, things didn’t go right for them, but they are all very close to getting to where they want to be. They are all capable of doing great things for us; they just have to have a short memory.”

“Overall, we’re not satisfied with placing outside of the top three,” remarked Caffelle. “But it’s a great sign for them to be where they are considering all of the injuries. They have showed a great deal of mental toughness.”

The Bulldogs were scheduled to face Oliver Ames on the road on Wednesday, and will travel to Franklin High School for a dual meet this afternoon, with their week coming to a close with a quad tournament at Watertown High School.

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Posted by Danny Joseph on Jan 20 2011. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.