Wrestling team improves to 10-4 overall

The Bulldog wrestling team improved to 10-4 overall and 2-3 in the league by defeating Silver Lake Regional 36-30 and Beverly 33-31, and losing to Pembroke 45-18 and Oliver Ames 39-29.

“I’m actually pleased that we were able to salvage the week with so many starters out of the lineup,” coach Tom Bartosek said. “All teams have injuries, and it was satisfying to see everyone pull together to get those wins. Bartosek noted that Canton almost beat OA — “even with some of more talented wrestlers out of the lineup.”

Winners for Canton against OA were Kyle Forte, Billy Rothkopf, Kevin Connolly, Mark Kisil, Donovan Lewis, Tyler Matt and Darrius Wood.

Forte, Rothkopf, Connolly, Lewis, Matt and Will Alfano are “like money in the bank,” coach Aaron Mann said. “You always plan on winning their weight class.

“Then you have wrestlers like Kyle Hanlon, Darrius Wood and John McCabe come up with important wins for the team,” Mann continued, adding that several younger wrestlers — such as Josh Matt, Kisil, Matt Kelly, Ian Mills and Craig Mills — “step in and make some important contributions for the team.”

Triple winners at Saturday’s quad meet at Pembroke included Forte, Connolly, Alfano and Tyler Matt. Mills, Rothkopf and Lewis each won two matches, and Kisil, Wood, Pete Sheehan and Bryan Matthews each had one victory.

“Pembroke is our number one rival in the sectionals,” coach Brian Caffelle said. “Although we lost to them, things will be very different when we face them at the end of the season with a full lineup.  It also gives us some ideas on what we have to work on.”

“Our biggest win of the weekend was Beverly,” coach Sean Rockwell said. “We could have given up after the Pembroke match. The team dug down and came from behind to get the victory over Beverly.”  

Wood and Hanlon kept it close enough for Forte to tech fall (15-point victory) his opponent to secure the Bulldog victory. “The team knew that the outcome was in Kyle’s hands and he didn’t let us down,” Rockwell said. “He was clutch.”

Other winners for Canton included Craig Mills, David Rosenberg, Chris Nova, Matt Kelly, James Kelly and Chris Parsons.

Connolly continues to lead the squad with 17 victories. Rothkopf and Lewis each have 14 wins, followed by Alfano with 12.

Rothkopf and Lewis have 12 pins, while Connolly has nine.

The Bulldog matmen were scheduled to travel to Foxboro on Wednesday to face the Warriors. On Saturday, Canton hosts the Peckham Invitational, which includes Xaverian, Dedham, Sharon, Middleboro, Somerset, Bristol-Plymouth and Randolph. Wrestling will begin at 10:30 a.m.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Jan 14 2010. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.