CAPTAIN Brock Johnson pinned his Burlington opponent in 1:17 to help the Warriors erase an early deficit and pick up a big win on Wednesday. (Donna Larsson Photo)
Published in the January 28, 2019 edition.
By RYAN MARSH
WAKEFIELD — Wakefield wrestling rolled out the mats at the Charbonneau Field House on Wednesday night for a big match against the Burlington Red Devils. Looking to add another win to their already outstanding record, Wakefield was going to have to give it their all.
To start off the meet, freshman Dylan Johnson was set to wrestle in the 106-pound match against Zack Soda, one of the best wrestlers in the state. Johnson put up a good fight and even had a nice reversal. But eventually, his opponent used his much greater experience to pin Johnson in one minute and thirty-one seconds.
Luke Fitzgerald was sent in at the 113-pound bracket to try to even up the score, but was up against yet another one of the best wrestlers in the state, Cam Soda. Fitzgerald gave it his all, but his opponent was strong and was able to control him despite Fitzgerald’s efforts to take control. Fitzgerald lost by major decision, 14-3.
Next was Jameson O’Callahan to try to get some team points on the board for Wakefield. The first period started slow with a bit of a stalemate, but the action heated up in the second period. Like his other teammates so far in this one, O’Callahan struggled to take control of the match and lost by major decision, 8-0.
Freshman Nick Roberto tried to stem the tide, but it was becoming clear that Burlington’s lower weight classes were very strong. In a back-and-forth match, Roberto’s opponent eventually put him on his back and picked up the win by pin.
The home crowd was starting to get nervous, as Wakefield was now down by a score of 20-0. Wakefield really needed to regain confidence and put some points on the board.
Who better to do that than senior co-captain Aidan Armstrong?
Armstrong controlled the entire match, dominating his opponent, and pinning him in 5:25 to earn a much-needed six team points for Wakefield. Bo Tryder then picked up another six points for Wakefield by forfeit.
From there, the Warriors continued the comeback. In an amazing match, co-captain Brock Johnson completely dominated his opponent, winning by pin in 1:17.
Looking to give Wakefield the final push to take the lead, Matt Cunningham stepped onto the matt. Cunningham, in a back-and-forth match, won by decision, 9-3. Wakefield was now ahead 21-20 in team points.
Jimmy Grover lost a hard-fought match by a close decision, putting Burlington back up 23-21, with just five matches remaining.
Joāo Valdevino then came out focused and intent on swinging the score back in Wakefield’s favor. Valdevino did just that, ripping through his opponent and pinning him in 51 seconds, as Wakefield’s bench exploded with excitement.
To mimic Valdevino’s epic win, co-captain Mike Yirrell thundered up into the ring. Yirrell fought hard and picked up another quick pin in 1:37 to keep Charbonneau Field House ecstatic. Co-captain Derek Dimascio and freshman Nate Ickes both picked up victories by forfeit, to ensure the victory for Wakefield.
With the win achieved, Sam Valenti finished the winning streak at heavyweight by dominating his opponent and pinning him in 1:41 to bring the final score to 51-23 for Wakefield.
In additional action over the weekend, Wakefield went on the road for meets against four opponents. They swept those meets, going fou-for-4 over the weekend, beating Maher 56-13, Wayland 33-29, Leominster 60-15, and Quabbin 43-18. This team is truly on a roll, with victories in 11 meets in a row.
The next big challenge for the Warriors is the “Brawl in the Hall,” where they look to defend their Middlesex League Championship title against rival Melrose this Wednesday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. at Memorial Hall in Melrose. The match will have a Youtube live stream so you can support the team, even at your own home.
