Warriors seek to get full team together sooner rather than later
Published in the December 9, 2016 edition.
By JIM SOUTHMAYD
WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield Memorial High wrestling team usually looks to excel in February and March in the postseason tournaments and it has been some time since the Warriors haven’t been represented in the New England Tournament.
Wakefield also had a very good dual meet season a year ago as it went 14-5-0 overall and 4-0-0 in the Middlesex League Freedom division to win the league championship.
With 34 athletes on the roster, one would think that the Warriors would be a favorite in the league and have another strong dual meet season. But due to a myriad of issues, Wakefield hasn’t been at full strength yet and might not be for some time.
“We’ve had some injuries, academic issues and a lot of the kids have been out sick,” said veteran head coach Ross Ickes. “We should be at full strength by the end of the year which is what we shoot for anyway.”
Wakefield does have a good sized roster with many returning veterans and place winners from a year ago. The Warriors also have a good mix of newcomers. However, Wakefield hasn’t been at full strength and probably won’t be for tomorrow’s double dual meet in Watertown to open the season.
“We haven’t had our whole team together yet,” said Ickes.
Wakefield will be led by its four senior captains. They are Jack Spicer, Matt Murdocca, Ben Piercy and Joe Marinaccio.
Spicer returns to compete at the 138 weight class. The senior was third in both the Div. 3 North and Div. 3 state meets a year ago at 113.
Murdocca returns at the 152 weight class. He came in sixth in the Div. 3 North meet a year ago at 145.
Both Piercy and Marinaccio will be competing at either 160 or 170. Marinaccio finished fourth in Div. 3 North last winter at 160 and Piercy placed sixth at 152.
The rest of the seniors include Jacob Allen, James Connors, Anthony Denhan, Dan DiMeglio and Bailey Ritter. Allen will go at 126, while Connors will compete at the 182 and 195 weight classes. Denham and DiMeglio will wrestle at 285 and Ritter will grapple at 152.
The juniors on the roster consists of Chris Allen, Aiden Coleman, Jake Goodchild, Kendall Hitpold, Steve Mercurio, Ryan Smith and Kevin Tran. The managers, Montana Tryder and Abby Cunningham, are juniors as well. Tryder may also wrestle at the 106 weight class.
Allen will go at 113, Coleman at 195 and Goodchild will compete at the 132 weight class. Hitpold will compete at 126 or 132, Mercurio will grapple at 220, Smith will wrestle at 145, and Tran will compete at 152, 160, and 170.
Goodchild secured a fifth place finish in Div. 3 North last winter at 132 and Smith placed sixth at the sectional meet at 138.
There are six sophomores on the team and they are Aidan Armstrong, Dale Denham, Derek DiMascio, Esdres Hernandez, Nolan O’Callahan and Mike Yirrell. Armstong and O’Callahan will grapple at 120 and Denham will go at 120 and 126. DiMascio will compete at 220, Hernandez is being tabbed to wrestle at 160, and Yirrell returns to the 182 weight class.
Armstrong finished fourth in Div. 3 North at 106 last year while Yirrell was fifth in Div. 3 North at 182.
Wakefield has 10 incoming freshmen who are competing at the high school level for the first time. The ninth graders include Robert Fossett, T.J. Higgin, Jack Hatfield, Diego Hernandez, Brock Johnson, Matt Juneau, Peter McDonough, Ken Tran, Sam Valenti and Josh White.
Fossett, Juneau and Tran will wrestle at 160 and 170, while Hernandez will compete at the 160 weight class.
Higgin will wrestle at 106 and 113, Hatfield will compete at 120 and Johnson will grapple at the 126 weight class.
McDonough and White are slated to compete at 138 and Valenti will grapple at 195.
Returning to assist Ickes are assistant coaches Matt Manfredi, John Bosco, Anthony Lauria, Joe Lauria, Mike Petralia and Adam Russell.
“Melrose should be strong with a couple of transfers and Burlington should be good,” said Ickes. “We’ll get there, but it could be tough right out of the gate. The states are at Wakefield, so we will want to have as many of our guys wrestling at home in February.”
Wakefield opens up the season tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. when it takes on Carver and Taunton in a double dual meet at Watertown High School.