Johnson earns 100th career victory
Published in the January 20, 2020 edition.
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
READING — The Wakefield High wrestling team traveled to Reading on Saturday where they matched up against four teams and left town with three wins, improving their season record to 9-2-1.
The Warriors beat Reading 57-15, Greater Lawrence 65-6 and Lynnfield/North Reading 39-30. Wakefield fell to Shawsheen 52-25.
The highlight of the day belonged to senior Brock Johnson who earned his 100th career victory. Johnson only needed one win to accomplish the feat. He went 3-1 overall.
Johnson won his matchup at 145 by pinning Greater Lawrence’s Agustin Reina in 43 seconds. The Warriors only lost one match against the Reggies.
Tommy Grover (113 lbs, F 2:26), Luke Fitzgerald (120 lbs, TF 15-0), Luke Hopkins (132 lbs, DEC 8-3), Nick Roberto (138 lbs, F 2:34), Matt Cunningham (152 lbs, F 1:21), Joao Valdevino (160 lbs, F 3:46), Jimmy Grover (170 lbs, F 1:41), John Summers (182 lbs, F 2:52), Luke Ickes (195 lbs, F 2:58), Nathan Ickes (220 lbs, DEC 4-1) and Sam Valenti (285 lbs, F 2:46) all picked up wins.
The Warriors also didn’t have much trouble against Reading with a 57-15 victory. Nathan Ickes pinned his man in 14 seconds, Luke Ickes won a 2-1 decision, Robbie Fossett got a pin in 1:28, Jimmy Grover won via forfeit, Valdevino earned a pin in 1:13, Johnson had a pin in 1:10, Hopkins got a pin in 3:36, Anselm Schools got a pin in 3:31, Fitzgerald a pin in 3:20, Tommy Grover won via forfeit and Wakefield cruised.
The Warriors got a quality win over a talented Lynnfield-North Reading team.
Nico Chiros and Gavin Bayers earned victories via forfeit early on. After the Pioneer-Hornets got wins at 132 and 138, the Warriors won four in a row from 145 to 170.
Johnson kicked it off with a pin in 4:26, followed by Cunningham (F 2:44), Valdevino (F 1:07) and Jimmy Grover (DEC 10-7). Lamonica got the last points via forfeit.
Wakefield couldn’t get enough momentum going against a strong Shawsheen Tech team although a few wrestlers stood out including Jimmy Grover and Joao Valdevino who were the only two Warriors with a perfect 4-0 record on the day.
Grover won his final matchup of the day via a pin in 1:22. Valdevino pinned his opponent in 29 seconds.
In addition to Johnson, Nathan Ickes and Matt Cunningham also finished with strong 3-1 records.
Cunningham beat Jason Elias of Shawsheen by pin in 1:56. Ickes beat a tough Lucas Moreira in a 3-2 decision.
Lamonica finished his day at 2-1 by beating Shawsheen’s Kevin Merino-Rivas in an 11-2 major decision.
Wakefield will get a few days to rest and practice before they host league foe Wilmington on Friday night at 5 p.m.
