Warriors host 22nd Lisitano Tourney, take 2nd overall

THE WRESTLERS weigh in for the 22^nd Anthony Lisitano Memorial Tournament on Saturday. (Wakefield Wrestling Photo)

WAKEFIELD — The Anthony Lisitano Memorial Wrestling Tournament is always a special day for the host Wakefield High wrestling today.

Saturday’s 22^nd edition of the tourney featured 16 teams with the Warriors taking 2^nd overall behind Methuen.

As always, the tournament was kicked off by the Lisitano family as Anthony’s brother Al made a speech to the competitors and fans at the Charbonneau Field House.

Anthony Lisitano (’88) was a two-year wrestling captain at Wakefield High and leader in the community.

As Lisitano had accomplished so often as a Warrior wrestler, there was an individual champion from Wakefield with Zach Arria taking the crown at 170.

The Warriors had five wrestlers take 2^nd place, three get 3^rd place and one take 4^th.

“Overall I thought we wrestled well,” said head coach Ross Ickes. “Still have some things to clean up but any time you can get a team trophy at a tournament it’s a good thing.”

Arria earned a bye as the 2^nd seed in the 170 bracket. He went 4-0 including an epic win over top-seeded Brady Gleason of Watertown in the championship with a pin in just under five minutes. That followed a grueling 5-4 decision over 3^rd-ranked Shane Eason of Methuen in the semifinals.

Wakefield’s five 2^nd-place finishers were Aydin Lamb, Ben Burdetsky, Gavin Bayers, Kip King and Sean Callahan.

Andrew Valley, Oisin Cullen and Tommy Grover all took 3^rd place. Bryan Fabbri took 4^th.

Bayers, also the 2^nd seed, went 2-1 at 113 with decisions over Liam O’Brien of Marblehead/Swampscott and No. 3 Dillon Noonan of Lexington in the semifinals before falling to No. 1 Dominic Gangi of Methuen in the title bout.

Lamb went 4-1 at 138 including a win over Jack Stoddard of Methuen (pin) in the semifinals before falling to top-ranked Sawyer Ayotte of Shepherd Hill in a competitive final that lasted 5:57.

ANTHONY LISITANO’s brother, Al, gave a speech to the competitors in the 22nd Lisitano Tournament held at Wakefield High on Saturday. (WMHS Athletics Photo)

Callahan went 3-1 at 152 to take 2^nd. His major decision over No. 3 John Ryan of Hanover sent him to the finals were he fell to Methuen’s No. 1 Vincent DeMaio.

Burdetsky went 3-1 at 182 to take 2^nd with three pins including one in 4:57 against Arlington’s Adrian Arcardio-Lizarribar. Burdetsky gave No. 1 Joseph Bolduc of Methuen his toughest test but Bolduc eventually earned a pin.

King also went 3-1 at 195. He made the finals with three straight pins including a dominant performance in the semifinals against Simon Fletcher of Lincoln-Sudbury in 1:44 before again meeting a No. 1 from Methuen in Jare Rao who took the bout.

Valley went 4-1 to take 3^rd place with four pins at 126.

Cullen went 4-1 to take 3^rd with three pins and a decision over Noah Beshara of Methuen in the 3^rd-place match.

Grover went 3-1 to take 3^rd with a pin, a technical fall and a decision over Lexington’s Josh Katzman in the 3^rd place bout.

The Warriors will get another chance at Methuen today when they travel to Methuen High for a tournament today at 3 p.m.