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South County Youth Wrestling Club
Mike Millen
65 tupelo trail
narragansett, Rhode Island
02882
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Wednesday, March 1
Smallest school makes the biggest noise
BARRINGTON - Don't ever underestimate the little guy - that was the message being sent by the Narragansett High wrestling team on Saturday at the Division II Sectional Tournament at Barrington High.
The Mariners (12-4 in D-II-B) delivered the school's first ever sectional title in wrestling behind a 158.5-point performance that beat out D-II front runners Middletown (16-0) and Chariho (14-2).
The Islanders finished second in the team standings with 154 points and the Chargers finished fifth with 114.5 team points.
The Mariners finished third behind the Islanders and Chargers at last year's sectional tournament and were defeated in dual meets by both teams during this year's regular season.
But after beating West Warwick out for the Division II-B title on Wednesday, the Pier began building their confidence and rode that momentum straight through the weekend.
"We had a great week," explained Colombo. "Winning the division on Wednesday really pumped them up, plus we were gearing up for this.
"You gear up towards the end of the season. You want the guys to peak at the end and be division champions, but we really had no expectations of coming close to being sectional champs - that was huge."
The Mariners, amazingly, finished first at sectionals despite sending only 11 wrestlers to the tournament. Down three weight classes, the locals persevered and made a bit of history in the biggest meet of the season.
"This is our big tournament," described Colombo. "We're Division II. This is our state tournament and they were ready. They were geared up. We had an awesome practice week, they were super pumped up and it proved itself."
Colombo credited his team for coming out strong in the first round of Thursday's tournament and building an early lead - the Mariners registered 11 pins/technical falls in the opening round.
Senior Matt Accetta improved from last year to become the D-II Sectional champion in the 135-weight class. Accetta was the runner-up as a junior in 2005.
Accetta has been a monster on the mat in this his sendoff season, finishing first in all four tournaments he's entered, but it has been his sportsmanship and his respect for opponents that has most impressed Colombo.
"Matty has just been wrestling fantastic all year and he's one of the classiest guys in the state," described Colombo of his top grappler and team captain. "He respects everybody he wrestles and he goes out there and he takes care of business."
Accetta will be in the running for a state crown this weekend at the state-wrestling tournament at CCRI-Lincoln that begins on Friday night at 5 p.m.
"It's his time and he's ready," said Colombo of Accetta. "It's going to be a heck of a weekend for him."
Narragansett's two other tri-captains Tory Seegers and Mario Forte also both qualified to compete in the statewide tourney.
Seegers advanced into the championship round of the 171-weight division and finished second. Seegers defeated Barrington's Mark Turco in the semifinals. It was the first time in four seasons that Seegers was able to outduel Turco.
"That was a great win for Tory, especially being a senior," said Colombo.
Forte reached the semifinals at 145 and finished third overall to qualify.
The Mariners qualified a total of nine wrestlers, including Accetta, Seegers and Forte.
Justin Hunt finished fourth at 140, Dan Iannucci finished fourth at 152, Hunter Gorenski finished fourth at 119, Billy Horan qualified as a heavy weight, James Creamer finished second at 130 and Ethan Farrell finished seventh at 125. Mike Millen also qualified for the State Meet at 215 based on his seeding.
Underclassmen Creamer and Farrell both delivered on the big stage for the locals.
Creamer, a sophomore, entered Saturday seeded fifth at 130 and finished second. Farrell, a freshman, took seventh in his first sectional meet.
Farrell appears to be one of the future chips for the program. He finished third earlier last week at the Freshman States and is a wrestler Colombo and other coaches around the league will be keeping a close watch on in the coming years.
"He's an up and coming wrestler that everybody around our division's going to be worried about. That's for sure," emphasized Colombo.
The Chargers will be sending eight wrestlers to states this weekend.
Senior Pat Wyllie was the one Charger to advance to wrestle in a sectional championship match on Saturday.
Wyllie reached the finals of the 140-pound bracket before being beaten by eventual champion Kurt Decker of Mount Hope. Decker, the number one seed at 140, defeated Wyllie 12-8.
Fellow senior Aaron Rousseau supplied another chapter to his storybook season by finishing third overall in the 215-weight division. Rousseau, CHS's top wrestler all season, should be in the running again this weekend.
Jason Powell (third place, 112), Jeff Swiderski (third place, 135), Everett Swanson (fourth place, 103), Nick McFadyen (fifth place, 130), Josh Fallon (sixth place, 119) and Andrew Dasilva (seventh place, 160) all finished top eight in their respective weight classes to qualify for Friday's state championship meet at CCRI-Lincoln. The tournament will conclude on Saturday at CCRI.
©The Narragansett Times 2006
Wednesday, March 1
2006 SCSNE Classic Coming
SOUTH COUNTY
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
CLASSIC
A Test for the Best
Sunday March 12, 2006
NARRAGANSETT HIGH SCHOOL
245 SOUTH PIER ROAD
NARRAGANSETT RI, 02882
Prepare for the MAWA’s, Rebel Classic or Marshwood.
Come take on the best in Rhode Island and southern New England.
Last year there were over 300 wrestlers from every State in New England.
Headgear is mandatory for all USA wrestling sanctioned events.
USA Wrestling membership card required. Cards will be available at door ($30).
All Bantam Division wrestlers (6-7-8 yrs. Old) must weigh in before 8:30 AM in order to ensure a 9:30 AM start of Bantam wrestling. All other wrestlers Weigh-ins for tournament from 7:30AM to 9:00AM. Tournament is Folk style, with wrestling beginning 9:30 AM for Bantams, and 10:00AM for all others. Ages 6 to 18 Madison weights (weight groups determined by participation after weigh in). Medals for top 4 finishers.
ALL FANS, PARENTS, AND WRESTLERS MUST STAY IN STANDS.
Tournament Fees: easy check in before March 8,
$12 Pre-register at Michaelmillen@hotmail.com, send name year of birth and club.
$15.00 at door. Family Discount $12 for each after 1st child.
USA Wrestling membership card required. Adults $3 admission.
Full breakfast, lunch, food and more on site. Enjoy the day in South County.
Any questions email michaelmillen@hotmail.com
From South: Take Rt.1 North to Pt Judith Exit. Turn right off ramp. Straight thru 2 red lights. Narragansett High school will be ½ mile on your left. Parking and Gym in rear of school.
From North: Take Rt. 95 South to exit 9. Continue South on Rt.4 to Rt.1 South. Continue to Pt Judith Exit. Turn right off ramp. Straight thru 2 red lights. Narragansett High school will be ½ mile on your left. Parking and Gym in rear of school.
Wednesday, March 1
Rebels oust defending champs
CUMBERLAND -- South Kingstown sent defending champion Cumberland home early from the Second Annual Haig Varadian Team Wrestling Championship on Thursday night.
The Rebels walked into Cumberland's gym and tore through two opponents, whipping Warwick Vets, 48-27, in a predictable result and then blowing away short-handed Cumber-land, 43-24, in the nightcap.
"Our guys wrestled very well," SK assistant coach Dave Pope said. "I know Cumberland was missing a few wrestlers. I guess you could say I was surprised by the result of our meet."
South Kingstown advances to the Final Four next Thursday at Bishop Hendricken. Cumber-land licks its wounds while trying to get healthy for the state championship tournament set for Feb. 24-25 at Rhode Island College.
The Rebels reversed their 43-24 loss to Cumberland back on Jan. 5, turning the tables with a vengeance. This did not come as a surprise to Cumberland coach Steve Gordon, who was wrestling without five of his starters and expected at least a 24-point swing from the first match against SK.
"We need to sit back and try to get healthy," said Gordon, who is battling a respiratory problem and spent most of the night sitting quietly while trying to rest his voice.
Cumberland went into this match knowing it would be short four wrestlers, two due to academic misfortunes and two more to injury. On top of that, 112-pounder Kyle Leduc missed weight and sat out both dual-meets after conferring with his coach.
"South Kingstown is a good team," Gordon said. "You can't go out there against them with four or five kids missing from your lineup."
The Rebels came into this tournament as the seventh seed out of Division I. Cumberland, 13-1 in dual meets, had been seeded second behind undefeated Cranston West.
Cumberland, which defeated Lincoln, 49-27, in its opening match Thursday night, won the opening match against SK when heavyweight Adam Wolowicz pinned Harry Northrup in 84 seconds. The Clippers then accepted two forfeit wins, giving them an 18-0 lead that few loyalists expected would hold up.
SK got a forfeit at 119 to make it 18-6, then won the next two bouts in impressive fashion to quickly pull within 18-16.
Steve Gorman stemmed the tide with a quick pin at 135 pounds but that would be the final Cumberland victory of the night. The Rebels won the final seven bouts as the sparse crowd looked on quietly.
"We had some guys wrestle above their expectations," Pope said, referring to pins from Tim Boynton and Al Wang at 160 and 171, respectively. The lattervictory gave SK an insurmountable 37-24 advantage with two matches left.
Gordon had intimated after beating Lincoln that a loss to South Kingstown wouldn't be the worst thing for his battle-weary squad. That saves the Clippers from wrestling a tough match or two in the Final Four next Thursday and gives the coach time to regroup his squad, which is showing both mental and physical fatigue during this prelude to the big state tournament.
"We've encountered some problems with our lineup," Gordon said with a rueful smile, knowing the good times from last year's championship run have given way to the more familiar wrestling issues of injuries and fatigue.
©The Call 2006
Wednesday, March 1
South County Fab Five Freshman
South County Fab Five Freshman
Coventry - Over four plus years ago, five growing day-dreaming boys went from kids trying their hand at wrestling to five young men who are the top of their class. One common thread for all of them is the practice and commitment on the wrestling mat of the South County Wrestling Club.
Christian Faria, Conner Nelson, John Wright, Michael Millen, and Harrison Northup have all taken their lumps and bruises all over the state and across New England. Now days as freshman they represent four different high school teams. All five found themselves in the finals of the Rhode Island Freshman State Championship this past Saturday night at Coventry High School. They were under the watchful eyes of fans, parents, and their coaches from the club that were there to cheer them all on to a gold or silver medal finish.
Christian Faria, who now attends Bishop Hendricken, has come a long way as the light one of the group. His talent and heart put him in the 98 pound finals against an All American wrestler. Christian lost a close and exciting 2-1 match to Greg Peckham of North Kingstown. The rest of the final matches were just as grueling and exciting.
Connor Nelson has been in his share of Championship matches but none as big as the 140 Freshman States. Connor, a varsity member of the South Kingstown High school team, quickly controlled all his opponents. He pinned three challengers and had only two points scored against him on his way to winning the 140 Freshman State title. His finals opponent, Jayson Matias of West Warwick, show cased Connor’s skills and abilities.
John Wright of the North Kingstown High school has been through many tournaments over the years. He put his experience to good work as he advanced to the finals of the 145 pound weight class. His opponent was Eric Pires of Mt Hope High school in Bristol. John entered as an underdog but used his heart and soul to pull Pires head down to the mat and pin him to give John a very emotional win. He was quickly mobbed by his team and coaches. All that was left was to see how the big men made out.
Mike Millen, of Narragansett High School, found himself in a familiar spot as he faced Gerry Delannoy of Cumberland. The two last met in the Middle school Championship at 177 pounds with Mike winning by fall. Delannoy had dreams of a different outcome as he countered and controled Mike during most of the 189 pound title match. In the third period, up 8 to 4, Delannoy moved to put Mike on his back. But just as quick Mike was able to grab a leg, toss his hips over the 6’ 2’’ Delannoy and squeeze for a pin with 50 seconds left.
Harrison Northup was glad to finally be able to wrestle at his own weight. He has been wrestling at 275 weight class pounds on the Varsity South Kingstown High School team. Now at his own 215 pound class he looked to keep up with his buddies from the SC club. His finals match against Marc Nunes of Cumberland would be the longest of the night. Harry scored a point in the second period and Nunes scored one in the third for a 1-1 tie. In overtime Harry was aggressive but could not score a takedown. In double over time Harry was able to escape for a 3-1 double overtime Freshmen State title.
All in all a great day was had by many of South County teams and Club as South Kingstown High School won the JV title and finished fourth in the Freshmen States. Two other resent members of the South County Club also placed. Connor Breagy of Exeter West Greenwich finished second at 112 and Ethan Ferrell of Narragansett finished 3rd at 119. North Kingstown’s team was 3rd in the Freshmen States while Narragansett finished seventh. Many former SC Club members are enjoying their early High school careers due to the mat time and weekends with the South County Club
Wednesday, March 1
Cadet and Novice Wrestlers Shine at Eastern Classic
Cadet and Novice Wrestlers Shine at Eastern Classic
Warwick – This past weekend was some of the best wrestling of the year, if not the decade, as High School wrestlers competed for the state title. The same quality of wrestling continued on the club level as the South County Wrestling Club competed at the Eastern Kids Classic at Pilgrim High School.
The young members competed with nearly three hundred wrestlers from across Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The two Bantams that were there for there club enjoyed the long day event. David Koutsogiane finished 2nd while Joe Millen continued to improve. The Midget team did great as Mike Gallaher won gold, Mike Harrington and Alex Millen won 3rd place bronze while Joe Iannelli did well in a large bracket.
The talent was on display at the Novice level as Reed Nelson, Christian Labrie, Andrew Labrie, and Garrett Odowd all pummeled their all challengers on the way to first place trophies in their respective weight classes. The team as a whole finished second only to the host team Warwick PAL. Eric Rameika won silver, JJ Johnson won 4th place and Ryan Thomas just missed on the medal round.
At the Schoolboy level Julien Nelson continued his success with another 1st place finish. Nathan Johnson finished 3rd and Matt Minty finished 4th. Patrick Shea, Adam McConnell, and Greg Maguire continue to wrestler hard on the mat. The older Cadet wrestlers did very well. The team of three did well enough to out pace 12 other teams for first place at the Eastern Classic ahead of runner up Providence, Warren, and nine other teams. Ethan Ferral and Mike Millen won first place trophies after wrestling in hard matches. First year wrestler Wayne Benier did very well as he finished 2nd.
All members of the club will be competing for state titles this weekend. Bantams will wrestle for the Might Mite State title at Gudet Middle school in Middletown on Saturday. The other age groups will converge on Mt Hope High School in Bristol on Saturday for their shot at the Rhode Island Kids State Tournament.
Wednesday, March 1
Middle School States 06
Coventry, RI – Athletes are rewarded for their hard work in different ways. For wrestlers, hard work during the season is rewarded with great seeding for state tournament. With the right seed and the right frame of mind, wrestlers can run the table, pull the big upsets, or just miss the cut. Such was the case for the independent middle school south county wrestlers this past weekend.
Sunday night, Julien Nelson put his skills and ability in front of over 1000 spectators, coaches, and wrestlers. He cruised through his 109 pound bracket as he won four matches for the Championship. He had 3 pins of 15 seconds, 27 seconds, and 59 seconds to put him in the finals. There he manhandled Taiwo Adebimpe from Middletown 6-0. Julien had 3 great takedowns for all his points but Taiwo did nothing but freeze and tighten up on the bottom for the entire match. Julien, a seventh grader at Narragansett Pier Middle School, has a middle school record over the past two years of 23-4 and a 4th place finish last year at 100 pounds. He will be looking to compete for a second straight title next year.
Greg Maquire was able to surprise his coaches and the rest of the 94 pound Middle School weight class during Saturday’s first three rounds of the tournament. He was on track when he won all three of his matches over seeded wrestlers during the first day of the tournament. The Monsignor Clarke seventh grader recorded 2 pins and an impressive 7-3 win to advance to the quarter finals. On Sunday he was in control of his first match when he got caught for a fall near the edge of the mat at the end of the second period. He followed that by a close loss to John Cabral from Warren 7-4. Greg put it all together to finish the season with a win as he pinned Mike Doble of Burriville in the third period for 5th place. He will return next year with all the right tools and a shot at a title.
Matt Minty just missed out on earning a medal at the 89 pound weight class. He went 2 and 1 on Saturday with 2 quick falls and his loss to the eventual runner up, Zach Brietzke from Middletown. On Sunday he lost out in the first consolation round. The seventh graders for the Pier school plans to return next year with better results from his deadly headlock. All three wrestlers hope to have team mates join them next year at the states with middle school teams in Narragansett and South Kingstown.
The 2 day tournament held at Coventry High School was host to over 300 boys and girls from over 20 middle schools. The Kickemuit middle school in Warren won the Team title ahead of Birchwood (North Providence) and North Cumberland Middle school.
Wednesday, March 1
Young Club of Wrestling Winners
Young Club of Wrestling Winners
Bristol, RI - Coaches always tell their teams that the way you practice will determine the way you play. If you practice hard and challenge yourself you will see the results on the field or on the mat in the case. The South County Youth Wrestling Club tells wrestlers, new and old, that some of the hardest opponents they will face will be found in their own practice gym. The wrestlers around the weight of 75 pounds know and see this every week.
This past Sunday, no less that 9 wrestlers grouped in and around 75 pounds won 5 gold medals, 2 silvers, a bronze, and a copper medal at the Mt Hope High school. The hard work and tough competition on their mat has continued to pay off for the entire team as they travel around the state and New England. The wrestling club as a whole had 21 wrestlers competing against wrestler from all over the state and Massachusetts with 19 bringing home top four honors.
The tough 75 pound club was led by Mike Harrington, Mike Gallagher, Reed Nelson, Christian Labrie, and Andrew Labrie, who all took 1st place in their respective age and weight classes. The balance of the 75 lb club are Ryan Thomas and Eric Rameika who took second honors, Joshua Rosa who won third and new comer Ryan Casci who won fourth.
Others who did well at the Bristol wrestling tournament were Bantam wrestlers Dylan Disano and Eli Obrien who both finished 2nd, and Joe Millen who finished 3rd. Midget Alex Millen won a 2nd place silver. Novice Garrett O’Dowd won gold and James Johnston wrestled well.
Schoolboys Greg Maguire took a fourth place finish while Zane Maymon did well in his first showing. The Cadet wrestlers all took home medals this week. John Siligato showed that he is a force to be reckoned with as he took second place as the light man in a big group. John Wright finished 3rd as Ethan Ferrell and Kevin Thompson both hung tough and won 4th place honors.
Comments on South Couth Tournament 2005
Comments from 2005 South County Tournament
Just FYI for NH coaches, we brought 9 kids down there -- just a few, but a full range from strong wrestlers to inexperienced kids. VERY COMPETITIVE tourney with lots of well coached, tough kids from southern New England, including Connecticut. Very well run by the Rhode Island guys.
Phil, a couple of Salem kids showed up and asked us to coach them. Handled themselves very well, especially the big kid, who ran into a stacked HS junior
Joe Laplante New Hampshire
Hey South County great job with your tournament!!! Best RI tournament this year competition and organization was excellent no down time wrestling always going on all mats. Well worth the ride from CT this time around. Keep up the good work and congrats. Please do it again at this time of year good tune up event for Marshwoods and Mawa's. Westerly you guys are second nice job. The other two I won't even mention.
Conn Pin to Win Forum
The tournament, which was originally scheduled for Jan. 23, was postponed until this past weekend by inclement weather. But the postponement didn't stop the 268 wrestlers from con-verging on the Rebel gym Sunday. Some came from as far away as Southern Maine, New Hampshire, and all over Connecticut to compete.
The Narragansett Times March 16, 2005
South County Tournament
South County Host Best Wrestlers
South Kingstown - The South County Wrestling club laid the foundation for a great tradition this past Sunday at the South Kingstown High School. Very few wrestling tournaments in New England can call themselves regional or multi-state challenges. The South County Tournament of this year and the future can lay such a claim. Teams, clubs, and wrestlers from all over Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Islands 20 clubs all converged to test their skill with fellow state champs and competitors. With such competition from the likes of Danbury, Nashua, South Windsor, Windam, Stafford, Boston Latin, Brookfield and many more, every medal was that more deserving.
Thirty-five members of the club took to the mats on Sunday. The Bantams started thing off with nine medals. Tyler Gerskoft and Alex Millen won championship gold. Second place medals went to Dylan Gerhkoft and James James Sauro. Joe Iannelli, Mitchell Diamartino and Jim Cunningham fought hard for third place finishes. And Joe Millen and Mack Bodziony finished at fourth place.
The clubs largest division of wrestlers, the Midget team, had fourteen wrestlers and 6 medal winners. Kurtis Minty took a second, as did Reed Nelson. In the same weight group as Reed, Michael Galligher won third while Ryan Worthington wrestled back for fourth. Alexa Nelson and Daiel Stern-Lonczak won fourth place medals also. A group of wrestlers that ran into very tough New England competition were Sam Wardwell, Dan Doyle, Mike Harrington, Tim Lenihan, Chris Labrie, Austin Krafton, Andrew Labrie, and James Johnson.
The Novice division had a great showing as there were seven medals brought home. Julien Nelson topped things off winning a gold medal. Ryan Thomas and Ryan Smith showed their stuff as they both won silver. Josh Rosa and Greg Maguire continue to shine as they won third place medals. Matt Minty and Garrett Odowd did well with fourth place. Also doing well for the day were John Barbera and Adam McConnell.
The graduating class of Schoolboys did just as well. Stephen Siravo was the only gold medal, but lots of great wrestling was also turned out for second place medals. Connor Nelson ran into Stephen for second, Conor Breasy took second, John Wright took second, and Mike Millen’s only lost of the year came to the Connecticut State Champion, Cody Bias, as Mike took second. Skye Soderberg wrestled for third. Adam Littlefield took a fourth. Chris Faria and Aaron Holland fell to hard competition.
The Cadets of South County did well as they ran into the Junior and Cadets from around New England. Harry Northup took fourth and Pat Brassil rejoined the club for a great day of wrestling. Next week some members will travel to Connecticut and New Hampshire before heading off to Portland Maine for the Marshwood New England Classic.
Eight-year-old pens 'My Dad Has Cancer'
RI KIDS States 2005
South County has 9 State Champions
Bristol – This past Sunday marked a highlight in the short history of the South County Youth Wrestling Club. The entire state of Rhode Island’s 20 USA Kids Clubs converged on Roger Williams University on Sunday to challenge one another for state titles and team bragging rights. South County came home with plenty of both.
Not only did the 5 year old club bring home 9 state titles in over 5 different divisions, it also placed as top four in all 4 divisions that South County had teams. As a club the South County Wrestlers finished third in the State overall to first place Warwick PAL and second place Warren. All the coaches, parents, fans, and wrestlers were overly satisfied in this years result by the 32 members of the team that practiced and wrestled over their school vacation.
In the young Bantam Division of 6-7-8-year olds, two 2nd graders laid claim to state titles in their respective weight classes. At 60 pounds, James Sauro over whelmed his opponents to his Gold medal while Alex Millen won at the 100 pound weight class by being steady and persistent. Joe Millen placed 4th in the state at 45 pounds. Helping the Bantam team to a 4th place finish in the state were Mack Bodziony, James Cuningham, Joseph Iannelli, and Tyler Gershkoff.
The Midget Division team of 9 and 10 year olds finished 2nd in the state behind the leadership of state champion Reed Nelson at 75 pounds. This weight class was dominated by South County as Andrew Labrie finished 2nd and Ryan Worthington finished 4th in the 75 pound weight class. Michael Gallagher finished 3rd at the 80 pound weight class and Dylan Gershkoff won 2nd place at 50 pounds. Wrestling through tough matches were Alexa Nelson, Michael Harrington, Timothy Lenihan, Chris Labrie, Austin Krafton, and James Johnson.
The Novice Team of 11 and 12 year old wrestlers had three state champions with Josh Rosa at 60 pounds, Julien Nelson at 100 pounds, and Ryan Smith at 120 pounds. Garrett ODowd placed 2nd at 100 pounds and Ryan Thomas finished 3rd at 65 pounds. John Barbera, Adam McConnell, and Greg Maguire all helped as the Novice team finished third in the state.
Helping to set the example of South County wrestling, the Schoolboy division of 13 and 14 year old wrestlers all placed in the state tournament of their way to placing 2nd as a team, six points behind first place Cranston CLCF. Connor Nelson wrestled great as he became state champion at 130 pounds and Mike Millen continued to dominate as he won the 185 pound state title. Steve Siravo faced rough wrestling as he finished 2nd at 140 pounds and Skye Soderberg did very well as he placed 4th at 165 pounds.
In the Cadet and Junior divisions, Harry Northup came up a little short as he finished 2nd at 215 pounds and Josh Fisher won a well deserved State Title at 145 ponds.
The Youth club will next travel to Coventry this Saturday when they enter the Eastern Kids Classic at Coventry High School. The next week will see the best from New England as the wrestlers meet at South Kingstown High School as South County host their own Tournament on Sunday March 13.
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Middle School States
Millen and Northup State Champions
Coventry – When a young athlete starts wrestling, he is encouraged and taught the basics of the sport that all coaches know will require practice, dedication, sacrifice, and something special to become a standout wrestler. In South County we continue to see these young athletes work and strive for that something special. This past weekend it was on display for the entire state to see at the Rhode Island Middle School State Wrestling Tournament held at Coventry High School Saturday and Sunday.
Eighth graders Michael Millen of the Narragansett Pier Middle School and Harry Northup of the South Kingstown Broadrock Middle School became the first Middle School Wrestling State Champions for their schools. They both earned the respect and ovations of over 450 middle school wrestlers from 25 teams, coaches from around the state, and fans of a grueling sport that were there for the two day competition.
Last year, Mike was the runner up at 158 pounds and committed himself after that loss to return and win a state title. He gave up a chance to join his friends on the middle school basketball team to get a chance to compete for the 177 pound state title. This year he wrestled all takers as he went 11-0 for the school season without giving up a single point. He then over came two weeks of the flu before the state tournament. He quickly pinned all his opponents with his corkscrew move or his pain inflecting bear hug for the State Championship. He finished his middle school career of 31 wins with 30 pins, two state medals and only two losses. All of this will make his choice of a winter sport very interesting next year at Narragansett High School.
Harry Northup took a quiet giant approach to his State 217 pound title. As a newcomer to the middle school competition, Harry went into the tournament as a number three seed from the A division of the two-division state. On his path to the Championship, he pinned the B division second seed and both number one seeds in the state. His final bout was his best ever as he man handled a seasoned wrestler from Exeter-West Greenwich and pinned him in the second period. He finished his season undefeated at 8-0.
The area middle schools also had five other independent wrestlers competing in the state tournament. At Broadrock Middle School, Connor Nelson continues to show why he was the number one seed in the state at 126 pounds. He finished 2nd in the state as he lost for the first time this year and only the second time in his middle school career. He lost his final bout by a close and hard fought 4-1 score. Connor finished third last year at 102 pounds and had a career record of 21-2 with two state medals.
The Pier school had two sixth graders wrestling in their first state tournament. Julien Nelson laid claim to future state medals as he finished fourth in the very tough and quality-filled 102 pound weight class, losing his medal match by a close 4-5 score and a 12-2 season. Matt Minty showed that he will be a force to be reckoned with as he went 2 and 2 at 89 pounds in the tournament and 7-3 for the season.
The South Kingstown Curtis Corner Middle School was also well represented this year by eighth graders. Chris Faria wrestled tough at the unforgiving 96 pound weight class as he went 2 and 2 over the weekend. Steve Siravo started the tournament as a number one seed and 10-1 record before losing a crowd enticing 4-4 tie match that he lost in an overtime bout 6-4 to the state runner-up at 135 pounds. Connor, Chris, Steve and Harry will be great additions to a quality wrestling program at the South Kingstown High School
All the Narragansett and South Kingstown wrestlers compete with the South County Wrestling Club which has grown into the second largest club in the state. The Club continues to improve wrestlers as they travel through New England taking on the best wrestlers in the area.
In the final State tournament team standings, the local school wrestlers did well in the 25 team field. As a team of two and three wrestlers, Broadrock finished 18th and Pier finished 19th against teams that field up to 40 wrestlers in the 23 weight classes. Kickemuit of Warren won the state title while Babcock of Westerly finished 8th, Davisville and Wickford of North Kingstown finished 12th and 13th respectively and Curtis Corner finished 25th.
Warren Tourney
South County Wrestle Celebrates New Year
Warren – A few wrestlers from the South County Wrestling Club traveled to Kickemuit Middle School in Warren to wrestle during the New Years weekend. It was another successful tournament for all that attended. The Bantams were led by James Sauro as he won another Gold Medal. Joe Iannelli won third and Joe Millen finished fourth.
The largest group of wrestlers came from the Midget age group. They followed the leadership of Reed Nelson as he took home gold. Mike Gallagher fought for a silver, JJ Johnson won 3rd, while Alex Millen moved up an age group for competition and won third as well. Mike Harrington and Ryan Worthington ran into some tough competition.
The Novice group had gold as well when Julien Nelson won his weight group. Thomas Ryan won 4th place. Greg Maguire continues to learn the sport well. In the Schoolboy division, Mike Millen continues to dominate as he won a Gold medal.
The South County team will travel to Warwick Vets High School this Sunday as they continue to get ready for their own tournament on January 23rd at South Kingstown High School. The South County Tournament should be the highlight of the year for many as Clubs from across New England make a full day of it.
Conn and Johnston
Young Wrestlers near Perfect
Waterford, Connecticut – Seven members of the South County Wrestling Club traveled south to Waterford High School to take on the best of Connecticut and try a different venue. All seven shined in front of the other 300 wrestlers from the Nutmeg state. James Sauro, Michael Harrington, Mike Gallagher, Reed Nelson and Michael Millen all won fist place trophies and combined for a 20 – 0 record with nearly three quarters of them being pins. Alex Millen moved up an age group to win third place bronze while his younger brother Joe Millen impressed his coaches and fellow wrestlers with his best wrestling to date as he won fourth place.
All of these wrestlers and the rest of their team mates will be host a South County Wrestling Tournament at South Kingstown High School on Sunday January 23. Wrestling will start at 9:30. Everyone is welcome see the talent that this club has working in South County.
Wrestlers Improve at Johnston Tournament
Johnston – While some wrestlers and parents prepared for the recent Patriots game, some other die hard wrestlers of the South County Wrestling Club took to Johnston High School to ready themselves for next week’s South County Tournament.
Joe Iannelli and Dylan Gershkoff both won Silver at the Bantam age group. Eric Rameika won gold in the Midget age group as Dan Stern-Lonczk took 4th. Tim Lenihan did very well. The Novice class had second place finishers with Garrett O’Dowd and Greg Maguire. Thomas Ryan continues to have hard fought matches. In the older school boy division, Steve Siravo won 1st place, Skye Soderberg won fourth and Skyler Lavella wrestled hard.
Wednesday, March 1
Spotlight: R.I. stars
Spotlight: R.I. stars planning to throw weight around in Conn.
01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, March 1, 2006
BY ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer
The top three finishers in Saturday's wrestling State Meet all qualified for this weekend's 42nd Annual New England Championships at Hillhouse High in New Haven, Conn., and the résumés of all the Rhode Island state champions and runners-up are impressive.
Cranston East's Shane Decristofaro is the 103-pound state champion. He edged Cumberland's Steve Aissis, 7-5, in overtime at the State Meet. Decristofaro is 31-1 for the season and has a career record of 121-11. Aissis is 35-6 this season.
Cranston West freshman Shawn Giblin will represent Rhode Island as the state champion at the New Englands in the 112-pound division. Giblin, who is also the freshman state champion, edged La Salle senior Dan Cormier, 2-1, at the State Meet. He has a career record of 28-5. Cormier will be looking for revenge at the New Englands if the two meet again. Cormier is 37-6 this year and has a career record of 123-21.
South Kingstown's Shawn Petrucci held off Bishop Hendricken's Colin Feeley at the State Meet, 3-1. Both of these grapplers are hoping to do well at the New Englands in the 119-pound weight class. Petrucci is 28-4 for the season and has a career record of 48-11, and Feeley is the freshman state champion.
At 125, Exeter/West Greenwich two-time state champion Justin Belanger and his longtime friend, Charlie Simone of Bishop Hendricken, will have Rhode Island's best shot at becoming the 125-pound New England champion.
They were involved in one of the most intense matches at the State Meet. In the end, Belanger overcame a two-point deficit with six seconds left in the match and eventually won, 4-2, in overtime.
"I used to work out with Charlie back in the day, and back then, not to take anything away from Charlie, but I used to win a lot, but he has improved so much," Belanger said. "We could meet again at New Englands."
Belanger is 34-0 for the season and has a career record of 115-4. Simone, the Chelmsford, Mass., tournament winner, was runner-up at the State Meet last year, as well.
East Providence's Stacey Weeden and South Kingstown's Cory Egan will be Rhode Island's top two seeds in the 130-pound weight class, respectively. Weeden beat Egan, 10-3, at the State Meet to improve to 31-3 for the season and hand Egan (27-1) his first loss of the year.
Narragansett's Matthew Accetta and La Salle's Sean Miele should make strong showings at the New Englands in the 135-pound division. Accetta edged Miele, 6-4, in overtime at the State Meet to improve to 33-2 for the season and 67-13 for his career. Miele, last year's state champion at 130, now is 30-4 for the season and 107-18 in his career.
North Kingstown's Ted Coppa and South Kingstown's Alex Petrucci will be Rhode Island's top two 140-pound seeds at the New Englands, respectively, and both of them have had terrific seasons thus far. Coppa, the 2004 freshman state champion, is 39-2 with 36 pins this season and has a career record of 88-27. Petrucci (29-5) has a career record of 106-18.
East Providence's Bob Blakely (35-2, 110-23) will be Rhode Island's top seed in the 145-pound weight class, and West Warwick's Kyle Gadoury (16-1 dual meet, 28-4 in tournaments, 59-5 career record) will be the state's second seed.
At 152, two-time state champion Corey Peltier of Bishop Hendricken will be seeking his first New England title. Peltier came in sixth at the New Englands last year. If Cranston West's Victor Guerrero's (27-5) knee is healthy this weekend, he could pull off some upsets at the New Englands.
James Ryan, North Kingstown's 160-pound state champion, brings a 41-1 season record to the New Englands and has a 95-21 career record, while Bishop Hendricken's Jason Lamp, runner-up at the State Meet, also is expected to do well at 160.
East Providence's Josh Harrison-Lombardi, Rhode Island's top 171-pound grappler, brings a 41-0 record to the New Englands, and Ponaganset's Wayne Tetreault (30-4) could surprise.
"It's going to be tough, but I think I'll do well," said Harrison-Lombardi, who is one win away from 100 for his career.
Matt Forcier, Cranston East's 189-pound state champion (28-4, 92-16 career), is Rhode Island's top seed in his weight class, and Woonsocket's Russ Miclette (18-10, 38-23) is the state's second seed.
At 215, Cranston West's Anthony Ferrer brings a 33-0 record to the New Englands. He has an 83-10 career record and is Rhode Island's top seed. Warwick's Tim Cing-Mars (40-6, 83-20) is the state's second seed.
At 275, Monte Davis (23-2) became Woonsocket's first wrestling state champion in school history when he pinned Smithfield's Nick Fusaro (16-7, 46-15) in 1:49 at the State Meet. They will be the top two heavyweight seeds from Rhode Island at the New Englands.
roblee@projo.com / (401) 277-7340
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