The winter wrap up series moves forward but stays in the gym as we take down the recent wrestling season.
It seemingly was a rebuilding year for most programs when you look at it from a big-picture standpoint. Still, each team had various individual wrestlers achieve success throughout the season.
Traditional powerhouse Concord took a back seat in Division I this season as it began an unusual rebuild compared to its typical reload. The area’s Division III teams all stacked up well against one another, but Winnisquam had a banner year with its second-place team finish at the state meet in February – the school’s first wrestling banner.
A closer look at area teams, in order by divisions:
Dual meet record: 9-5.
Position at state meet: Fifth (112.5 points).
Key wrestlers: Kody Rashed (195 pounds), Jaycee Haskell (220) and Hunter Jeffers (285).
Final marks: Year in and year out, the Crimson Tide are one of the toughest programs to face throughout the season, and come tournament time it’s quickly became a two-team race with Timberlane. But this season left Concord in the passenger seat as the program saw new, inexperienced faces in the lineup. Despite the youthful varsity squad, coach Ham Munnell could consistently rely on his three heaviest wrestlers in Rashed, Haskell and Jeffers – all of whom went to the Meet of Champions and New Englands.
Dual meet record: 4-11.
Position at state meet: Third (81.5 points).
Key wrestlers: Adler Moura (120).
Final marks: Bow, much like its D-I brother Concord, took a bit of a back seat in the D-III realm as a result of low roster numbers. The Falcons’ third-place finish at states this year was their lowest placement in recent memory after being runner-up or champion four of the last five seasons. Sophomore Adler Moura was a strong point for Bow this season by winning his bracket at states and posting a runner-up finish at the Meet of Champions.
Dual meet record: 5-12-1.
Position at state meet: Ninth (50 points).
Key wrestlers: Lukas Boulanger (182), Caleb Hauptman (113).
Final marks: The Generals’ only action last season came during the state meet, so after essentially a year off, they made some noise throughout the season. Boulanger, who won the 182-pound title, led the way for John Stark and guided the Generals to a few dual meet victories during the season.
Dual meet record: 6-13.
Position at state meet: Tenth (43 points).
Key wrestlers: Evan Lombard (160).
Final marks: Kearsarge didn’t take the mat last season, and to go from being absent to having a state champion is a testament to the culture of the program third-year coach Brian Kellogg continues to build. Lombard, a senior, led the way for the Cougars throughout the season by winning a state title and placing second at the Meet of Champions.
Dual meet record: 9-14 overall, 6-6 vs. D-III foes.
Position at state meet: Second (86 points).
Key wrestlers: Aemon Gauthier (113), Henry Osmer (126), Brendan Parry (220).
Final marks: It’s not hyperbole to say that this past season was the best in program history. Winnisquam sent five wrestlers to the Meet of Champions, highlighted by Gauthier’s state title win at the D-III championships. Fifth-year coach Tom Osmer has spent the last half-decade building something in Tilton for the black and blue, and it came to fruition this season. The best part? A vast majority of the Bears’ grapplers will return next season, including Gauthier, who’s only a freshman.