Rebels go the distance
Petrosino, Walpole give it extra effort
Walpole wrestling coach Sean Petrosino might be setting an unofficial record of sorts for most mileage put on his car during the winter sports season.
A Plymouth native, Petrosino is an eighth-grade health and physical education
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teacher in the DennisYarmouth school system. As soon as the final bell sounds, Petrosino hops into his vehicle and makes the 80-mile commute to Walpole for wrestling practice.
“I just love being around the boys,” Petrosino said. “They worked very hard and I’m really proud of them.”
Walpole started the season by winning its first five dual meets, but the Rebels really opened some eyes by winning the prestigious Wayland Holiday Tournament last month. Senior captains Luke Wassel (152 pounds) and Tyler Splaine (126) captured individual titles, but Walpole showed its impressive depth as nine wrestlers placed in the top four of their respective weight class.
“Winning a tournament like that really lit a fire,” said Petrosino, who took over the program three years ago. “To be able to win a tournament against teams like Melrose, Framingham and Wayland is really big for our program.”
The beauty of the team lies in its unselfish nature. Sophomore Anthony Borelli is one of the wrestlers who puts team success ahead of personal glory.
“He’s a kid who struggles to make 106, but he came up to the coaches and said he’s willing to do it because it makes us a better team,” Petrosino said. “It’s one of those things that everyone appreciates.”
Petrosino goes the extra mile to show that appreciation. At the Marshfield Tournament over the holiday vacation, Petrosino allowed several of his wrestlers to compete at a higher weight, rather than worry about slimming down (something not so easy around Christmas).
Even with that, Walpole turned in a respectable eighth-place showing in a field which included champion North Andover, North Attleboro and St. John’s Prep. The Rebels had five wrestlers finish in the top six: Wassel (second at 152), Splaine (third at 132), Paul Kauranen (fifth at 138), Aidan Fitzgerald (sixth at 160) and Sean McCullough (sixth at 285).
“We probably could have finished in the top five if we had everyone wrestle at their normal weight,” Petrosino said. “But we wanted the kids to enjoy Christmas and not worry about making weight.”
A bright future
The Hockomock League has never lacked for a shortage of good wrestling programs through the years. Mansfield is quickly closing the gap between itself and perennial powers Franklin, North Attleboro and Foxboro.
The Hornets have jumped out to a quick 9-1 start with the only setback coming to St. John’s Prep. Fifth-year coach Mark DiSanto had a sense the program would be trending upward this season.
“I thought we were definitely capable of this,” DiSanto said. “We’ve been building for the last five years, so we could see this coming and I think we can take it further.”
The future certainly looks good when one looks at the core of the team. DiSanto is getting plenty of mileage from juniors Jayden Curley (160) and George Glaropoulos (152) along with sophomores Antonios Sevastos (113), Will Stratton (132) and Vinnie Holmes (182).
“We have a good youth system in Mansfield and those coaches have done a really good job with these kids,” DiSanto said. “You could see them getting better year and year. They’ve come here ready to wrestle.”
Lowell leftovers
Burlington senior Josh Lee made his mark at the recently concluded George Bossi Lowell Holidays when he became the 22nd wrestler in the history of the tournament to win three individual titles in his career. The 138-pounder defeated Melrose’s Sean Herbert, 5-4, in an all-Middlesex League final.
Lee was one of the three Massachusetts wrestlers to win titles. Lincoln-Sudbury senior Andrew Marshall, the defending New England champion, edged Dakota Grover of Fitch (Conn.), 5-4 to capture the 220-pound title. Herbert’s teammate, Hunter Adrian, won the 106-pound championship as he pinned Scott Downs of Winchester in 1:51.
Mount Anthony of Bennington, Vt., stormed to its fifth team title in six seasons, scoring 217 points. Chelmsford was the top Bay State team, finishing fourth with 142 points. Two Lions, Evan Goodall (145 pounds) and Joe Vecchione (170) reached the finals in their weight classes.
In addition to Chelmsford and Melrose (fifth overall), Wayland also placed a pair of wrestlers in the finals. Ramazan Attasauov was second at 138 pounds, while Brooks Jones was the runner-up at 285. Other Massachusetts finalists included Kyle Randall of Newton North (113 pounds), Cole Wyman of Brockton (126) and Andrew