Kudra carries North Attleboro
The wait between state titles was not nearly as long this time for North Attleboro.
After ending a 19-year drought two seasons ago, the Red Rocketeers made sure it only was a one-year hiatus from the top spot at yesterday’s Division 2 state wrestling championships at Milton High.
With an all-around team approach, the Rocketeers narrowly topped the competition with 109 points, while Central Catholic (105.5) and Nashoba (105) finished second and third, respectively.
“This year was different. We had to overcome some hurdles,” said North Attleboro coach Wayne Griffin. “I’m really proud of the kids. They stuck together. They worked hard.”
While North Attleboro displayed its depth, it had just one individual champion in 220-pounder Mattuez Kudra.
The Red Rocketeers entered Kudra’s match — the second to last of the tournament — in second place in the team standings, but Kudra’s monumental 3-0 win over Boston Latin’s Olamadide Adeyeri pushed them to the top for good.
“My technique was just to wear him down over time,” Kudra said. “Second period, score two points and try to maintain that lead on top for the rest of the match.”
North Attleboro also got strong performances from Brad White (195) and Zach Gould (145), who both took third-place finishes, while Dan Cooper placed fourth at 120 pounds.
Central Catholic 145-pounder Joe Sanchez had a flair for the dramatic. After giving up the tying point late in the third round, Sanchez regrouped in overtime to defeat Nashoba’s Brevin Cassella, 3-1.
“(Cassella) earlier in the season beat me,” Sanchez said. “It was definitely something that I wanted to get back at him.”
Nashoba’s Lucas Cordio, who earned a 10-5 win over Danvers’ Colby Holland at 160 pounds, was named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler.
Mighty Marauders
It took until the final championship bout, but a pin by senior 285-pounder Jonathan Cleveland brought home the Div. 3 state title for Dedham.
The Marauders won with a team score of 129 points, edging out runner-up Foxboro (127) at Wakefield High.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Dedham first-year coach Wayne Sayers. “I got an unbelievable crew of assistant coaches who got these guys ready and where they need to be. (The kids) worked their butts off all year long to get here. All year long it is a goal to get here, and this year they are all doing the right things all the time.”
Dedham was down by eight points heading into the final match and Cleveland was looking good with an 8-2 lead. That was not enough for the heavyweight. He flipped opponent Akhmet Azizov of Hampden Charter to the mat to seal the win, as the team came back to win its first state title in program history.
“I had double under hooks, so I saw an opportunity and I just took advantage of it,” Cleveland said about his match-deciding pin. “It feels great. I just wanted to get the pin and I didn’t force it.”
Five players lost in the finals for Foxboro. Adam Lanctot (113 pounds), Phil Dure (126), Shayne Kerrigan (132) and Tommy Gallagher (138) were all pinned in their championship matches. Dave Dow lost 7-3 to Dylan Burke of Taconic at 170.
On the individual side, Melrose had three state title winners — Hunter Adrian at 106, Sean Herbert at 138 and Isaac Siede at 182, as they took home third overall with 119.5 points.
“I worked hard all season to remain undefeated,” said Adrian (37-0), who won his second state title in a row. “I expect it to continue.”