At Haverhill, all the pieces fit
For a group of six kids who grew up together, put work in year-round, and believe in what they can accomplish, this is their time.
From senior Brent Nicolosi to freshman Aiden Morris, this unique group of wrestlers overlap at Haverhill High for one year, and they showcased what they can do with a runner-up finish at the George Bossi Lowell Holiday tournament and a victory at the Noble (Maine) Invitational.
“We’ve been wrestling together our whole lives,” said junior captain Mike Morris. “As a team, we have good energy. If we bring that to the mat, we do wicked good.”
In Nicolosi (161-7 career) and sophomore Matt Harrold (81-12), Haverhill is the only Massachusetts team with two returning New England finalists. They have received interest from private schools, but they stay for the community and competition.
“They have fun with us; that seems to be the most important thing,” said Haverhill coach Tim Lawlor. “Through all the competition, tough practices . . . we’re all loving each other, we’re all laughing, we’re all having a great time. It’s a true brotherhood that we have.”
For Nicolosi, a captain and the team’s best wrestler, it started with his brother. Jake Nicolosi, a 2020 graduate, who won a New England championship at 145 pounds now wrestles for Mount Olive in North Carolina.
Brent has a state championship, but is looking to go out with the New England title.
“He definitely helped me a lot; we practiced together. He’s the main reason I am where I am,” said Nicolosi of his brother, who watched him earn his second Lowell Holiday title Dec. 23.
At 165 pounds, the multiyear captain is able to help out both his lighter and heavier teammates.
“He’s in the perfect spot,” said Harrold. “He’s the best person on our team, he can help out anybody at any weight if we need it. He can wrestle anybody, everybody gets to have a live go with him.”
Harrold is off to a strong start, not just in his early accolades but on the mat, where Nicolosi called him “wicked fast.”
Harrold rises to challenges, like facing two national champions already this season — Central Catholic 175-pounder Nate Blanchette and Chelmsford heavyweight Thomas Brown — even though he lost both. He aspires to visit every wrestling club in the state — and has just two more to go.
“The important thing is he lives for wrestling,” Lawlor said of the 215pounder. “He doesn’t go out and party, he’s been a wrestler through and through for the entirety of his life. Friday nights he’s looking for an open mat.”
A big part of the group developing together, and sometimes the source of that open mat, is the Morris family. Brothers Aiden (106 pounds) and Shea (138) and their cousin, Mike (113) all placed at Lowell.
Aiden and Shea’s father, Matt, coached the group with Mike’s father, Joel, in youth and middle school, and bought a mat for their house.
“It has helped a lot,” said Shea, a sophomore. “[My dad] knows what he’s talking about because he’s been there. He has experience.”
Junior Cale Wood Jr. is the team’s other multiyear captain. A placer at Lowell and a 4.0 GPA student, Wood prides himself on hard work. At 98-21, he is just a few wins behind Mike (10328), who earned his 100th on Wednesday.
“It feels really good, especially being a leader for that type of team,” Wood said. “A lot of us train year-round and don’t stop. It’s a really good feeling to see it all come together.”
While their dual-meet record is not spotless — and they do not win every tournament — recent performances prove what the Hillies know: They are built for the biggest stage.
“We’re more of a postseason team because we have a select few guys who do really great,” said Harrold. “We’re solid all-around though.”
Haverhill went undefeated in 2019, and has been building back. Lawlor, a former Hillie wrestler, wants to demonstrate that local kids needn’t leave to have successful athletic careers.
He plans the toughest schedule he can, and believes the team’s practices are “up there with the best in the country.”
“We got some recognition in the community that you can win at Haverhill,” Lawlor said.
“Our high school has been through hard times, but wrestling has been a positive light. It’s been a great thing.”
Near falls
R New school, same result for sophomore Peter Rincan, who won the 113pound title at the Lowell Holiday tournament representing Bedford (N.H.) last year, and repeated at 120 for Billerica last weekend.
“It feels good,” said Rincan, who won a New England title last year. “It’s the same feeling, but it feels pretty good repping the Green and White now.”
Rincan credits Billerica coach Victor DeJesus and Prophecy RTC coach Zach Bridson for his improvement.
“Doing the little things right,” Rincan said. “Not taking shortcuts, doing everything right, training as hard as I can, knowing I outwork everyone.”
R In the semifinals of his home tournament, Lowell sophomore Emmett Logan (126 pounds) defeated Andover sophomore Yandel Morales, 5-3. When they were 106-pound freshmen, Morales won four of their five meetings, including Lowell Holiday and all three postseason bouts.
In another rematch at 126 pounds at Lowell, Newton South senior Dylan Kadish defeated Xaverian junior Nathan Sayers for third place. Sayers pinned Kadish for the state title last year, but Kadish got him back at All-States and twice this past weekend, earning a 1-0 victory in the consolation bracket.