A three-hour long bus ride that began at 4:30 a.m., could only slow the Mount Anthony Union High School from attaining the inevitable. Once the Patriots had finally rubbed the morning crust from their eyes, they took the team championship at the Methuen Tournament in Boston on Saturday.
MAU overcame 20 teams from four states for the team title with 241.5 points, followed by Methuen, Mass., in second (191 points) and Cranston West, R.I., in third (180). The tourney was a great opportunity for the Patriots to scout the competition for the New England Tournament in March, as many individual state and New England place winners were in the mix at Methuen.
In their last tournament of the regular season, the Patriots had three individual champions crowned. Mike Bradley (119), Zach Weinfurt (145) and Sam Webster (285) all went 4-0 to claim titles. Bradley and Webster were both seeded first and finished had identical days with three pins and a decision win. Weinfurt, wrestling out of the fourth seed, had one of his best days of the year against stiff competition.
"I thought we were a little flat today," MAU head coach Scott Legacy said. "Leaving at 4:30 a.m., might have had something to do with it. But we had some good moments and I liked the tournament. There was good competition and it was run quickly.
"Mike’s technique is solid in all positions, while Sam continues to turn heads in his first year as the Patriot big man."
Finishing
second for MAU were Smith Stratton at 112, Tyler White (130) and Jimmy Zupko (140). Stratton went 3-1, while White and Zupko each finished 2-1.
Third-place finishes were turned in by Zak Hale at 125, Brad Sawyer (189) and Justin Bassler (215).
"All three of those guys wrestled back hard after tough semi-final losses," Legacy said. "Hale was again in a very competitive weight class, which had 12 wrestlers who placed in their respective states last year. Zak had a close 4-3 loss in the semi-finals, we were hoping to win that and get a shot at Mike Myers - a Rhode Island wrestler who was last year’s New England champion.
"Tyler White is really starting to gel and put it together."
Chris Schramm finished fourth at 103 after a tough overtime loss to the eventual champion in the semi-final round.
Ben Price finished fifth at 135, while Brandon Marcoux-Schafer took sixth at 152.
Spencer Foucher had an off day at 171, and Jason Welch (160) also wrestled.
"Spencer has been solid all year," Legacy said "He needs to refocus, and he’ll be alright."
The Patriots are back on the mat today at Hoosick Falls at 6 p.m.
