As the Windham/Gray New-Gloucester/Gorham Wolfpack wrestling team approaches the end of the season, they hit the mat against Kennebunk and Oxford Hills in a dual meet at Windham on Friday, March 24 and showed they’ve come a long way in a short amount of time.
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| Windham seventh grader Jake Burke prevents his opponent from getting up as he gets the pin in the third round on Friday, March 24 in a middle school meet against Kennebunk and Oxford Hills at Windham Middle School. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA |
“We took advantage of the opportunity and wrestled two strong teams and capitalized,” said Windham Middle School Wolfpack coach Nick Buckley. “The kids have been working hard all year. We’ve had a good couple weeks of practice and preparation; the kids are dialed in and want to get better. It makes all the difference in the world.”
Buckley said the team was looking for that moment during matches when they could get the upper hand on their opponent, a more concentrated, skilled way to get the take down, which shows improvement from the start of the season.
Kennebunk
The Wolfpack began the meet with Gorham Wolfpack sixth grader Joel House who avoided a takedown in the first period and pinned his opponent in the second period.
Next to take on Kennebunk was Gray New-Gloucester eighth grader Lexi Hoot who earned a very fast pin within seconds of the match beginning. This was her second win of the season. This was an emotional win for her.
“I just started this year and tried my best; winning is a big thing to me,” said Hoot. My aunt passed away a few weeks ago and she always came to my meets, so it’s really strong.
Hoot said her team worked hard, pinned well and worked as a team.
Gorham Wolfpack sixth-grader Lucien Roy grabbed his opponent’s leg and took him to the mat to get the pin and the win.
After a hard-fought match, Windham Wolfpack seventh grader Gavin Cataldi was pinned.
Gorham Wolfpack sixth grader Braden Nicely took down his opponent very quickly.
Gray New-Gloucester Wolfpack seventh grader Liam Joyce took his opponent to the mat and held him there to get the win.
Windham Wolfpack eighth grader and captain Emmett Hutchinson worked hard and pinned his opponent in just one period.
Oxford Hills
Gorham Wolfpack sixth grader James Swan outlasted his opponent to win the match 6-1 after three periods.
Gorham Wolfpack sixth grader Deven Paradis fought hard and avoided being pinned in the first period but got pinned in the second period.
Windham Wolfpack sixth grader Nathan Somma took down his challenger in less than a minute.
Windham Wolfpack seventh grader Jake Burke had a good stance going into the match. He fought hard for two periods and got the takedown in the final seconds of the third period.
Burke said that match was tough because the guy he fought was same strength and same aggressiveness. It was hard for Burke to pull him down because his opponent had a strong base. This was one of the tougher matches he’s fought in his two years of wrestling. He felt accomplished after he got the win.
Windham Wolfpack eighth-grader Jake Watson pinned his opponent with their feet in the air and body at a 90-degree angle.
“We pulled through and put all our hearts out there,” said Burke.
Burke said things that went well were positivity – he said the team was very encouraging and supportive – that’s a good attribute for a wrestling team. <
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