KIP KING pinned his opponent in the second round during Wakefield’s win over Wilmington on Wednesday at the Charbonneau Field House. (Courtesy Photo)
Get ready for the Lowell Holiday Tournament this week
By CHARLES GAGNE
WAKEFIELD — Following up on their impressive showing at the Anthony Lisitano Memorial Wrestling Tournament, the Warriors took to the mat against Wilmington on Wednesday and came away with a huge victory, winning all of their matches for a total score of 42-0.
After two forfeits and a 12-0 lead to start the meet, Aydin Lamb racked up three takedowns for two points each. On Lamb’s final takedown in the second round of his match, he was able to pin his opponent and the score rose to 18-0.
Zach Arria’s match came next and it started out slow, but a solid takedown of Arria’s led to a chance for a pin. Ultimately the pin came at the end of the first round. The score was then Wakefield 24, Wilmington 0.
The following wrestler was Ben Burdetsky, who after two early takedowns, powerfully pinned his opponent, changing the overall score to 30–0.
Next, it was Kip King’s turn. King dominated early in the first round. In round two, King started on the bottom but quickly reversed his position and got a pin, making the score 36–0.
The last wrestler of the night was Mouad Khaja, who started off with a quick takedown for two points. Following some additional intense wrestling on the mat, Khaja earned a pin at the end of the first round, sealing the 42–0 win for Wakefield.
Andrew Valley spoke for his teammates afterwards, saying that their mindset is focused and consistent for every meet.
“More difficult matches are inevitable, so we just have to keep the same mindset and attitude for every meet going forward,” added Valley. “Our goal for every match is to always improve and be better than we were the day before. We know that we can’t look too far ahead because it’s a long season and focus is important for our success in the long run.”
The Warriors went 2-1 at a quad meet in Methuen on Friday with wins over Concord-Carlisle and Boston Latin. Wakefield will be one of 78 schools competing in the 55th Annual George Bossi Lowell Holiday Tournament today and tomorrow at the UMass Lowell Rec Center.