The Londonderry High wrestling team did a considerable amount of flexing of its muscles and exhibiting of its impressive skills during the final week of the 2013-14 regular season last week. And anyone with questions about those facts is directed to speak to the group of opponents the Lancers flat-out flattened during the week.
Among coach Jim Marron’s squad’s victims were the wrestling contingents from Exeter High School, Oyster River High School of Durham, the rival Pinkerton Academy Astros, and the grappling crews from Bow High, Winnisquam Regional, and Pelham High School.
The Lancers closed out their regular season in fine style by disposing of the latter three opponents in the Hollis-Brookline Regional High School gym, home of the Cavalier grapplers, at a dual event last Saturday, Feb. 15.
“We won the Cavalier Duals by going 3-0 there and finishing the season with a 17-1 dual meet record,” said Marron. “We will now set our sights on the New Hampshire Division 1 State Championships (this coming) Saturday.”
That championship event will be held at Concord High School.
The Lancers only defeat of the season came during their first dual meet of the season against the pwerhouse from Timberlane High School.
The LHS crew began its week of competitive fun by disposing of the host Exeter High Blue Hawks (64-10 score) and Oyster River (12-0 with many double forfeits) on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
The Lancers’ pin victories over Exeter’s Blue Hawks came from Will Bean at 160 pounds, Kyle Byrd in the 170-pound weight class, Sebastian Roszczenko at 182 pounds, 195-pounder Richard Bilodeau, 220-pound grappler Mahdi Achab, Andrew Chase at 113 pounds, Mitch Rose in the 126-pound bout, unbeaten Jean-Luc Lemieux at 132, and Jon Young at 152 pounds.
Then in the much-anticipated meeting with the rival Pinkerton Academy Astros in Derry two evenings later – rescheduled from a week earlier due to a widespread illness on the PA squad – the Lancers thumped their way to a 40-25 victory that could have been even more sizable.
The victorious visitors received weight class wins from 145-pounder Jake Barr (pin), Young at 152 (pin), 160-pounder Bean (technical fall), Roszczenko (3-1 decision), Bilodeau (pin), Tyler Byrd in the 106 bout (tech. fall), 113-pounder Ryan Cabezas (7-4 decision), and Rose (pin).
And last weekend in Hollis, the Lancers had numerous grapplers post perfect, 3-0 records, including Tyler Byrd, Cabezas, Rose, Jean-Luc Lemieux, Barr, Young, Bean, Roszczenko, Bilodeau, Achab, and Tim Wilson.
Team-wise, the Lancers weren’t challenged by Pelham (63-15 Lancers), Winnisquam (68-6 Londonderry), or Bow (59-0 shutout) during the road meet.