Wrestling Wrangles NMH to the Ground
This past Saturday, the varsity wrestling team competed against the Northfield Mount Hermon and Belmont Hill Schools. The meet was held at Tabor Academy. Big Red triumphed over NMH with a final score of 42-38, but fell one match short of beating Belmont Hill, losing 33-37.
“We came in as underdogs... so we had something to prove not only to ourselves but to the New England wrestling community as well.”
The team went into the match with a focused mindset, knowing that NMH and Belmont Hill are formidable opponents. Prep Christian Petry stated, “We came in as underdogs as we were ranked 4th in New England as a team, with NMH in first and Belmont Hill second, so we had something to prove not only to ourselves but to the New England wrestling community as well.”
Lower Tyler Morris highlighted some of the individual achievements that contributed to the team’s win over NMH and gutsy effort against Belmont Hill. “Our captain, Kevin Lyskawa, stood out in our NMH match and Belmont Hill match, picking up a pin in the NMH match and a big win over a top-seeded opponent at New England’s in our Belmont Hill match,” Morris said. Morris also praised upper Henry Lagasse, who “stood out as he picked up a pair of pins in both the Belmont Hill and NMH matches.”
Although many wrestlers displayed outstanding performances, the team could not secure enough points needed to win over Belmont Hill. In practices, Big Red has been working hard every day and the team felt that a win against Belmont Hill was possible. However, Morris commented that the team’s “performance didn’t reflect well on our practices. The team was lethargic, out of breath and wrestled without a sense of urgency to go and score points when we needed it most.”
Petry noted that Belmont Hill’s consistency throughout their line-up made them a strong opponent. “The Belmont Hill team was good all throughout their team, whereas we have some gaps in our lineup,” he explained.
According to Morris, Exeter’s team had a relaxed schedule before this dual meet which hindered its preparation for the matches. “I don’t think some of our wrestlers, myself included, were prepared for the battles we faced on Saturday… The Belmont Hill team came ready to wrestle. We failed to match their energy throughout the match, and it showed as the match progressed,” Morris said. “They have a gritty team, and I expect them to be a tough tournament team as we move into the final few weeks of the season.”
Coming away from the meet, Big Red looks forward to heightening its intensity and conditioning in practices. Morris explained that despite the team’s loss on Saturday, it is undeterred and its goals remain unchanged: “Win the Class A Championship. Win the New England Team Championship. Place Top Ten at Prep Nationals.”