Kevin Pomeroy

Hawks searching for third straight title

Posted 12/18/14

Three years ago, the Bishop Hendricken wrestling team suffered a lone regular season loss, and then fell just short in the state championship meet to Cumberland.

The Hawks haven’t lost …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in
Kevin Pomeroy

Hawks searching for third straight title

Posted

Three years ago, the Bishop Hendricken wrestling team suffered a lone regular season loss, and then fell just short in the state championship meet to Cumberland.

The Hawks haven’t lost since.

On the heels of consecutive undefeated seasons and back-to-back state championships, Hendricken enters this winter as one of the leading contenders again thanks to six returning medalists and a deep lineup from start to finish.

“There’s a lot of battles going on,” said Hendricken head coach Kevin Hennessey.

Most teams wouldn’t be able to overcome the high-level graduation losses that Hendricken endured, as heavyweight state champion Dallas Sauer is gone, as are state runners-up Hunter Boesch and Jason Davol and sixth-place finisher Pierre-Louis Arcand. Plus, 113-pound state champion Nick Celico is running indoor track instead of wrestling.

Yet, Hendricken isn’t most teams.

“We’ve got guys fighting for spots,” Hennessey said. “We have a lot of young talent in the room.”

And the Hawks have plenty of veteran talent, too. Senior Lewis Stewart, who is serving as a captain, took second place at 160 pounds a season ago, and he’ll reprise his spot in the lineup this year. Junior Jonathan Celico finished in second-place at 106 last year, and he’s moved up to 126 this season. Anthony DiMauro was a third-place finisher at 145 last year, and he’s a senior captain who will wrestle at 152 this time around.

At 182, junior Jimmy Sauro is stepping in after a fourth-place performance at 170 last season. Nick Martino, a sophomore, was fifth at 195 last season and will wrestle at the same weight this year.

Hendricken has two other senior captains in Matt Jacobson – wrestling at 138 this year, up from 132 – and Jon Arruda, wrestling at 145 this year, up from 138.

Other returners are junior Steven Johnson at 170 – up from 152 last year – and junior Jamie Swanson, who was at 126 last season.

Newcomers to this year’s lineup are sophomore Frank Cole at the heavyweight spot, sophomore Nick Berling at 113 and freshman Cam Nappi at 106.

At 120, freshman Devin Rivet should make a big impact right off the bat.

“If you’re a freshman and you’re in our lineup, you’re good,” Hennessey said. “Freshmen don’t typically make our starting lineup.”

The 220-pound class is still up in the air.

Two other wrestlers trying to break through into the lineup are sophomores Marc-Oliver Arcand and Anthony Lanni.

All in all, the Hawks have 42 wrestlers, and Hennessey thinks it’s the largest freshman class he’s ever had during his tenure.

“Most of them haven’t wrestled, but it’s good to see that they’re coming out, anyway,” Hennessey said.

Hendricken will be busy in the early going. It was scheduled to open the Division I season against Barrington on Wednesday, with results unavailable at press time.

After that, the Hawks will head to Long Island this weekend to wrestle some strong competition out there, as they try to get ready for the meat of their schedule.

“Now we’re just trying to set higher goals,” Hennssey said. “We want to beat some of the best teams in New England and beyond.”

Hendricken doesn’t have another league match until Jan. 8, when it travels to Mt. Hope.

The Hawks are looking to continue what has been the best stretch in school history. They haven’t lost a dual meet since 2012, and the state championship last season was by one of the widest margins in recent Rhode Island history.

Cumberland, as usual, should be one of Hendricken’s toughest tests, along with Mt. Hope and Johnston, as well as some others.

Yet, if the Hawks wrestle the way they think they can, none of that will matter.

Their goal is straight forward.

“The expectation is to win the states,” Hennessey said. “That’s our goal. It doesn’t change – just the kids do.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here