The Toll Gate wrestling team brought another championship to Warwick when it won the Rhode Island Interscholastic League’s Division II/III Championship last weekend. The Titans finished the day with 223 points, beating second-place Lincoln and South Kingstown by 16 points.
The Titans have been steadily building the past few seasons and have developed a strong, versatile lineup across most weight classes. Seniors Jared Sabatelli (120), Kason Wirtz (150) and Marcos Ramirez (126) all took home first-place finishes to lead Toll Gate to its first wrestling championship.
“We have a lot of seniors on this team, so this was really special. We have a strong lineup and the weights sorted themselves out across the board. A lot of these guys have over 50 matches this year, they wrestled a lot, wrestled teams from Massachusetts, too. It’s just a really disciplined group,” said longtime coach Jerry Sabatelli. “The guys make their weight, they work hard and they take it seriously. It’s one of the best groups I’ve coached in a long time.”
Ben Denoncour (138) finished second along with Jack Sabatelli (106) and Kodin Flagg (215). Colton Wirtz (113) and John Ricci (285) finished third while David Robida (157) took fourth and Cayden Williams (175) fifth.
Toll Gate has knocked on the door at divisions on multiple occasions in the past two decades and placed fourth in the state in 2008. After dropping dual matches to the Lions and Rebels earlier this winter, Jerry Sabatelli was thrilled to see his grapplers turn the tables on the big stage.
“The goal was to win the division first, we always have that team mindset first. I really preach team goals. It was nice to catch (Lincoln and SK) in a tournament setting. We knew we could hang with them. To come out on top was special,” said Jerry Sabatelli.
It was a long time coming for the Titans and Jerry Sabatelli was proud of the wrestlers past and present that built the program, as well as assistant coach Joe Leal for his commitment to the team.
“It’s also a credit to the kids that came before and created that culture. It’s just hard work and consistency, that is what made the difference,” said Jerry Sabatelli. “We have a good senior group that really raised the bar and pushed the underclassmen.”
Next up will be the state championships for Toll Gate. Jack Sabatelli and Ramirez reached the podium last year and will be looking to return, while the other top finishers from last weekend will also be in the mix.
“We’re going to try to get as many people to states as possible. Hopefully (Jack and Marcos) can repeat on the podium, and you can’t count out Jared, Ben, Kason and (Ricci),” said Jerry Sabatelli. “Our goal at the beginning of the year was a top-15 finish at states and that is still achievable. They’re ready for it, no match phases them. Hopefully they’ll have the best weekend of their life.”