Rockland High Wrestling Is Back on Top

South Shore League Champs!

John MacDonald, Veritas Staff

Feb. 16, 2017

Rockland wrestling is back on the map or, that is, back-to-back! This year’s wrestling team has lived up to all the standards and expectations. They were league champs last year and that means they had a target on their backs. They were the team to beat.

At the beginning of the year the team had a couple of tough meets and got off to a rocky start. While they were down, they knew they weren’t out. With hard work and dedication they worked their way back to the top.

The team rolled through the South Shore League yet again. Early in the season Rockland faced one of their biggest tests of the year, Cohasset. Last year Cohasset gave them a tough match, but they managed to beat them and go on to win the league, with Cohasset coming in second.

So, this year once again Cohasset was their rival. Luckily, they had the advantage of facing them at the Dog Pound. The meet came down to the very last match.

All the weight was on senior Noah Mazzilli. How did he handle it? The answer is perfectly. He managed to stay calm and pin his opponent in the first round.

“He just wasn’t ready for the storm I was bringing his way,” crowed Mazzilli. Ever since that match the team has been unstoppable. They are undefeated in the league and regained their title after beating Randolph last week.

“These accomplishments do not come without hard work,” says senior John Goode who knows exactly what it takes to be a Rockland wrestler. Goode, after starting the season 1-2, knew he had to step it up, and that is exactly what he did. He is now standing at a record of 11-3 and hopes to gain the title of South Shore League MVP, which seems to be a pretty obtainable task for this workhorse.

A lot of wrestlers struggle with maintaining their weight.

“Weight watching is a crucial factor in this sport. It is extremely tough to maintain a weight class where you have to cut 10 pounds every week. All you can do is work hard and sweat, definitely not for everyone,” claims senior Goode, but he manages to get it done. He has his eyes set on the prize and there is nothing that can get in his way.

The team captains chose Andrew Rowell and Will Breadmore as unsung heroes saying they are two wrestlers who do a lot for the team without a lot of recognition. They are true team players.