An early Saturday morning start time did not stop dedicated Tigers fans from getting up to support boys’ wrestling.  

With the help of these supportive fans, North pummeled Walpole 48-21 Saturday, Jan. 21 in the Reggie gym. 

North’s freshman wrestlers made important contributions to the victory. Freshman Zach Demeo pinned his opponent in the 126-pound weight class, and freshman Dylan Leone pinned his opponent in the 138-pound weight class in only 48 seconds. 

“Seeing some of the younger lightweights get wins was inspiring,” said junior Jon Jauregui, a captain along with seniors Benji Brenner, Marcus Davis, and Alex Morefield. “It shows promise for the future of the wrestling program at North.”

Brenner complemented these strong freshman performances with his own powerful showing. With just one second left in the period, Brenner pinned his opponent in the 152-pound weight class.

According to campus aide John Staulo, the head coach, North’s victory can be attributed to the team’s intense effort. “Some of the kids got pins with a little extra effort in the right position,” he said. “When you pin it’s decisive wrestling and adds to the decisive score.”

The match was very early, but the Reggie gym was still packed with spectators. “It was exciting from a coach’s standpoint,” said Staulo. “The venue, the kids, the crowd, it was all very exciting.”

A positive of the match was Davis’s return to the team. “He was injured in a match at Belmont on January 7th.” said Staulo. “It looked serious at the time, but luckily it was just a bruised rib. He’s fine now.”

Walpole had fewer wrestlers than North, which gave the Tigers an advantage. Walpole’s lack of wrestlers allowed North to take three forfeit rounds and maximize points.

All in all, the North wrestlers were pleased with their performance. “We did a good job today,” said Jauregui. “There were new faces, and we did really well.”

North, 4-6, will compete in the Metro Sectionals match at Newton South Saturday, Feb. 11.