RallyNorth.net

In what has become a family tradition, Pinkerton freshman David Owens is, at least for the moment, the last one standing.

And he may be the best of the bunch.

Owens began wrestling when he was 5-years-old at the suggestion of his father, Steven, who coached at the Derry Boys and Girls Club. His father grew up wrestling as a high school student in Mexico, Maine, and a much older brother, Michael, had been a wrestler at Pinkerton.

For a second-year wrestler, you couldn't ask more of Andover senior Tom Paolera. A 125-pounder, he's compiled | at last check | a 25-4 record, including 8-3 on the varsity level. "He's had a great season for us," said Andover coach Sobhan Namvar, who started the program as a club team last year and now has his wrestlers competing at both the JV (predominantly) and varsity levels. "He just keeps getting better and better."

By placing third at the individual sectional at home yesterday, the Methuen wrestling team qualified for the Division 1 North dual-meet sectional in Lowell this week, but it will be appearing under protest and at less than full strength.

Six days after the New England Patriots failed to make history, the Greater Lawrence wrestling team made a lot of it yesterday at the Division 2 North Sectional at Beverly High School.

The Reggies, who are the defending Division 2 dual-meet champions, overwhelmed the 12-team field to finish first with 278 points, placing seven in the finals, crowned four champions, placed all 14 wrestlers (top six) and advanced 12 to next week's Division 2 state meet at Reading.

The seeds had Andrik Cruz primed for a third straight sectional final disappointment.

Cruz would have none of that. The Methuen High senior, wrestling at 145 pounds, made his third North championship try a winning one, heading up an area contingent of two champs and 15 places moving on to the Division 1 North championships in Bridgewater next weekend.

With senior standouts Kyle Dolan and Andrew Bogosian immediately preceding him in the lineup, North Andover heavyweight Mike Miller hasn't gotten much notice this season.

But yesterday, in the Knights' 37-22 victory over Phillips Academy, Miller was the hero as veteran head coach Dave Castricone picked up his 599th career win.

With an almost mundane regularity, the wins keep piling up for Salem senior 125-pounder Trevor Dearden.

A two-time New England champion, Dearden hasn't lost a match in New England in two years. He's currently 34-2 on the year, with both losses coming at the rugged Beast of the East tournament in Delaware. In New Hampshire and neighboring states, he's had very few competitive matches since his sophomore year. His career mark is a glittering 171-13.

Don't talk to head coach Craig Stone about breaking up the Lynnfield/North Reading wrestling co-op team anytime soon.

There are currently 34 wrestlers on the team, evenly divided between the two schools, after starting the season with 40. The team enjoyed a 16-7 regular season and finished third in the Cape Ann League meet. Stone remembers five years ago when Lynnfield was by itself.

The gap is closing just a bit, but North Andover continues to rule the Cape Ann League.

The Knights captured the CAL meet at Wilmington for the seventh straight time, and 10th time in the last 11 years by scoring 205 points. Masconomet was second (170) and Lynnfield/North Reading (138) came in third.

How do you spell dynasty, again?

In Commonwealth Conference wrestling, it's definitely spelled R-E-G-G-I-E-S as Greater Lawrence proved once again yesterday at Whittier Tech by winning its seventh straight CAC meet. The Reggies have also won eight consecutive CAC regular-season titles.

Having James Herlihy, one of the top wrestlers in the state, out with an injury was what ultimately beat Pinkerton last night.

Concord tore through the heavier weight classes and opened the meet with a huge lead, and the hole was too deep for the Astros to climb out of. In a matchup between arguably the second- and third-best teams in New Hampshire, Pinkerton ultimately fell to Concord, 41-30. Despite the loss, Astros coach Ken Najem was encouraged.

Bring on the postseason!

That's the battle cry for the Greater Lawrence wrestling team because, like the New England Patriots, the postseason is the only thing keeping it from perfection for the second straight season.

It's now official. The powerhouse Timberlane and Lowell wrestling teams remain undefeated after battling to a classic 27-27 tie in Lowell Saturday afternoon.

Timberlane scored the last 14 points of the meet to tie the score, but | using National High School Federation rules | Lowell was declared the winner by criteria because it finished with one more pin than the Owls.

There are few vocational students as dedicated to wrestling as senior 152-pounder Chris DelaRosa, who was 44-4 last year and placed fifth at the New England meet.

"He just works his rear end off in practice every day," said Greater Lawrence coach Tony Sarkis, whose team is ranked No. 1 in the state for all divisions. "He never lets up, it's unbelievable."

There may be no family that believes that those who play together stay together more than the Riddingers of Pelham. Head wrestling coach Bob Riddinger, 45, has been coaching his two sons, juniors R.J. and Mark, for as long as he can remember, not only in wrestling, but youth hockey and baseball.