RallyNorth.net

Sat, Feb 14, 2015 TBA @ Methuen

Team	Final
Andover	10
Haverhill	8
Lawrence	5
at Methuen	3

MVC Day in Division 1 North

Tuesday, July, 28 By Dave Dyer

METHUEN — Haverhill’s super sophomores are now chiseled juniors and they proved it Saturday afternoon at the Division 1 North sectional.

Reece Millington breezed through his 145-pound weight class to win his first sectional while Luc Chretien was a repeat champion, dominating the 195-pound division.

They were matched by two champs for Methuen, in Billy Wehring at 120 and Darius Franklin at 170, and a champion for Lawrence in 160-pounder Rafael Medina in what proved to be a strong day for the Merrimack Valley Conference.

Chelmsford won the team title with 218 points, upsetting runner-up St. John’s Prep (201), which was undefeated in both dual meets and tournaments during the regular season.

Methuen finished third with 172 1/2 points followed by two other MVC teams in Lowell (171) and Lawrence (165) in the 12-team field.

“We wrestled all year in the MVC so that gets us ready,” said Chelmsford coach Bruce Rich. “Plus, I think we’re peaking.”

Millington and Chretien certainly wrestled like they’re in peak form. Millington, who was third at sectional as a freshman and sophomore, had a 15-0 technical fall, a pin in 35 seconds and a 15-0 technical fall in the finals. He’s now 31-1 on the year with 22 pins.

“I definitely didn’t want a three-peat (of third places),” said Millington. “I just have to keep progressing. I really want to get the state title.

“I want to do it in honor of my grandfather (who died of cancer recently). He wanted to see me get it but didn’t get the chance.”

Chretien, by contrast, had already won a sectional title, but he was even more dominating this year, pinning all four of his opponents. In the finals, he got an early takedown of Methuen’s Saul Cabrera, went ahead 5-0 and got the pin in the second period.

Chretien and Cabrera were more than familiar with each other as they’ve been drill partners at Smitty’s Barn in the offseason.

“I was a little nervous because I hadn’t wrestled him in a while,” said Chretien, who is now 30-4. “Even after I got the takedown, I was nervous.”

But he didn’t act like it.

Haverhill also had thirds from Jake Prescott at 152 and Orlando Rojas at 138. Rojas earned a 33-second pin in the consolation finals.

The top four wrestlers advance to the Division 1 state meet next Saturday at Weymouth, with the fifth-place finisher an alternate.

Rangers’ strong day

Wehring, who defeated Chelmsford’s Connor Clasen 3-0 in the finals, didn’t like losing to Central Catholic’s Jack Kiely in their dual meet last week, but he feels it may have helped him.

“He (Kiely) is a good wrestler but I didn’t feel like I wrestled my best,” said Wehring, who has only lost two matches at 120 all year. “It made me work harder and I think it motivated me more.”

Wehring, a junior, is now a repeat sectional champion.

Franklin, a sophomore, won his first sectional crown but it wasn’t the way he would have liked.

Competing in the finals against Chelmsford’s rugged Kyle McQuaide, Franklin had his knee injured early in the match. When it was ruled that McQuaide was then aggravating the knee with a persistent hold, Franklin was declared the winner by injury disqualification.

Franklin was then wheeled into the trainer’s room in obvious pain, making his participation in the Division 1 state meet uncertain.

The Rangers also had an impressive third from Chris Saba at 220 and a number of other placers.

“That was a great performance by Chris for a first-year wrestler,” said Methuen coach Bill James. “Overall, it was a great day for us. We wrestled 13 kids and had 11 placers”

Medina prevails

With Lawrence’s Rafael Medina and Westford’s Adam Peternell having split their two matches against each other, it was obvious that the 160-pound final would be a close match and it was that.

Medina got out to a solid lead, but Paternell rallied to tie it before Medina got a late escape for an exciting 9-8 decision.

Also wrestling particularly well for the Lancers — in addition to runners-up Cabrera and 126-pounder Charlie Santana — were junior newcomer Kenny Richards, who finished third at 195, and Miguel Rodriguez, who was third at 120.

Butterbrodt still perfect

St. John’s Prep’s Ian Butterbrodt of North Andover remained unbeaten over the last two years, coasting to the 220-pound title with three first-period pins. Hunter Costa also won a title for the Prep at 138.

St. John’s heavyweight Jay Carnevale, also of North Andover, finished second to defending state champ Dillon Higgins of Billerica, who he had beaten earlier in the year. Another Prep wrestler from North Andover, Spencer Jenkins, was second at 182.