RallyNorth.net

Timberlane makes some history

Thursday, March, 03 By Dave Dyer
Staff writer

PLAISTOW — A little bit of history, a little added depth and a lot of tourney-ending drama.

Those were the key components last night as the Timberlane wrestling team rolled to its 12th straight Division 1 state title.

The Owls crowned eight champions, had four runners-up, advanced all 14 wrestlers to Saturday's Meet of Champions at Londonderry and amassed 244 points. Pinkerton was a distant second (123 1/2) and Londonderry wrestled well while grabbing fourth (113).

Nick Lawrence provided the history for the Owls when he captured the 171-pound crown with a 10-2 major decision over Pinkerton's rugged Corey Beck.

That made him a four-time state champ, becoming only the fourth wrestler in the 21-year history of the Division 1/Class L championship to win four titles.

"It was one of my goals and I'm happy I got it against a good kid (Beck)," said Lawrence, who improved to 36-3. "I'm feeling really good right now — more aggressive and stronger than last year. I feel like a different wrestler."

Lawrence's performance earned him the Outstanding Wrestler award for the tournament.

Now for the depth. With 12 wrestlers in the finals, that's pretty obvious, but it was third-place 152-pound finisher Josh Riley who illustrated it perfectly.

A sophomore who was 23-9 as a freshman, Riley entered the tournament with only four matches following a serious knee injury. After getting pinned by Londonderry's Matt Cabezas late in his first match of the tourney, he battled back with two pins, a 9-4 decision and an 11-0 redemption major decision over Cabezas to take third.

"My conditioning still isn't what it should be, but I felt stronger as the day went on," said Riley. "I just want to do what I can do for the team.

"With two weeks left, I hope to make the top three next week (which qualifies for New England) and then see what I can do in New England."

Finally, it was heavyweight Ben Tammany who provided the drama as he took on Manchester Memorial's Steve Dwight for the third time this year, having beaten him in overtime twice already.

With the entire crowd looking on, Tammany and Dwight went into overtime again, tied 1-1. Dwight seemed to have had a takedown in the first overtime which would have ended it but — like when Tammany almost scored in regulation — the ref waved it off.

Tammany then got a reverse in the second overtime and, after giving up an escape in the third OT, held on for a draining 3-2 win.

"This was the best he's wrestled against me and it was a tough match," said Tammany. "It stinks that we keep wrestling each other, but he's a great competitor and we're friends off the mat."

Joining Nick Lawrence and Tammany as champs for the Owls were 103-pounder Jake Kappler, 112-pounder Zach Bridson, 135-pounder Matt Morris, 145-pounder Andrew Tanner, 160-pounder Nate Lawrence and 189-pounder Shane Tremblay.

Kappler had three pins while, at the other end of the spectrum, Andrew Tanner had 3-0 and 1-0 decisions in his final two matches.

Runners-up were Adam Corey, who lost a spirited 6-4 overtime decision to Londonderry's Dan Roger in the 119-pound finals, 130-pounder Josh Burnham, 140-pounder Luke Morrier and 215-pounder Jon Silva.

"That was a great way to wind up the tournament — an epic battle (Tammany vs. Dwight)," said Timberlane coach Barry Chooljian. "I'm proud of the way we wrestled and to win it here (at Timberlane) is special."

Pinkerton had three impressive champs. Tanner Burke improved to 27-1 by prevailing at 125, Dominic Farrar moved to 31-2 with a pin in the 130-pound finals and David Owens, who was third in New England last year, lifted his record to 37-1 by dominating at 140.