Hyde-Woodstock: 30
Choate Rosemary Hall: 54

Hyde-Woodstock traveled today to Wallingford, CT to face off against Choate Rosemary Hall in a dual match. Choate has always given the Wolf Pack a run for their money, and this time would be no different from the rest. Marcos Mercado ‘13 opened up with a spectacular match at the 112lb. weight class and showed off some great moves on the mat, pinning his opponent in the first period. Anthony Callahan ‘11 also pinned his opponent at the 171lb. class and exemplified a learning attitude on the mat as he hit some great moves and muscled his opponent to the mat. Justin Konda ‘10 also earned a quick 36 second pin at the 215lb weight class.

The biggest highlights came from Mac McGuire ‘11 and Forrest Smith ‘12. Mac faced off against a very tough opponent who was both aggressive and skilled. He began the match timidly and found himself losing early on. As the match wore on, Mac’s confidence was raised as he realized that his opponent had several weakness that he could capitalize on, and he did just that. Mac turned the match to his favor and pinned his opponent late in the second period. This was a huge victory for Mac, and his leadership on the team will be needed as we continue in the season. Forrest is considered very small when looking at many of his opponents in the heavyweight class. He has embodied toughness and persistence this year, always being a difficult wrestler to pin even when he is outmatched and undersized. Today was his day though, and he shined against an opponent who was 10lbs heavier and about eight inches taller. Closing out the day with a remarkable pin, late in the second period, Forrest was joking dubbed by me as a “Giant Killer,” as he had his hand raised against a very large opponent.

We ended the day with a close match which literally could have been tied if two more matches went in our favor. I was very proud of the team today, even those who lost. Owen Knapp ‘12 made a cameo appearance on varsity and showed some natural abilities I hope to build on in the coming years, and Jon Sanbar ‘11 continues to grow as a wrestler, losing today only because his opponent head butted him which would later require some stitches. Our next match will be this Saturday the 16th at Philips Andover Academy where we will face off against our sister school, Hyde-Bath, as well as Deerfield and the host school. Wish us luck as we fight for the President’s Cup.