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For the most part, the Winchester High wrestling team has been going at it since the Monday after Thanksgiving with a bunch of practices, dual meets and independent tournaments on its schedule. They were rewarded for their hard work Feb. 14 during the annual the Division 1 Central / Metro state sectional tournament at Malden High School.
“It’s been a long season, and after this sectional tournament it’s (unfortunately) over for most on the team,” said Assistant Coach Vitaly Napadow. “For many of the seniors, it’s also the end of their high school wrestling careers. It’s been a distinct pleasure watching them grow up and develop into varsity wrestlers throughout the last four years, and I know the lessons they learned on the mat will be something they will take with them for the rest of their lives.”
Napadow also brought up the underclassmen, and he would tell them that there’s an off-season ahead. He’d mentioned to them again what Head Coach Ryan Errico strongly recommends that they should get into a club program or two, even if it’s only for a single weekend day in the spring. Summer and fall camps would also be beneficial for them to get ready for next winter, even if they participate in other sports.
But with the exception of those wrestlers who didn’t make the final cut at the sectionals last Saturday, the Red & Black still had a great showing among their statewide counterparts, where they fought hard to place second only to Arlington as a team. A total of 14 schools qualified for this first postseason meet.
“We had a very competitive group of seniors this year, and most who competed in the sectionals contributed points to the overall team total,” said Napadow.
Eight Winchester wrestlers placed in the sectionals, with seven of them finishing in the top four of their respective weight classes to automatically qualify for the Division 1 state meet, and among that group there were three champions.
“That’s a huge accomplishment for the program,” said Napadow.
Kai Napadow Baquero pinned his way through the whole tournament at 120-pounds, before beating a ranked wrestler in the finals to defend his crown.
At 138-pounds, Eddie Donlon also had a dominant run to the finals, and once there, he had a memorable performance against a highly-ranked Wellesley wrestler. Donlon ended up securing the victory by the narrowest of margins, 1-0.
All four of these wrestlers know each other quite well, because they practice together at the MetroWest United Wrestling Club in the off-season. There’s a feeling that they might see each other again in the state divisional meet or even the All-States.
At 175-pounds, Ilyas Malik fought off a Brookline sophomore in a very competitive final with a last second double takedown to come away with his second sectional title after missing last year with an injury. It was also his 100th career varsity triumph.
“All three of our competing captains stood atop the podium,” Napadow said proudly.
At 215-pounds, Shaun Garrett upset a ranked wrestler from Wellesley in the semifinals to take second place.
“That was a big win for Shaun, who has improved a lot this season, and now looks ready for the Division 1 state field,” said Napadow.
Winchester’s third place finishers were sophomore Leo Gannon at 132-pounds and Luca Kovacev at 165.
“It’s always tough to wrestle back through the consolation bracket after taking your first loss in the tournament, but third placers can (always) say that they still finished the sectional tournament with a win,” said Napadow.
The top four advance to the state divisional round, and as a result first year wrestler Rani Audi punched his ticket with a fourth-place finish at 106-pounds.
Henry Wallace, coming back from injury and illness, was credited with a fifth-place finish, and will serve as an alternate in the 126-pound weight class.
“Henry, a two-time sectional champion, has had a great (high school) career,” said Napadow. “He finished this season at 15-8, and is 72-34 over the last four years.”
Seniors Thomas Blake (144-pounds) and Casey Trumbower (150) were pinned in their matches, while classmates Beni Curcio (157) and Davis Jensen (285) also came up short, and as a result their high school wrestling careers are now over.
“These boys have contributed a lot to the program the last four years, many times wrestling up a weight class or two, and we appreciate their hard work,” said Napadow.
It’s now on to the state divisional round this weekend for the seven Winchester qualifiers and one alternate, starting Feb. 20 at North Andover High School.
Joe McConnell is a longtime, award-winning sports editor for numerous North Shore publications. He began covering Winchester sports for the News in November 2024 and is currently its Sports Editor. He can be reached at editor@winchesternews.org.
