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High School

Blue Raiders’ wrestling team makes fast work of the Warriors

07:08 AM EST on Thursday, February 1, 2007

BY RUSS WATERMAN
Special to the Journal

SOMERSET — It took Somerset’s wrestlers just 40 minutes to post a 63-4 victory over Nauset in an Atlantic Coast League meet last night. The Blue Raiders (12-8) won all except four of the 10 scheduled matches by pins.

Chris Silva (145) won for the Warriors, downing the Blue Raiders’ Jon Faria, 10-2. It was the final home meet for co-captains Katie Bruce (119) and Chad Stewart (135), and also for Matt Therrien (160) and heavyweight Jack Keller. "All of them put in tremendous work in their careers and led by example," said Somerset head coach Nick Peachy.

"It’s a young team of two-thirds freshmen and sophomores, but we’ve made a lot of progress," said Peachy. "Earlier in the season, we never could have won by this much."

The meet began with a hard-fought tussle between Somerset’s Austin Brough and James Deluca. Brough finally put together two takedowns and a near-fall to pull away from his Nauset challenger for a 16-1 triumph. Keller, normally at 215, grappled with Rob Sliney at heavyweight until the second period, when Keller reversed from a leg ride to emerge with a pin.

Katie Bruce, last year’s MIAA girls state champion at 103, dominated her match at 119, turning the contest around in the second period. "Katie is the best girls wrestler I’ve ever coached and the best I’ve ever seen in Massachusetts," said Peachy.

Three others were successive first-round pins in the next three matches, at 125 by Isaac Mello, 130 by Matt Taber and Chad Stewart at 135.

Somerset’s Zach Boulay and Conrad VanRayswood waged a close battle and were tied, 3-3, after period one. But the Blue Raiders grappler got his opponent down on the mat with a half-nelson for another pin.

The match ended in pins, all by headlocks and with each of the Blue Raiders wrestlers — Kris Twaite (152), Matt Therrien (160) and Ryan Dunn (177) — subduing his rival in less than a minute.

Results: 103 - Marcus Mello, S, def. Monique Costa, N, pin (0:36); 112 - (forfeit- S); 119 - Katie Bruce,S, def. Joe Ford, N, 8-0; 125 - Isaac Mello, S, def. Taylor Hurst, N, pin (1:21) 130 - Matt Taber, S, def. Brem Smith, N, pin (0:36); 135 - Chad Stewart, S, def. Ryan Freher, N, pin (1:06); 140- Zach Boulay, S, def. Conrad VanRayswood, pin (3:18); 145 - Chris Silva, N, def. Jon Faria, S, 10-2; 152- Kris Twaite def. Ryan Leonhardt, pin (0:23); 160 - Matt Therrien def. Owen Miller, N, pin, (0;39); 177 - Ryan Dunn, S, def. Spencer Clark, N, pin (0:24); 189 - Austin Brough, S, def. James Deluca, N, 16-1; Heavyweight - Jack Keller, S, def Rob Sliney, N, pin at 3:07.

Somerset 63

Nauset 4