ANOTHER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR NORTON WRESTLERS

The Norton High wrestlers earned the top seed amongst the 16 teams that qualified for the MIWCA D-3 State Dual Meet Championships held at Wakefield
HS on Saturday and they lived up to their top-billing by winning their second state title inthree years!  But it was far from easy.

First up was Holliston, the defending Tri-Valley League champions and state runners-up in 2011 and 2012.  Lancer sophomore Aidan Kahn (who went 3-0
on the day) avenged a previous loss to Konnor Kozubal with a takedown in overtime to win 7-5.  Norton never looked back with pins from sophomores 
Deven Schuko (also 3-0 on the day) and Adrian Sokolowski, juniors Russell Hansen and Elliott Johnson, and senior captains JT Taylor, Myles McAlpine and Mike Travers (3-0 on the day, too).  Senior Grant Monast added an 8-0 win
and the Lancers cruised to a 48-26 win over the Panthers.

Norton took on Triton, the 2011 state champions, in the semi-finals and faced some very tough competition.  Schuko wrestled his best match ever and went ahead 11-3 before securing a pin to get the ball rolling for the Lancers, but the Mustangs responded with three straight victories including a 3-2 decision over Taylor, Norton's winningest wrestler this season, to take the early lead.  Norton regained momentum and the lead with a hard-fought 8-6 decision by senior Branden Pike which was followed by five Norton pins in the next seven matches from sophomores Anthony Cardone and Alek Donovan, junior Adam Marcon,
as well as McAlpine and Kahn and the Lancers closed the door 51-19. 

Wayland was Norton's opponent in the finals, a team that the Lancers had to come from behind to defeat in both a dual meet and in the sectionals last year.  The Warriors remained undefeated when the won an exciting meet in the semi-finals against previously unbeatenLynnfield-North Reading.  Despite a major decision win from Schuko and a pin from Taylor, the Lancers appeared sluggish
in the early going and Wayland won five of the first seven matches to go up
20-10.  Johnson stopped the bleeding when he took an 8-2 decision which was followed by key pins from Travers and Donovan along with a forfeit to junior Robert Smith and the Lancers had the lead.  But with three matches to go, the Warriors were still in the running until Kahn pinned his man in the next-to-last bout and the Norton bench erupted in joy and celebration!

The Lancers take on Hopkinton at home on Wednesday at 7:00 PM for the Tri-Valley League championship.  The Hillers are also undefeated in the league and tied with the Lancers for first place.  Norton's senior wrestlers will be honored prior to this last home meet of the season.  Go, Lancers!