Lancers' Wrestling Sweep Quad Meet

While there were three opponents Saturday morning at the Lancers’ wrestling quad meet, it was apparent that the defending MIAA Division III South Sectional Team Champion Hingham Harbormen were gong to be the biggest challenge for Norton.

“We knew we were going to have a hard match against them today,” Norton head coach Pat Coleman said. “It was closer than I had anticipated but its good for us.”

With most of their team wrestling against each opponent, the Lancers defeated Hingham, Somerset-Berkey, and Sharon to walk away from the meet 3-0.

In the opening match against Hingham, it was a battle different but almost evenly balanced strenghts as Norton had the advantage in the lower weight divisions and the Harbormen were the superior team in the higher weight divisions.

John Norton (126 pounds), Cam Hale (132 pounds), John Royle (138 pounds), Scott Coleman (145 pounds), and James Cuneo (152 pounds) all got wins early on to give the Lancers a 25-0 lead after the first five matches.

A pin by Elliot Kim in the 160 pound match got the Harbormen on the board and started the comeback which got the Harbormen to within 10 points with one match to go.

Without a wrestler to put in the 106 pound match, the Harbormen would be awarded all 6 points for the forfeit so a Lancers’ win came down to 113 pound wrestler Ahrayah Saintius. All Saintius needed was a win and the Lancers’ would clinch a victory. Leading 5-2 with less than a minute to go in the third period, Saintius had Hingham’s Charlie Ward nailed to the ground and only needed to hold the position to win. Ward was able to escape but could not come back as Saintius won the match on points 10-6. 

The win made it a 37-30 match before the Norton forfeit at 106 pounds ended the first team match of the day with a 37-36 victory in favor of the Lancers. The remaining participants of the quad didn’t have any better luck as the Lancers walked away with a 60-24 win over the Somerset-Berkey Raiders and a 55-12 victory over the Sharon Eagles.

Norton, Hale, Royle, Coleman, and Cuneo all continued to lead the way with victories against both the Raiders and Eagles.

After being the last person to wrestle against Hingham, Saintius struggled as the first person to wrestle against the Raiders but recovered to gain a victory against the Eagles

The Lancers’ will have very little time to rest as they will face Hopkinton in a Tri-Valley League match up on Jan. 11 in Norton.

“They’re very good so we have to wrestle our best if we want to beat them,” Coleman said.

Match time is expected to be 7 p.m.