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Big shoes to fill: A Natick High wrestling preview

December 19, 2022 by Admin Leave a Comment

By Matthew Schultz, sports writer, The Natick Nest


The Natick High School Redhawks wrestling program has become a dynasty over the past 25+ years and last season showed no signs of slowing down. The Hawks went 17-1, winning their 26th Bay State Conference championship since 1994 as well as a Division 1 Sectional Championship in the Central/West division. Some of the more impressive victories included wins at the Athol Invitational, the Willmington Sons of Italy Tournament, and the Merrimack (NH) Duals Tournament. Led by captains Jake Adelmann, David Seiche, and Sammy Popadopolous, the Hawks came in second in the state tournament placing 11 wrestlers, the first Massachusetts team to ever do so. Capping off their season with a 3rd place finish at “All States”, the relatively young Natick squad had lots to celebrate and lots to look forward to.

natick wrestling

 

Despite having 10 returning underclassmen (including juniors) who all wrestled in more than 20 matches each, losing captains is never easy for any team. Louie Linton, a captain of the football and wrestling teams, said that it hurts losing guys “like Jake, Sammy, and the seniors” since he had been with them since his first day on the mats. Linton, who went 33-9 last year and placed 4th in the state tournament, has become a force on the mat ever since he began wrestling in middle school. He didn’t just wrestle in middle school either—Linton completely wiped out the competition at lower weights and has continued to do so in high school with his low center of gravity and ability to maneuver around the mat with speed.

While he wrestled at 106 pounds last year, Linton decided to make the jump to 126 for his senior year. When asked about the process that led him to this decision, he mentioned that “it had a lot to do with [his] position in football” as Linton transitioned from defensive back to outside linebacker for a part of this season, needing more weight/muscle for the position. Linton helped captain the football team to a 3-game winning streak to end the season, including a 49-13 demolition of the Framingham Flyers. He even said that wrestling has helped improve his tackling skills over the years: “How much time we spend taking each other down at wrestling practices, it’s literally tackling drills and it translates perfectly”.

In his first match of the season, Linton placed first at 126 in the Athol Invitational, beating out Kai Ly from Springfield in the final. The early season victory could be a sign of more dominance to come.

natick wrestling

Due to the amount of depth that the Redhawks enjoyed last year, many underclassmen didn’t see as much action as they hoped, including Diego Montero, a junior who was buried in the depth chart as a sophomore. Montero said that he wanted to wrestle in the 132-pound weight class but “it didn’t go his way” since many upperclassmen were able to cut and gain weight to find their spot on the varsity roster. The experience and size that Montero lacked left him competing on both the varsity and junior varsity. Pushing the disappointment to the side, Montero was able to polish his skills, work on technique, and gain some experience in varsity tournaments. Winning upwards of 25 matches, coaches saw Montero’s potential on the mat.

One aspect of high school wrestling that has become extremely popular as of late is club wrestling. Since wrestling is a winter sport, many athletes make it a year-round activity by joining “Doughboys” or “Metrowest”, the popular clubs around the area. Montero mentions he “started out at Doughboys” but transitioned to Metrowest this past Spring. These gyms where athletes can spar, drill, and compete against other clubs “make an average kid into a great wrestler,” according to Montero. He says that the instructors “really break everything down” from technique to the mental aspect of the sport.

Throughout the course of last season, Montero struggled with conserving energy throughout the match, starting out hot but struggling to keep up at the end of matches. When asked what he improved on most over the offseason, Montero said he has worked hard to begin “wrestling in bursts” and uses the motto “controlled aggression” to help become more consistent on the mat.

Going 4-1 in the Wilmington “Sons of Italy” tournament, Montero hopes to continue his success throughout the year at 138.

Captains Louie Linton, Tucker Vician, Bennett Sonneborn, Shaun McLaughlin, and Michael Anniballi have led the Redhawks off to a hot start in the 2022-23 season. Taking 2nd place at the Athol Invitational, smoking Walpole 46-6 on the road, and coming in 5th at the Wilmington Tournament, the Redhawks look to continue their success at home on Wednesday vs. Weymouth at 7:30 P.M.

natick wrestling2

 


Natick Report has begun working with The Natick Nest, Natick High School’s official student-run school newspaper, to help bring the students’ work to a larger audience. We’ll be republishing some of their articles, and plan to coordinate with their staff on additional pieces.

Filed Under: Education, Natick Nest, Sports



Natick 7th grader to sing National Anthem at Celtics game on Sunday

December 14, 2022 by Bob Brown 2 Comments

Congrats to Natick’s 12-year-old Eliana Aliprantis, who will sing ‘The Star Spangled Banner” at Sunday’s Boston Celtics game at 3pm.

WCVB-TV 5 has the story.

boston celtics


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Filed Under: Music, Sports



Natick Recreation & Parks releases winter brochure: Skating, drama, plus lots of pickleball

November 25, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Registration for Natick Recreation & Parks winter activities kicks off on Dec. 7, but you can preview the offerings now in the new brochure.

rec brochure


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Filed Under: Art, Sports, Theater

Red Sox legend David Ortiz visits Natick Mall to promote good health

October 10, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Boston Red Sox legend and 2022 baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz stopped by the Natick Mall on Monday to participate in a panel discussion on the importance of maintaining good health through strong health care partnerships, followed by an “Intentional Walk.” Big Papi serves as a brand ambassador for eternalHealth, a Medicare Advantage health plan.

After a Q & A session, he and the crowd of about 75 stretched out near the infinity pool before embarking on a walk. Hanging out at the mall was a homecoming of sorts for Ortiz. “I used to come to this mall a lot because I used to live like ten minutes from here,” Big Papi said, referring to his Weston home that he sold in 2021 for $3.5 million.

In addition to living in Metrowest for over a decade, the slugger also at one time owned a restaurant in Framingham, Big Papi’s Grille, which closed in 2011.

David Ortiz, Natick Mall

 

David Ortiz, Natick Mall

 

David Ortiz, Natick Mall

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Bobbi Gibb, Natick Mall

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Filed Under: Boston Marathon, Embracing diversity, Health, Sports

Natick to introduce new Rec & Parks director

October 8, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Natick Recreation & Parks on Oct. 17 is slated to introduce its new director, Travis Farley, who has served as superintendent of Norwood’s Recreation Department for the past 5-plus years.

Longtime Natick Recreation & Parks employee Dan Keefe has been serving as director in an interim role since this summer, adding that to his assistant director position. He stepped in when Director Karen Partanen left in June after a 5-plus year stretch.

Natick recreation and parks

Farley’s background, beyond his role in Norwood, has included athletic administration positions at several colleges, including Boston University and MIT.

His oversight in Natick will be wide ranging, and will include everything from Natick Days planning to having a say about the beleaguered South Natick multipurpose court, which could be in for an upgrade as part of any South Natick Dam Park improvements.

Natick Recreation & Parks, according to the town website, “is responsible for the planning, organizing and implementation of recreational programs to serve residents of all ages and abilities. The division serves as stewards of community fields and parks.  We work with town departments, non profit organizations, and businesses to help improve the fabric of our community.”

In other administrative changes, the Recreation & Parks Commission will be filling its chair and vice-chair positions following Peg Waters’ resignation.


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Filed Under: Government, Sports

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