There weren’t many days off during the Christmas holiday break for the Lynnfield/North Reading wrestling team (4-1), which participated in two major tournaments and a quad meet.
Friday, the Black and Gold scored 167 points and placed second at the Pentucket Holiday Tournament. Whittier Tech won the meet with 190.5 points.
Eight of 10 LNR wrestlers placed with each one winning at least one match and contributing points to the team score.
James Fodera continued his winning ways, leading the way as champion in the 190-pound weight class. The win was his second major tournament title in seven days and third of the still-young season.
“Last year we finished 12th with 64 points and only two place finishers,” head coach Craig Stone said. “We have come a long way in the last 4 years. So happy for the team, and especially James (Fodera), Cam (Arya) and David (Glynn), the original three of the eight team members who were part of that tough season after COVID.”
Fodera’s road to the final included wins over Trevor Purcell of Essex Tech/Masco (21-5 technical fall) and Michael Burke of Danvers (1:50 pin), Anthony Gagne of Tri-County (20-5 technical fall). Fodera then defeated Matheus Birda of Whittier (2:44 pin) to clinch the title.
Nathan Barstow (113), Jakob Hulett (120) and David Glynn (157) also wrestled for titles only to come up just short in the finals. Barstow cruised through the first three matches but lost an 8-3 decision to Zachary Platt of Timberlane in the final. Hulett also won his first three matches but was upended in the championship match by Alejandro Rave in a first period pin. After a first round bye, Glynn advanced to the final with a technical fall and third-period pin only to come up short in the title match to Marblehead/Swampscott’s Mason Hinshaw (5:04 pin.)
Jason Kouyoumdjian (126) and Cameron Arya (165) finished third. Kouyoumdjian secured third with a 20-9 major decision win over Roxbury Latin’s Luke Kern, while Arya secured third with a 4-1 decision over Ayden Shea of Tri-County.
Zack Morse (215) and Isaac Medford (138) also placed with Morse finishing fourth and Medford finishing sixth. Morse won his first two matches but dropped the next two, the final to Kevin Arqueta of Malden/Everett in the third place match (14-5 major decision), Medford lost his first-round match and had to battle through the consolation with two wins before being eliminated by Navid Hodiat of Roxbury Latin (2:25 pin.)
Jack Cuddy (1-2 at 175) and Dylan Matthews (2-2 at 285) also won matches.
Excel Academy quad meet
On Dec. 23 the Black and Gold traveled to Excel Academy to take on Weston, Oliver Ames, Excel and Malden Catholic in a quad meet. LNR won three of four matches, losing only to the home team, 48-25.
Barstow (113) had a perfect day, winning all four matches in pins, while Fodera (190) also posted a 4-0 record.
“Obviously, the loss to Excel was disappointing but we had a very good day and motivation for the future,” Stone said. “We train, we compete, and we get feedback. The season is a process and staying positive leads to future success.”
LNR 48
Weston 24
LNR opened with a 48-24 win over Weston, which filled only six of 14 weight classes. LNW winners who wrestled included Zach Inafuku at 106 pounds (31-second pin), Barstow at 113 pounds (1:16 pin), Arya at 165 pounds (31-second pin) and Zack Morse at 215 pounds (29-second pin). Sam Bird (126), Griffin McCarthy (144), Glynn (157), Lucas Lopes (175), Fodera (190) and Dylan Matthews (285) won matches by forfeit.
LNR 46
Oliver Ames 30
Against Oliver Ames, the Black and Gold trailed 30-18 after the first eight classes but rallied to take the remaining six bouts to clinch the match, 46
LNR winners, 46-30. Lopes (175), a freshman, scored his first varsity pin win, winning by a 1:55 pin. Fodera defeated a returning state place finisher in the 190-pound match (3:36 pin). Barstow (113 pounds, 30-second pin), Kouyoumdjian (126 pounds, 53-second pin), Glynn (157 pounds, 3:47 pin), and Arya (165 pounds, 15-2 major decision) won their matches on the mat, while Inafuku (106), Morse (215) and Matthews (285) won matches by forfeit.
Excel 48
LNR 25
Stone said that Excel took advantage of LNR’s inexperience at a few weights and forfeited to hand LNR its first dual match loss of the season. LNR winners included Barstow at 113 (1:44 pin), Hullet at 120 (18-4 major decision), Fodera at 190 (17-1 technical fall) and Morse at 215 (forfeit).
LNR 60
Malden Catholic 18
The Black and Gold bounced back to win the final match of the meet, taking six of the seven matches wrestled on the mat. LNR winners included Inafuku at 106 (1:00 pin), Barstow at 113 (1:05 pin), Hulett at 120 (forfeit), Kouyoumdjian at 126 (19-second pin), Medford at 138 (forfeit), Glynn at 157 (forfeit), Lopes at 165 (forfeit), Fodera at 190 (1:11 pin), Morse at 215 (59-second pin) and Matthews at 285 (2:45 pin).
George Bossi Lowell Holiday Tournament
On Dec. 20-21, the Black and Gold placed 42nd out of 65 teams from all over New England at the George Bossi Lowell Holiday Tournament at the Tsongas Center. Fodera (190) had a meet to remember, becoming the first LNR champion at the meet in the history of the LNR co-op wrestling team. He also took a ride in the way-back machine, joining his father Frank Fodera, who won a title in 1996 out of Winchester High, as the first father-son tandem to be crowned champions in the meet.
“The Lowell tournament is ranked as the number one most competitive tournament in New England,” Stone said. “I am so excited for James and for the recognition it gives to our program. He has worked extremely hard throughout his high school career both during the season and off season. He is a great example of what can be accomplished with a strong work ethic, drive, and discipline.
Fodera, who placed eighth last year, came into the tournament as the No. 4 seed. He upset the No. 1 seed Justin Duhancik (Stratford, CT) in the semifinals with a 14-10 decision, then went on to beat Elijah Prophete (Taunton) in a 2:34 in the final.
Fodera opened with a pin in 1:09 over Jayden Masse-Lenoue (Leominster) In the round of 64. In the round of 32, he defeated Robbie Blochstein (Canton) by technical fall, 20-2. In the round of 16 he defeated No. 5 seed Flagg (Bow, NH) by pin in 3:03, and in the quarter-finals he defeated Cole Grenier (Fairfield/Warde, CT) in a 13-10 decision.
Barstow (113) and Mathews (285) each went 2-2 at the tournament but did not place.
