Wrestlers Return Some Experience, Talent

This is Berlin wrestling coach Dave Tremblay's fourth year after replacing legendary coach Jim Day. 

Replacing a legend is never easy but to say things have not gone the way Tremblay had envisioned would be an understatement.

Each year, Tremblay has had to deal with declining numbers of wrestlers and this year is no different. He will take about 20 wrestlers into the season to fill all the classes.

If Berlin can simply fill all the weight classes, they should be able to be quite successful because there is some experience and talent returning for the Redcoats, who finished ninth in Class M last year. 

Back to lead the Redcoat will be senior captains Will Matuszak, Mason Powers, Shaun Sullivan and Anthony Squiteri. Also back are sophomores Kevin Pirucci and Jordan Zima. 

Matuszak will wrestle in the 135-pound class. He finished fifth at the Class M meet last year. 

Powers will be at the 215 class and returns after finishing as runner-up in class M and making an appearance in the State Open.

Sullivan looks for  strong season at 125. He was fourth at the M meet and made it to the State Open. 

Squitieri will wrestle at 152, Pirucci at 112 and Zima at 140 for the Redcoats. 

So while the starting line-up looks solid and talented the key will be avoiding injuries as there is little depth behind those starters. The wrestlers behind the starters have little or no varsity experience. 

Berlin will lean heavily on the four senior captains to lead the team. 

The Redcoats opened with a solid 68-12 victory over Fermi last night so hopes are high in the Redcoats camp.