GLOUCESTER — In a battle of two of the top programs in the Northeastern Conference, the Beverly High wrestling team got the better of their hosts Wednesday night, taking down Gloucester, 43-33.
“It was a tense back-and-forth match. We always know that we’re in for a physical battle when we wrestle Gloucester,” said Panther head coach Ben Comeau.
“Tensions were high throughout the match, especially in the rematch at 190 pounds between No. 1 ranked Michael Toppan (of Gloucester) and No. 2 ranked Gino Sicari for us.”
In that clash, Sicari came out on top, 5-3, wrestling a smart match by setting up and picking his shots well to score.
“That match was one of the toughest and most physical of the night,” said Comeau. “It will be a heated rematch when they wrestle again at the CAL/NEC Tournament (January 27).”
Strong pinning victories from Brayden Pouliot at 106 pounds and Cooper Lang at 113 helped set the stage for Beverly. The middle of the Orange-and-Black’s lineup, with Jackson Skaza (138 lbs.), Kasey Nako (157), and Joe Baker (165) all secured victories via pin, bolstering their team towards a victory.