Last Friday, the HBHS wrestling team traveled to Essex High School in Vermont for a two-day tournament. While the team didn’t place very highly, they wrestled hard and had some great matches. I tagged along with the wrestling team to this tournament to experience all of the event.

After a four-hour car ride up to Essex, the team had to prepare to wrestle, as the tournament started later that evening. The team arrived to a completely packed gymnasium with about 20 different wrestling teams from around the New England area.  The first day of the tournament went from 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. and the HB wrestling team was dealt a blow when two of our wrestlers were eliminated from the tournament. In a wrestling tournament, when a wrestler earns two loses in a row, it qualifies as elimination from the tournament.

The team ended day one with everyone else having at least one win. At 10:00 the team packed up and headed back to the hotel to rest and prepare for a second day of wrestling.

The second day started off strong with a win from Scott Annesser ‘19 and another win from Sam St. Pierre ‘17. Unfortunately, the team suffered more losses that lead to having team members being eliminated from the tournament. “In the end of the day it comes down to strength and who wants to win more,” says Coach St. Pierre. However, this didn’t mean the end for the HBHS wrestling team as Clement Sherwood ‘18 and Sam St. Pierre neared closer to the final rounds of the tournament.

Around 5:00 p.m., the final moments of the tournament began. HB had two wrestlers competing to place in the top five for their respected weight classes. St. Pierre wrestled for fifth place for the 160-pound weight class and Sherwood wrestled for third place in the 220-pound weight class. Both wrestlers fought hard in their matches and both placed in the top five. St. Pierre won his match, while Sherwood placed fourth  for his weight class. “Fifth out of a 21 man bracket… Not too shabby,” St. Pierre said.

The HB team as a whole was unfortunately beaten out of placing in the top ten, but there are still a few more tournaments left in the season, and  still chances for the team to win. As the team – packed up and went home that Sunday, the team prepared to get back to wrestling  the following Monday.