Sharon
1/25/2012
Just wrestle tough
That's a Wrap
Peter Gobis, The Sun Chronicle Staff Thursday, January 26, 2012
SHARON - Back when Steve Laskey and Mark Head put a sign-up sheet on the wall outside of Ray Beaupre's office before the 1987-88 winter season was to begin, no one knew what route the Rocketeers of North Attleboro High School would take on the wrestling mat.
Twenty five years later, everyone in the Commonwealth knows - the Big Red are among the best, in any division.
"We have kids who come into the program who are not very good athletes," related Rocketeer head coach Wayne Griffin. "But, when they leave they are better athletes and even better kids."
The Rocketeers notched the 300th victory in program history Wednesday with a 65-3 verdict over the Eagles at Sharon High in a Hockomock League match.
"We've reached a point where, when you mention community pride, the kids compete not just for themselves, but for the school, the community, all of the boys who have wrestled before them, the ones who set the standards," said Griffin, who took command of the Big Red program during the 1997-98 season.
Since then, the Rocketeers have contended with Franklin as being the elite Hockomock League member schools, routinely winning the quadrangular meets, routinely qualifying for the MIAA Team championships, venturing far into the MIAA Division 2 Tournament.
In only five seasons have the Big Red had a losing record and the North Attleboro High program has produced seven MIAA State champions - Dan Krawiec (1994), J.D. Moitra (1994), Mike Berg (1997), Vin Sharma (1999 and 2000), Justin Deveau (2001) and Brett Poirier (2008).
Just recently, the North Attleboro High wrestling community celebrated its 25th anniversary and inducted two members into its Hall of Fame, the late Dana Kirby (class of 1990), who was the Rocketeers' first South Sectional Meet champion and Sean Hogan, who became North's highest finisher ever at the New England Meet, taking third place in the heavyweight division in 1995.
"Coach Laskey was telling me that after that first year, 26 kids finished in the program," said Griffin, a product of the highly successful wrestling program at Coventry, R.I. High School. "The kids know that our program is successful," he continued, but the elements of it are not just on the mat.
"The kids know that when you join the program, there are three things - one, that you'll work your tail off; two, that you're always there to help each other; and three, that success is not just measured by wins on the mat."
To that end, Griffin points to the Rocketeers routinely winning or being among the finalists for the MIAA Academic Excellence award for wrestling teams - earning a "Silver" level in 2002, 2004, 2006-'10 and a "Gold" level in 2011.
The Rocketeers have won the MIAA Division 2 Sportsmanship Award in 1994, 1997 and 2009 and being a nominee in five other seasons.
The Rocketeers have won Hockomock League dual meet or tournament titles in 1997-'98, 2004 and 2006-'08.
The Rocketeers have won MIAA Division 2 South Sectional championships in 1997-2001, 2006 and 2009.
The Rocketeers have sent eight student-athletes to the high school national meet - Sharma, Deveau, Kyle Hargreaves (2001), Tim Stuart (2002), Matt Bussiere (2002), Shaun Vacher (2002), Chris Vacher (2002) and Poirier.
In addition to the individual state champions, North has had 17 student-athletes reach the finals of the MIAA All State Meet and produce 64 MIAA Division 2 Sectional champions.
The only fact of life for a student-athlete who signs up to represent the Rocketeers, to complete on the wrestling mat and challenge himself is "the only thing that we are able to promise kids is that they'll work hard," said Griffin. "Everybody competes, everybody is a part of the team."
North Attleboro 66, Sharon 3:
195-Bobby Deveau (NA) pinned Kan, 4:38;
220-Ben Alegria (NA) pinned Whittenberg, 2:30;
Heavyweight-M. Anderson (NA) def. Lainer, 3-1;
106-Steve Hathaway (NA) def. Cates, 11-0;
113-Cameron Burns (NA) pinned Haviland, 0:11;
120-Nick Duva (NA) def. McCabe, 12-3;
126-Shane LeBlanc (NA) pinned Dozois, 0:19;
132-John David (NA) pinned Elantry, 1:40;
138-Jimmy David (NA) def. Salam, 7-0;
145-Dan Kummer (NA) pinned Schiff, 1:36;
152-Austin Renzi (NA) pinned Robinson, 1:30;
160-Tom Eustis (NA) pinned Kerwin, 2:49;
170-Coughlin (S) def. Pete Kummer, 8-5;
182-Evan Packert (NA) def. Shapiro, 13-5.
