Sophomore Chris Sullivan wins wrestling title
By Jeffrey Cattel
Sophomore Chris Sullivan beat four of the state's best en route to the D3 title. (Mike Barucci photo)
Sophomore Chris Sullivan made Canton High wrestling history last weekend, becoming the youngest Bulldog to win the Division 3 state tournament for his weight class. Fellow sophomore Quinn Merrigan finished second in his respective weight class. Both will advance to the All-State competition the weekend of February 25.
Going into the state tournament, Sullivan had lost only two matches, most notably against Foxboro senior Jake Dorman at the Division 3 south sectional tournament two weeks ago. The two met again in the finals of the state tournament, and despite quickly falling 4-0, Sullivan battled back in the third period and put enough points on the board to eke out the win.
“A lot of kids in his shoes, coming off the loss in sectionals, would have a tough week of practice and wouldn’t have the right mindset going into states,” coach Brian Caffelle said. “But he was motivated, wrestled his style, and took what he thought was rightfully his.”
Merrigan’s finals match involved similar elements of déjà vu as he faced off against Hingham senior Mike Mui, who Merrigan had lost to in sectionals. Caffelle said it’s been Merrigan’s goal since the beginning of the season to simply place in the state tournament. So when he had made it to the semis and was guaranteed to place, Caffelle and the other coaches emphasized that he should be proud of his accomplishment but not grow complacent.
“Quinn might have come up short, but he wrestled great,” Caffelle said. “There’s something to be said about wrestling a two-time state champ as a sophomore and not even batting an eyelash.”
The Canton contingency at the state tournament was rounded out by senior captains David Rosenberg (126 lbs.) and Josh Matt (152 lbs.). Both faced steep competition, and while neither placed, Caffelle said both captains showcased their strong skills and perseverance.
“This was their last hurrah,” Caffelle said. “And with the way they performed, they were able to walk off the mat with their heads held high and no regrets on a great senior season.”
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=11711
Posted by Jeffrey Cattel
on Feb 15 2012. Filed under High School, Sports.
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