14 - December 23, 2010 by Marc Ayotte


Success breeds success. So it wasn’t very surprising to see Python wrestling head coach Bob Riddinger spending some pre-game moments with a half dozen Pelham middle school wrestlers. Dave Buscema, coach of the 3-0 future Python hopefuls brought some team members to the gym last Wednesday, December 15 to check out the varsity action. What they observed was near perfection as a rash of Cougar individual match victories by forfeit made the 37-36 PHS victory appear closer than was the case. The visitors got off to a quick 6-0 team lead as Scott Dyer picked up a no-opponent win in the 152 weight class. Unfortunately for CHS, things


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Josh Lynde of PHS displays a strong hold on Connor Douglas (CHS) on his way to a 14-10 win


changed in a hurry as Pelham reeled off four consecutive individual match victories. Python wrestler Tom Gleason (160) established an early 7-0 lead and was able to thwart a nice Jared Saunders comeback by recording a 9-5 decision and putting the home team on the scoreboard. Consecutive Python pins were then racked up


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Despite this takedown , Josh Lynde (135) of Pelham defeated Connor Douglas 14-10 in an exciting match


by Richie Sullivan (171), Matt Blanchard (189) and Warren Greenhalgh (171). Sullivan was able to establish a 7-0 lead after the first period before


pinning Tyler Coughlin of Campbell. Warren Greenhalgh was impressive with his pin just :48 into the match against Nicholas Oberti. In the 189 class, Matt Blanchard overcame a 10-4 deficit to pin Tucker Dalbec. In that match, Dalbec sustained an apparent chest injury and was attended to by PHS athletic trainer Rolinda Mitchell, a recent graduate from USM. In the middle section of the meet, Campbell High went on a less than stellar streak as five consecutive Cougar wins were all attributed to no-opponent forfeits. When actual matches finally resumed, the nice turnout of spectators were treated to a highly spirited match between Josh Lynde of Pelham and CHS’s freshman Connor Douglas in the 135 weight class. A two point take down by Lynde gave him a 12-7 lead with a minute and forty seconds remaining in the match. The Python was able to hold onto a 14-10 decision in the most intense match of the evening. In the second to last match of the night Kevin DeAngelo pinned his CHS opponent setting the stage for teammate Tyler Harper to tie the team score. In obliging fashion, Harper (145) defeated Jacob Parzych by pinning him just thirty eight seconds into the first period - tying the team match score at 36. In an attempt to determine the outcome, CHS head coach Bob Gannon and Python’s Roddinger met with the referee at the


Python Wrestlers Dominate in Home Opener


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At :38 of the first period, Python Warren Greenhalgh pins his CHS opponent


CHS coach Bob Gannon and Python coach Bob Riddinger consult the rule book for the determining tie-breaker in a match on Wednesday, Dec 15.


scorer’s table. According to official high school wrestling tie breaking rules, Pelham was awarded the team match victory by winning the 4th tie- breaker. This tie-breaker awards the match to the team with the most individual match wins including forfeits, which Pelham won 7-6. “ I’ve seen the seventh tie-breaker used sometimes “ said Roddinger, “tonight it was most matches won … “


In summarizing the meet, coach Roddinger recognized Matt Blanchard’s performance as symbolic of the coaching staff’s strategy: “ Matt was down big—there’s no time in a match to take a break, you can never give up.” A dejected Cougar coach assessed his team‘s performance by saying he was “very disappointed”. In speaking to his team after the match, Gannon pointed out several Cougar flaws that occurred throughout the night but was very upbeat and positive with respect to getting his wrestlers prepared for their next match. In acknowledging his team lost every match they ’physically’ wrestled in that night, Gannon


Python wrestling coach Bob Riddinger presents an


achievement award to Mike Fuller in recognition of his contribution to the Pelham program


cited: “No discipline will lose you matches… we worked on it in practice, we didn’t do it tonight.” Earlier in the evening, Coach Roddinger paid tribute to long time Python wrestling icon Mike Fuller. Fuller, who along with John McDonald, was instrumental in getting Python athletes on the wrestling mats back in 1997. With an extensive background in wrestling, notably being a high school state champ in the Mississippi Valley Conference as well as wrestling in college at So. Illinois University, Fuller noted: “ we have had a state champ in wrestling every year except for one” as he proudly glanced at the banners hanging above him in the gym. Fuller whose personal obligations will be taking him to Chattanooga, Tennessee was awarded a plaque before the match.


Windham Falls in Division 2 Home Opener


by David Jaracz It was a contest of cold starts and fast breaks


as the Windham High School Lady Jaguars fell in their Division 2 home opener to Lebanon, 43-23. The Raiders (2-0) held their opponent to 23 points for the second straight game, using a four- and sometimes five-player, full-court press to try to pressure the young and inexperienced Windham squad. The tight defense, combined with a slow start shooting, sealed the loss for the


Jaguars (1-1), despite Windham handling the press much better in the second half. It was a slow start for both teams in the first


quarter, as both teams initially tried to test the waters shooting outside. The iron was unkind to both sides, with shots rattling the rim and both teams combining for only 12 points total in the opening frame. Lebanon employed a full-court press early on as a test for coach Joe Mason’s home side. Early on, the strategy worked well, as the Raiders forced Windham into early turnovers. When they did break the press, Windham used their speed advantage as guards Clairee Putnam and Kelsey Schiebel scored early with fast break lay-ups after zipping past the defense. Even though Windham had


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a hard time initially, Lebanon was unable to extend their lead past 8-4 in the first quarter. Windham played strong team defense of their own, led by forward Ashley Adamson, who had multiple blocks and rebounds early. Schiebel scored all five points in the second quarter for the Jaguars, which saw halftime come with Windham down by 12 points. The halftime adjustments


made by Windham showed immediately, as the Jaguars did a much better job dealing with the full-court press in the second half. After coming back early from the halftime break to work on their shooting, Windham got three- point buckets from Putnam and Schiebel, as well as an uncontested fast break lay-up from Adamson, which came from the Jaguars fighting through the press.


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play in the second half wasn’t enough to make up the deficit, however, with the final score ending up 43-23. After opening the season


with an impressive, 58-32 win at Plymouth Regional, Windham continues its Division 2 schedule with a home game versus Merrimack Valley on 12/21, then a road game at Pelham on 1/4.


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