WILLIAMSTOWN -- The Mount Greylock wrestling team has been a dominate force in Berkshire County and Western Massachusetts for some time now.
With just three seniors on the roster, the Mounties could have been forgiven if their string of Berkshire County and Western Massachusetts titles ended in 2013.
That won't be the case. The Mounties have already locked up a share of the Berkshire County title, and a win today at Monument Mountain gives Greylock sole possession of the title.
"Last year, we had a pretty strong team, but then we graduated so many kids that I wasn't sure about this year," senior Ross Jackson said. "I'm really happy with the outcome so far.
"We've won [Berkshire County] for many years now, so we want to keep the tradition going."
The Mounties enter today's match against the Spartans with a perfect in-county record. Monument enters with just one county loss -- to the Mounties.
The last time these two squads met, the Mounties found a way to pull out a tight 46-26 victory. It wasn't easy, though. The Spartans challenged Greylock in every bout, and the Mounties are expecting another good dual.
Especially CJ Lillie. The junior Mountie lost to Sebastian Zapata in the Jan. 9 meet after three overtimes. Lillie got a little revenge at Saturday's Mountie Invite with a 10-9 decision.
The 138 pounders will meet for a third time this season, with much more on the line.
"I wouldn't
"Our match should be good. After that three overtime loss to Zapata [on Jan. 9], beating him [at the Invite] was huge for me. I just have to do it again."
It hasn't been an easy year for the Mounties. With a very young roster the Mounties, are trying to learn on the fly.
Five weight classes are filled by either freshmen or sophomores, while three seventh and eighth graders fill roster spots for the Mounties.
"The kids have done well so far," coach Ray Miro said. "But when you break things down we can do a lot better. That's what you look for. I'm happy with where the kids are right now, they have responded well this year, but it's been tough."
The Mounties feature several first-year wrestlers, such as Johnny Colon. The 170 pounder has been a pleasant surprise this season. At Saturday's Invite, he made a run to the semifinals where he lost to Mike Gallagher of Narragansett (R.I.). Gallagher is the No. 1 ranked 170-pound wrestler in Rhode Island. Colon took the match all the way to the third period, before losing on a tech fall. It was a valuable experience for Colon.
"He's the toughest kid I ever went up against," Colon said after the match. "I learned that there are a lot of tough guys out there and you can't win through brute force, which is how I've been doing it. I'm going to go back to practice and break my butt to get ready for [Western Mass.]."
He's not the only Mountie who has been learning valuable lessons. Seventh grader Jude Rorke has been competing and winning matches at 106 pounds, despite the fact he weighs less than 100.
Rorke finished second in the 100-pound class at the Mountie Invite and is hoping to continue that success.
"Jude is very good for his age," Miro said. "He just has these periods where he is going to experiment. And it's not a good experiment.
"But that comes with age and experience. A lot of our guys are at that stage, and they're doing very well."
To reach Sam Monroe, email
smonroe@thetranscript.com.
On Twitter: @NAT_DigtialSam
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