After winning the Suburban League North, coach John Speek and the Mahar wrestling team are looking to reload and repeat this winter with a squad that will look vastly different than the one from a season ago. 

The Sens have always been strong in the middle weight classes, as shown last year at the Central Mass. Division 3 sectional when Dom Cacciolfi took fourth at 138 pounds, Luke Chiodo placed fifth at 160 and Xander Roberts took fourth at 170. 

All three were seniors, but Speek said he feels good about what they have returning at those middle weights. Colby Chiasson (145), Sayyid Roberts (150), Dante Dowler (157) and Tristen Gaj (160) are all experienced wrestlers who Mahar will rely on as it looks to stay atop the Suburban League North. Roberts is a senior, Chiasson and Gaj are juniors while Dowler is still just a sophomore. 

Leighton Soucie at 215 is someone Speek said has put in a lot of effort during the offseason to improve and is a wrestler who is expected to have a big year on the mat. 

The remainder of the Senators roster is comprised of new wrestlers who Speek — the longtime Mahar coach — will look to grow throughout the year. 

“We are a young team with a good deal of first-year wrestlers,” Speek said. “We are really looking to fill out our lineup and develop this young talent. Our lineup is more full than it appears now because we will be bringing these newer wrestlers online as the year progresses.” 

There was no bigger loss for the Sens that that of Abduli Gilmore, who had a monster sophomore season with Mahar. Gilmore won the Central Mass. Div. 3 sectional title, captured the Div. 3 state championship and then placed seventh at All-States.

Gilmore transferred from Mahar to Athol, where he’ll wrestle with the Bears this winter. 

It’ll be a challenge to repeat in what is shaping up to be a competitive Suburban League North. Athol and Franklin Tech are returning large rosters while Frontier is always a threat on the mat. Down in the Tri-County League, Mohawk Trail has a pair of wrestlers who should be in the mix for sectional titles. 

One area Speek is proud of is the development of the girls wrestling program with the Sens. Four girls — Nayliz Santiago, Nicole Patterson, Trinity Bergeron and Delana Fausett — will compete for Mahar this winter, with the Sens continuing to host their all-girls tournament in January. 

“We are excited to have a resurgance on our girls team,” Speek said. “All of our new female wrestlers are showing great progress in practice. We are aiming toward our All Girls Tournament on MLK Day and further to the new state divisional touranment at the end of the year to see how far our hard work can take us.” 

Here’s a closer look at how each team is shaping up going into the season: 

Athol

COACH: Fred Marks 

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Suburban North/C3

ROSTER: Antoniyo Bourque, Alexander Casarim, Ayden Cowen, Damien Cunningham, Kiana Ferguson, Gray Gallant, Jayden Garcia Davis, Timothy Gerry, Abduli Gilmore, Nathaniel Given, Mathew Gould, Jack Inniss, Vincent Ithier, Evan Ke, Aiden Kirwan, Alex Lavigne, Nicholas Leblanc, Sawyer Lefsyk, Landen Lovely, Kason Kyons, Jaxon Manjourea, Alexander Masaitis, Mark Mikulskis, Dakota Mikulskis, Koda Misner-Borowy, Douglas Monte, Dylan Nelson, Brady O’Connell, Brycen Perez, Riley Reed, Dylan Richards, Joziah Rivera, John Robertson, Adam Rodriguez, Kayden Rodriguez, Ryan Romero Da Silveira, Payden Ross, April Ruiz, Jaiden Santer, Rylan Sibley, Tylen Sinclair, Chevelle Stockwood, Warren Taylor, Natanael Torres, Riley Young

OUTLOOK: It was quite the offseason pickup for the Bears with Gilmore transferring over from Mahar to Athol. 

Gilmore will join an Athol squad that had three top-six finishers at the Central Mass. Div. 3 sectional meet. Kirwan placed second at 160, Reed took sixth at 170 while Young came in sixth at 220. 

Kirwan, Reed and Young are all now seniors and in line to have strong final seasons with the Bears. Torres missed the postseason but would have been in the mix for a sectional title had he participated. 

With 45 wrestlers, Athol has by far the largest team in the Recorder area, giving Marks plenty of options to work with in his lineup. 

Franklin Tech

COACH: Mike Aiken

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Suburban North/W3

ROSTER: Carsten Couture, Maxon Brunette, Mia Marigliano, Landon Purington, Samuel Bodenstein, Owen Leblanc, Anaray Yang, Conner Herzig, Emery Ladner, Camryn Laster, Camden Coushineau, Camden Bonnett, Dylan Gilbert, Madix Whitman, Wyatt Whitman, Jacob Guillemette, Cameron May, Jacob Martin, Ian Doyle, Izaya Romer, Patrick Andrews, Jackson Morey, Landon Ferrer, Estes Lemeris-Reinking, Collin Eddy, Seamus Collins, Mario Parheja, Atlithonatiu Gonzalez-Jayne, Owen Blanchard, Elijah Oberempt, Dillon Laffond, Jacqueline Churchill

OUTLOOK: Aiken will run the largest wrestling team the Eagles have ever had this winter, with 32 athletes in the program. Only two are seniors — Martin and Yang — with Tech set up well for the present and the future. 

Eddy returns after taking second at Western Mass. Div. 3 sectionals at 182, Purington placed fourth at sectionals at 113 while Gonzalez-Jayne came in fifth at sectionals at 220. 

Couture, Laster, Whitman, May, Martin and Morey are returning starters from last year while Romer comes over after competing for Mohawk Trail as an eighth grader.

“I’m excited about the potential of this team and the work ethic of these kids,” Aiken said. “We are fairly inexperienced but there are plenty of good, young athletes that have the potential to be very successful this year.” 

Frontier

COACH: Brian Bagdon

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Suburban North/W3

ROSTER: Wyatt Finch, Javion Cabrera, Jocelyn Antes, Benjamin Baker, Ber Calhoun, Konnor James, Nathan Warger, Edward Mieczkowski, Max Hunter, Zachary Brown, Jaxson Byrne

OUTLOOK: Finch and Cabrera are the top returning Redhawk wrestlers. Finch placed third at Western Mass. Div. 3 sectionals at 113 while Cabrera took third at 285. Finch is the lone returning senior while Cabrera is the lone returning junior. 

The rest of the Frontier roster is littered with young athletes, though they have experience. Baker, Calhoun, James and Warger are all just in eighth grade but were on the team last year. 

Antes, a sophomore, took third at the St. Paul's Women's Tournament in Concord, N.H. over the weekend, winning five matches to do so. 

Mahar

COACH: John Speek

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Suburban North/C3

ROSTER : Asher Williams, Lucas Briand, Elias Roberts, Colby Chiasson, Sayyid Roberts, Tristen Gaj, Dante Dowler, Riley Murphy, Leighton Soucy, Nayliz Santiago, Nicole Patterson, Trinity Bergeron, Delana Faussett

Mohawk Trail

COACH: Mark Biagini 

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Tri-County/W3

ROSTER: Daniel Gougeon, Wade Purington,  Luke Read, Dakota Chapin, Logan Moore, Oliver Schwenger-Sartz, Aidan Ball, Will VanVleet

OUTLOOK: VanVleet is coming off a monster junior year on the mats, one where he took second at the Western Mass. Div. 3 sectional and fourth at Div. 3 All-States. VanVleet won the Div. 3 sectional at 220 as a sophomore and will look to close out his senior season on top once again. 

Moore earned a second place finish at the 2022 Western Mass. Div. 3 sectional and is a wrestler to watch as a junior.