WAYLAND – An impressive run by Mahar Regional’s Jon Mahony in the 113-pound weight class saw him reach the finals of the MIAA Division 3 State Wrestling Championship on Saturday at Wayland High School.
Over the course of the two-day tournament, Mahony went through a gauntlet of higher seeds to reach the finals for a chance at a state championship.
The sixth-seeded Mahony hit the mat with top-seeded Benny Herrera of Ashland.
The two wrestlers battled a week earlier at Holliston High School where Herrera won a Central Mass. championship by technical fall.
Mahony made adjustments, especially mentally, but fell to Herrera by a 6-1 decision.
“I just wanted to make it better than last week,” Mahony said. “I went into last week a little timid. A little anxious. This week I really made a focus on mediation and keeping my body calm.”
Elongating the amount of wrestling Herrera had to do was a game plan for Mahony. But an early takedown gave Herrera the lead.
“People that are stronger than me fatigue quicker,” Mahony said. “I tried to extend out the first period to make it more in neutral, him working things to try and gas him out a little bit. It worked until that first take down. It was a dogfight after that. I was just happy that I was more technically sound. I wrestled better. That’s all you can ask for.”
On his way to the finals, Mahony took down No. 11 Connor O’Brien by fall (2:47) in the round of 16. He then faced No. 3 Ben Ford of Cohasset, winning an 8-6 decision.
In the semifinals Mahony stared down No. 2 Lisandro Martinez of Hampden Charter. Mahony won by major decision, 12-3.
Martinez was a 113-pound Western Mass.champion for the Wolves. Mahony was the only Franklin County wrestler to reach the finals on Saturday.
“It was humbling,” Mahony said. “I just went into it with a grind. I am happy I got that rematch whether it went my way or not.”
Herrera had a 36-2 season record going into state competition and is a three-time sectional champion. It was his first-ever state championship.
Mahar teammates Henry Gilmore and Peter Tattan both reached the semifinals for the Senators.
At 152-pounds, Gilmore lost by fall (3:54) to Sean Herbert of Melrose. Herbert went on to claim the state championship and has one loss the entire season.
Gilmore ended up sixth for the Senators, qualifying for All-States.
Tattan lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Anthony Ostrander of Triton. Ostrander beat Tattan by decision, 6-2.
Tattan ended up in fifth at 182-pounds. In the fifth place bout, Tattan bested Cassius Coates of Duggan Academy by decision, 5-4.
The Senators finished in eighth place as a team with 57 points.
“We were rolling,” Mahar coach John Speek said. “But we hit a couple bad rounds.”
Issa Gilmore placed seventh for the Senators at 106-pounds. Right behind him was Frontier’s Payton Sladeski in eighth place.
Franklin Tech’s Peter Saladino was fifth in the 126-pound bracket. In the fifth place match, Saladino won be an 8-5 decision over Devin Lewis of Hampden Charter.
Josh Brunelle placed eighth for the Eagles at 132-pounds. Brother Kyle Brunelle took sixth at 138-pounds.
Kyle Brunelle fell by decision in the fifth-place match to Malcolm Crispin of Josiah Quincym by fall (4:00).
Melrose won the overall team competition with 154.5 points. Elsewhere for Franklin County: Franklin Tech placed 27th (30 points), Frontier placed 41st (11 points) and Athol was tied for 47th with three points.
Frontier Regional’s Ito McMillan made the consolation second round, but fell by fall.
Athol’s John Hicks lasted until the consolation round but also lost in the second round of action.
Teammate Caleb Cox fell in his first round match and his consolation match for the Red Raiders.
There were 54 teams at the tournament.
