The winter season kicked off on Thursday and Western Massachusetts schools are putting the final touches on rosters and getting ready for their first competitions.
With wrestling kicking off this weekend, here’s take a look at some teams that are entering the season with high expectations as well as some key athletes to watch this winter.
Teams to watch heading into the 2025-26 season:
When Franklin County Tech claimed victory in the Division III West Sectional Championship last season, it ended Hampden Charter’s three-peat bid. Now, the Eagles are looking to start a run of their own.
Monument Mountain finished just three points behind Franklin Tech, with defending champion Hampden Charter finishing third in the Div. III West Tournament.
In the title meet, Franklin Tech was led by Carsten Couture and Landon Purington, both earning first place finishes in their respective weight classes.
Purington made it to the state quarterfinals and Couture reached the semifinals before being knocked out, leading to a 12th place finish in the tournament.
Now a junior, Purington, and Couture, a senior, are both looking for their 100th career wins this upcoming season and lead an Eagles repeat for the sectional title.
In Division II, West Springfield is also looking to repeat its 2024-25 sectional victory as it had three wrestlers take first place in their weight classes to help capture the title.
The Terriers were led by Devon Mateo, who took first place in the 113 weight class and went on finish third in his weight class in the Div. II state tournament, helping West Springfield earn third place in the tournament.
Despite West Springfield’s convincing victory in the Div. II West tournament, Minnechaug and Agawam were able to secure second and third place respectively, only separated by eight points.
The Falcons had two first place finishers, then junior Kai Ly and and senior John Bermudez took first in the 132 and 285 weight classes respectively.
Agawam grabbed three first place finishes with junior Jordin Agosto taking first in the 126 class, sophomore Ryan Sexton taking first in the 150 class, and senior Max Holloway taking first in the 215 class. Holloway also won the 215 in the state tournament.
Minnechaug and Agawam finished eighth and tenth in the Div. II state tournament respectively.
Springfield Central headlined Western Mass. teams in Division I, as it finished third in the Division I West/Central tournament with two first place finishes.
Then juniors Desiah Anderson and Jalen Streeter both took first in their weight classes. Streeter finished in the semifinals of the state as Anderson fell in the quarterfinals, and Springfield Central took home ninth place.
Other WMass wrestlers to watch:
- Sean McDonald (Longmeadow)
- Ethan Kelly (Longmeadow)
- Kaleb Progulske (Agawam)
- Gabriella Ramos (Agawam)
- Steven Santiago (Holyoke)
- Matt Lemay (Duggan)
- Mayanah Cabrera (Springfield Central)
- Beckett Leclair (West Springfield)
- Sarmad Alsultani (West Springfield)
- Harith Alsultani (West Springfield)
- Abel Varzeas (West Springfield)
- Judah Taylor (Springfield International Charter)
- Michael Jenkins (Chicopee)
