After a year of no competition, high school wrestling is back in New England, and not just back, but better than ever! The 2022 New England Wrestling Championships will be hosted Friday and Saturday in Providence, Rhode Island, at the Providence Career and Technical Academy. 

The New England region is made up of public schools competing in the C.I.A.C (Connecticut), M.P.A (Maine), M.I.A.A (Massachusetts), N.H.I.A.A (New Hampshire, R.I.I.L (Rhode Island), and the V.P.A (Vermont). Last week, the states had their state/qualifying tournaments, forming a field that includes: Massachusetts’s top seven, Connecticut’s top five, and Rhode Island’s, New Hampshire’s, Maine’s, and Vermont’s top three at each weight. 

The Last New England tournament was held in 2020, and Danbury (Connecticut) was won the team title with 82.5 points, followed by Essex (Vermont) with 71 points and Bishop Hendricken (Rhode Island) with 70 points.

There are tons of amazing stories to follow at this year’s tournament. From the first eighth-grader to qualify for the tournament to the number of siblings looking to win titles.

Does Eighth-Grader James Tildsley Have A Shot?

One of the best stories in this tournament is James Tildsley, the first eighth-grader to qualify for the tournament. Tildsley wrestles for the Billerica High School team as its 106 pounders. Tildsley has had a dominant season so far, placing first at the George Bossi Lowell Holiday Tournament and second in the MIAA All-State Tournament. 

The Family Connection

A real heart-warming part of this year’s tournament is the number of siblings that have qualified. There are nine pairs of brothers competing in this year’s tournament:  

• Hood: Jared (106), Jason (138), and Justin (152) (Ponaganset, RI)

• Paulino: Isaic (113), Jonah (126) (Monty Tech, MA)

• Levesque: Kyle (126), Dylan (138) (Xavier, CT)

• Mairano: John (145), Chad (160) (Simsbury, CT)

• Schaeublin: Alex (113), Adam (132) (Saint John’s Prep, MA)

• Botello: Matt (120), Mark (145) (Hingham, MA)

• Gilchrist: Ryan (182), Brendan (195) (Norwalk, CT)

• Quilles: Issac (106), Xavier (170). (East Hartford, CT) 

• Tildsley: James (106), Sid (132) (Billerica, MA and Shawsheen Tech, MA)

The Team Race

St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Massachusetts enters as the favorite to win this year’s tournament, according to Max Schwartz’s New England Rankings. Behind St. John's Prep is Ponaganset in Scituate, Rhode Island followed by Xavier from Middletown, Connecticut. 

Xavier is bringing eight wrestlers to the tournament compared to Ponaganset’s six and St. John’s Prep’s five. Other team contenders include Simsbury, Connecticut; Coventry Rhode Island; and Montachusett Technical School in Fitchburg, MA. These dark horse contenders all have three wrestlers ranked.

Rematches And Other Faceoffs

Most of these competitors have faced each other just last week in their own state tournaments, and many have even faced off in some interstate competition. 

For example, 195-pounders Brendan Gilchrist (Norwalk, CT) and Chris Murphy (Guilford, CT) recently faced off in the Connecticut State Open. Murphy came out on top after a quick scramble and earned five points, winning via a 6-2 decision. 

Mark Botello (Hingham, Mass.) and John Mairiano (Simsury, CT) also faced off in the finals of the George Bossi Lowell Holiday tournament. They are set to face off again should they both win their round of 16 matches!

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Potential Quarterfinal Matchups To Watch

106: James Blood (Sanford, ME) Vs. Braydon Carbone (Shawsheen Tech, MA)

113: Isaiah Adams (Avon, CT) Vs. Isiac Paulino (Monty Tech, MA)

120: Matt Botello (Hingham, MA) Vs. Jacob Joyce (Ponaganset, RI)

126: Evan Linder (New Milford, CT) Vs. Jonah Paulino (Monty Tech, MA)

145: Brent Nicholosi (Haverhill, MA) Vs. Andrew Reall (Ponaganset, RI)

152: Zachary Johns (Simsbury, CT) Vs. Lucian Perla (Nashoba, MA)

160: Isal Perez (Hope, RI) Vs. Anthony Rousseau (Timberlane, NH)

170: Desmond McLaughlin (Springfield Central, MA) Vs. Gill Stawinski (Essex, VT)

182: Joshua Cordio (Nashoba, MA) Vs. Bryce Parker (Timberlane, NH)

195: Kameron Cyr (Essex, VT) Vs. Brendan Gilchrist (Norwalk, CT)

220: Hayden Gaudette (Mount Anthony, VT) Vs. Patrick DesLauiers (Ashland, MA)

285: Patrick Pitts (Mt. Hope, RI) Vs. Colton Perkins (Spaulding, VT)

Returning Champions/Placewinners From 2020/2021 Spartan NE’s

The last official New England Championships were held in 2020. The tournament places the top six wrestlers. 

Returning Place Winners from 2020 New Englands

Weight Wrestled: (Placement) Name (School) (Weight Now)

106: (4th) Jimmy Glynn (Central Catholic, MA) (138)

106: (5th) Evan Linder (New Milford, CT) (126)

106: (6th) Isiac Paulino (Monty Tech, MA) (113)

113: (5th) Kai O’Dell (Danbury, CT) (138)

113: (6th) Ben Davoli (Haverhill, MA) (132)

120: (5th) Ian Darling (Mascomocet/Essex Tech, MA) (138)

120: (6th) Dylan Levesque (Formerly East Hampton, CT now Xavier, CT) (138)

145: (6th) William Ebert (Fairfield Warde, CT) (170)

160: (6th) Jack MacKiernan (Pinkerton Academy, NH) (170)

170: (3rd) Joshua Cordio (Nashoba, MA) (182)

285: (3rd) Adolfo Betancur (Bishop Hendricken, RI) (285)

Returning Place Winners from 2021 SPARTAN New Englands

Last year after the cancelation of the official New England Championship, Spartan Combat hosted the Spartan Combat New England HS Championships as a way for the wrestlers who lost their high school season to still have a cumulative championship.

The tournament placed the top eight wrestlers, had a 98-pound weight class, and had wrestlers compete under a club team rather than a high school team.

Weight Wrestled: (Placement) Name (School) (Weight Now)

98: (1st) Matthew Botello (Hingham, MA) (120)

98: (2nd) Alex Schaebulin (Saint John’s Prep, MA) (113)

98: (3rd) James Tildsley (Billerica, MA) (106)

98: (4th) James Blood (Sanford, ME) (106)

98: (5th) Nathan Sayers (Xavieran, MA) (113)

106: (1st) Isaic Paulino (Monty Tech, MA) (113)

106: (2nd) Nick Torres (Hope, RI) (138)

106: (4th) Peyton Ellis (Coventry, RI) (113)

106: (5th) Ryan O’Rourke (Salem, NH) (120)

106: (6th) Dante DiStefano (Waltham, MA) (120)

113: (1st) Tyler Knox (Saint John’s Prep, MA) (126)

113: (3rd) Hayden Myers (Coventry, RI) (126)

113: (4th) Sid Tildsley (Shawsheen Tech, MA) (132)

113: (5th) Evan Linder (New Milford, CT) (126)

113: (6th) Matthew Carroza (Brookfield, CT) (126)

113: (7th) William Hamilton (Bristol Central, CT) (120)

113: (8th) Jack DeSena (Hingham, MA) (132)

120: (5th Adam Schaeublin (Saint John’s Prep) (132)

120: (6th) Jonah Paulino (Monty Tech, MA) (126)

126: (1st) Kai’ O’Dell (Danbury, CT) (138)

126: (2nd) Gabe Bouyssou (Scituate, RI) (138)

126: (7th) Dylan Levesque (Xavier, CT) (138)

126: (8th) Ian Darling (Mascomocet/Essex Tech, MA) (138)

132: (1st) Mark Botello (Hingham, MA) (145) 

132: (2nd) Jimmy Glynn, Central Catholic, MA) (138)

132: (6th) Ty Stewart (Dracut, MA) (138)

132: (7th) Konrad Parker (Timberlane, NH) (145)

138: (3rd) Zachary Johns (Simsbury, CT) (152)

138: (4th) Codey Wild (Timberlane, NH) (138)

138: (6th) Spencer LeClair (Mt.Arat/Brunswick, ME) (152)

138: (8th) Brent Nicolosi (Haverhill, MA) (145)

145: (3rd) Rawson Iwanicki (Saint John’s Prep, MA) (152)

145: (6th) John Mairano (Simsbury, CT) (145)

145: (8th) Aidan Zarella (North Kingstown, RI) (160)

152: (3rd) Michael Bobola (Xavieran, MA) (160)

152: (5th) Rafael Knapp (Algonquin, MA) (160)

160: (2nd) Jack MacKiernan (Pinkerton Academy, NH) (170)

160: (3rd) William Ebert (Fairfield Warde, CT) (170)

170: (2nd) Joshua Cordio (Nashoba, MA) (182)

182: (4th) Chris Murphy (Guilford, CT) (195)

195: (5th) Brendan Gilchrist (Norwalk, CT) (195)

195: (6th) Kody Rasheed (Concord, NH) (195)

195: (8th) James Duhancik (Stratford, CT) (220)

220 (7th) Michael Jarrell (East Greenwich, RI) (285)

285: (2nd) Adolfo Betancur (Bishop Hendricken, RI) (285)

285: (4th) Colton Perkins (Spaulding, VT) (285)

285: (5th) Thomas Brown (Chelmsford, MA) (285)

285: (8th) Hunter Jeffers (Concord, NH) (285)