How do you get a freshman wrestler into the Meet of Champions? Make him practice against a defending champ.
Milford's Joe Albina battles Con-Val's Chad Brouillet during the Division II meet.
How do you get a defending Division II champion to successfully move up a weight class? Have a coach “beat on him on a regular basis.”
That’s how the Milford High School wrestling team got Joe Albina, a freshman at 160-pounds, into the Division II finals on Saturday at Bedford High School. Albina upset the top-seeded wrestler in the weight class in the semifinals and finished second to advance to this week’s Meet of Champions at Londonderry.
Albina spent time in practice early in the season going against senior Josh Kilgore, last year’s Division II champion at 171 pounds.
This season, Kilgore moved up to wrestle at 189 and spent a lot of time in practice working with coach Justin Hammerstrom.
“He works with Justin Hammerstrom every day in practice,” Milford coach Dana Bourassa said. “That’s a big reason why that happened out there because Justin beats on him on a regular basis.”
Bourassa was referring to Kilgore’s win in the 189 final, a match in which the senior was close to getting pinned twice by Plymouth’s Jake Bissell. The first time, Kilgore was able to wiggle himself and his opponent out of bounds.
The second time, he went to work.
“I had control of him in the takedown, but it was the cradle at the bottom that tripped me up,” Kilgore said. “I just put my knee too close to my head. The second time, I rolled him over. Whenever I get into a cradle, I tend to get out and roll over to the head because it switches it into the front headlock. That was my plan if he got me into it again.”
While practice was vital, the advice Hammerstrom gave Kilgore before the matched was equally as important.
“I told him before, do not stop moving wherever you are,” Hammerstrom said. “When you let a cowboy like (Kilgore) get you on your back, he’s going to pin you.”
Albina used a bit of the same advice during his semifinal match against Con-Val’s Chad Brouillet. The freshman got out to a 10-5 lead in the third period, only to have Brouillet tie it at 10 in the final minute. A reversal by Albina gave him the two points needed just before the end of the match.
“I got ahead early and he started coming back because I started to dwindle,” Albina said. “My energy started to go down. I just pulled it out and got my points. My coaches have been telling me to keep my composure. I try to stay confident in the things I’m going to do.”
While his confidence is growing, Albina is also gaining valuable experience. After learning what it takes to succeed at the divisional level, he’s going to see the rest of the best wrestlers in the state.
“I’m definitely looking forward to MOCs,” he said. “The competition is going to be higher. Even just watching is going to be an experience.”
The Meet of Champions will be held Saturday at Londonderry High School.
Other local wrestlers competing at the MOCs are the following:
- Hollis/Brookline will be sending Bryan Jennings, who was runner-up at 215 in Division II, along with Zach McPherson (third, 103), Zack Jennings (fourth, 125), Jake McPherson (fourth, 130) and Taylor Landry (third, 152).
- Campbell’s Dan Mack (fourth, 285) will be the school’s first wrestler at the MOCs.
Campbell's Dan Mack competes during the Division II meet.
- Bishop Guertin has seven wrestlers moving on from the Division I meet, including Corey Christie, the runner-up at 152. Also going are Zach Kemos (third, 112), Mike Flynn (third, 215), Matt Christie (fourth, 171), Nick Christie (fifth, 160), Tyler Proctor (fifth, 125) and Andrew Crane (sixth, 285).
- Merrimack’s Tyler Baulier was second at 215 and will be joined by Mike Trask (third, 125), Spencer Damon (third, 189), Nick Theriault (fifth, 140) and Alex Cronin (fifth, 119).
- Nashua North send three wrestlers, who all finished fourth in their respective class, Tim Duran (103), PJ Nesbitt (130) and Joey Page (152).
- Nashua South’s Andrew Keefe (sixth, 112) and Marcus Jacobo (sixth, 140) will also compete.
