Feb 13, 2017
Barnstable Sends 3 Wrestlers to State Tournament
Barnstable's Potts places second at D1 Sectional:
Barnstable senior captain Ben Potts had thrilling matches in the semifinals and finals as he placed second at 152 pounds in the Division I South Sectional meet at Weymouth High School.
Fellow senior captain Alex Lopes (195) and junior Vinny Ciliberto (160) will also represent the Red Raiders at the state meet next Saturday in Methuen.
Second-seeded Potts used a pair of third-period takedowns to rally past Braintree's DJ Starks for an 8-6 victory in the semis. He also didn't allow a point in his first two bouts with a 16-0 technical fall in the opener then a 6-0 decision in the quarterfinals.
He then had to face Plymouth South standout Mike Whyte, who had two victories by tech fall and a pin in 37 seconds. After a scoreless first period in the final, the top-seeded Whyte used a pair of nearfalls and took a 4-2 lead into the final period. He then got a two-point reversal, which was enough for a 6-3 decision.
In their third-place bouts, Lopes pinned Xaverian's Tanner Alexander in 3 minutes, 30 seconds, and Ciliberto nipped Ryan Vernon of Braintree via a 5-4 decision. Teammate Drew Valentine (145), a freshman, placed sixth.
The Red Raiders were 11th as a team with 77.5 points, and Braintree was the team champion with 219.5 points.
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