Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

        The Lancers of Norton have six in-league match up that all lead up to the championship meet. We first faced AMSA-Assabet at home who we killed, only lost one match the whole meet. Next we faced Ashland-Keefe Tech another team we had no trouble with, and finally we faced Holliston who we rolled over on the night we appreciate our senior class. That last big meet was the Hopkinton versus Norton TVL matchup, both of these teams are in the run for the championship. In 2014 the Lancers of Norton faced the Hillers of Hopkinton for the TVL title where the Lancers pulled out a huge victory. Now it is all a repeat, Norton had to travel to Hopkinton on a Thursday night due to snow fall and days off of school to face off for the championship. The whole meet was back to back, where one point the lancers fell back by 9 points. The Lancers only got louder and came back with a big boom to take the lead of 27-21, with only four matches left. Lucas Lavallee a junior at 195 pounds won by a minor decision giving the lancers a lead of 30-21. With only three bouts left the 220, Heavyweight, and 106 the lancers faced two of Hopkinton's best wrestlers at 220 pounds and Heavy weight. Adam Marcon and Alek Donovan took two heartbreaking minor decisions losses to give the lancers only a 3 point lead, 30-27. It all comes down to Andy Murphy at 106 pounds against a very tough and physical kid, Murphy has to win this match to clinch the victory. The whole first period the Hillers wrestler was out working Andy and almost turned him multiple times, but then in the second period Murphy took down the Hiller and turned him to take a one point lead 4-3. Coming down to the last period, where Murphy was able to hold his opponent and win. The Lancers crowded the mat and jumped in triumph to defeat the rivals. The Lancers clinched the TVL title with this win where they face the incomplete Bellingham-Medway on February 11 to win the title. The Lancers the prepare for the D-3 Dual Team State Championship on Saturday February 7.
       The atmosphere in the wrestling room where the Lancers practice is filled with joy and excitement over the Hillers of Hopkinton. The Lancers are now focusing on the tournament on Saturday, where they are defending Team State champions. We were disappointed that we came out with third place and no trophy, we had wrestled two very thought matches. In the opening round, a talented Sabis Springfield team took an early 17-4 lead before Justin Lunn's pin got Norton on back track and we won four straight matches to go ahead and stay ahead, finishing the meet with a 37-17 final score.  In the process Anthony Cardone avenged a loss by pin from earlier in the season with an 8-2 decision loss. Other winners included Aidan Kahn, Zach Scarpetti, Jordan Dowdy, Jake Burgess, Lucas Lavallee, Adam Marcon and Alek Donovan. Elliott Johnson lost a hard fought battle to the number one ranked guy in D-3, who beat Kyle Pereira 7-1 in the previous meeting. Next they went to wrestle in the quarterfinals against a very tough battle with Dean Tech. With the mean coming down to the last match, after a very devastating loss of Alek Donovan to Fernades. Andy Murphy was Norton's knight in shining armor getting the victory and being an underdog, leading the Lancers to the semifinals against Sumerset-Berkly. The Norton Lancers are faced with high adversities during this meet wrestling with out key guys such as Alek Donovan, Russell Hansen, Jake Burgess, Anthony Cardone, and Jordan Dowdy who all suffered injuries in the matchup against Dean Tech. Kyle Pereira had to bump up a weigh class and pinned his opponent to give the Lancers 6 more team points. We knew we would not be able to win the meet but we tried our hardest, looking forward to the matchup with Bellingham-Medway on Wednesday night. The Lancers are now 23-4 on the season looking to be D-3 Sout Sectional Champions and D-3 State Chanpions in the following weeks to come!