Rutland Herald Winter Sports Guide 2019-2020 5
Boys Basketball Preview continued from page 4
“We’ll look to them to make up
some points to us that we’ll need
come state tournament time,”
Mason said.
Otter Valley begins competition
on Saturday with the NEC tour-
nament. The Otters follow that
up with their most difficult dual
meet of the season against MAU on
Wednesday.
Otter Valley hosts its annual
invitational on the morning of
January 4.
RUTLAND
Wrestling is a club sport at Rut-
land High School, but that doesn’t
take away from the dedication its
athletes have on the mat.
The Raiders took 13th at last
year’s state championship meet
and had then-senior Dakota Peters
win his second straight state cham-
pionship at 160 pounds.
With Peters graduating this past
spring, it’ll be new crop of wres-
tlers trying to make their mark.
Rutland had two wrestlers come
out to compete this winter, in Tyler
Terrian and Aidan Barry.
The Raiders are without a coach
of their own, so they’ve been prac-
ticing with Fair Haven and getting
guidance from Slaters coach Scott
Shaddock.
“(Rutland athletic director) Mike
Norman got a hold of me because
their two coaches had job changes
and they couldn’t make a commit-
ment for practices,” Shaddock said.
“They’ve come down and practice
with us at times in the past.”
Rutland wrestlers will compete
at the same meets Fair Haven does
throughout the season.
SPRINGFIELD
With multiple key wrestlers com-
ing back this winter, Springfield
looks to make a marked improve-
ment from last year’s 18th-place
finish at states.
Senior Brandon Bennett (195
pounds), senior Skylar Wallace
(285) and junior Donavin Sprano
(220) are among the top wrestlers
to return.
“Last year’s success can be a
stepping stone for them,” said
Cosmos coach Don Beebe. “We’re
just trying to correct the mistakes
from last year, so they can be even
better this year.”
Last season was Sprano’s first
in the sport, which bodes well
for his growth as he gains more
experience.
“He’s that mush smarter and that
much more experienced heading
into this year,” Beebe said.
Springfield has eight guys on
varsity, with sophomores Bryan
Stafford (195), Logan Webster
(182) and Tim Arsden (138) and
freshmen David Rigney (106) and
Cole Wright (145) rounding out
the squad.
Wright, in particular, could be
a future standout for the Cosmos,
coming off a season where he was
second in the middle school state
tournament.
Beebe thinks Wright will fare
well, but isn’t putting too much
pressure on him as he adjusts to
the high school level.
“Cole has a great work ethic,”
Beebe said. “He put in the
work during the summer and
did 100 push-ups and pull-ups
daily. I think he’ll do alright as a
freshman.”
Springfield could be a strong
team for the next handful of years
with a talented core at the high
school level and successful middle
school program as well.
“The middle school kids are
like a little wolf pack,” Beebe said.
“They’re very supportive and and
they look up the high school kids.”
Springfield opens up compe-
tition this weekend at the St.
Johnsbury early bird tournament.
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