Search the site...

Josh Howard Sports
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

Highlanders Wrestling Aims High

1/21/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Portland High School wrestlers (from left) Spencer Rosado, Andrew Johnson, and Tyler Quinn following the Casey Yates Annual Memorial Wrestling Invitational on Jan 8. Rosado and Quinn placed 2nd and Johnson placed 3rd in their respective weight classes.  

Mark Favale is on his second go-around as the head coach of the Portland High School wrestling team. 

After coaching the team for a decade, Favale stepped away in 2013 before returning to be the face of the program three years ago. 

“It’s nice to be back in the wrestling room,” Favale said of his second stint. .

His first year back with the team was a trying one as high school wrestling was canceled for the 2021-2022 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a dip in the number of wrestlers that came back across the state the following season. 

But that dip didn’t hurt the team’s production a year ago as the team finished 11th overall at the Class S state championships last winter.

Standouts Spencer Rosado and Andrew Johnson are back after placing 3rd and 5th in their respective weight classes at the state finals a season ago.

After serving as team captains as juniors, Rosado and Johnson have also returned to that leadership role as seniors.

“We set the example that if you want to be on this team you’ll be joining something that has to do with excellence, hard work, and passion,” said Rosado, who wrestles at 138 lbs. “The younger guys want to be part of that and they want to put that hard work in and do what it takes.”

Johnson, who wrestles at 182 lbs., added, “We started the season off with a lot of new faces, but at the same time we had that culture in the room from the returning wrestlers. We are a hard working team and the new kids are learning.” 
The team’s third captain, senior Jacob Maruschock, suffered a season-ending knee injury prior to the meets starting, yet
Favale said he has not wavered from his captain duties.

Favale called Maruschock his “coach in the school.”

“He has stepped up a lot and basically been a third coach on the team,” added Favale. “He comes to every practice and he helps the young kids a lot. He’s my go-to whenever I need anything done.”

Coaching the team with Favale is assistant coach Dan Harding, who previously wrestled at State University of New York College (SUNY).

Favale said Harding does a lot of the heavy lifting in the weight room and practice room, getting the team ready for competition. He added that the head coach and assistant coach labels are “in title only” and that the two work in unison to help the wrestlers in whatever way they can.  

According to Favale, it is also a balanced lineup on the mat this season. 

“We fill up all the weight classes and we’re deep in a lot of them,” added Favale.

The results are reflecting that depth as the Highlanders won 12 of their first 15 contests this winter. 

“The captains have set the tone; they set a good example in practice,” said Favale. “It’s a nice balance between working hard and having fun.”

The team recently took fifth overall at the Casey Yates Annual Memorial.

Rosado and junior Tyler Johnson each made the championship match, finishing 2nd in their respective weight classes. Johnson placed 3rd, while Ethan Dean, Ethan Krasniewski, and Matt Gish, who is one of three wrestlers from Cromwell High School that competes with the Highlanders, also finished 4th. 

Both Rosado and Johnson said they set lofty goals prior to the season and each eye a state title individually, yet it’s the team aspect that they say has carried the team this season.

“We were connected friendship wise-before we even started wrestling, so it’s a tight bond,” said Rosado, whose younger brother Joshua Rosado is a freshman on the team. “I see a lot of similarity in myself because I started wrestling as a freshman and it’s kind of nice being able to show him things so he didn’t have to learn the hard way.”
Johnson called the team a “brotherhood.” 

“We’ve been in the same friend group since kindergarten, so the chemistry is there,” added Johnson. “Wrestling is a lifestyle and we’re all a family here.”

The Highlanders will host consecutive multi-school meets over the next two weekends, starting this Saturday, Jan. 21 when they welcome teams to Portland High School for the Arrigoni Classic, starting at 10 a.m.

​On Saturday, Jan. 28 the program will hold their annual Highlander Invitational, starting at 9 a.m.  

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Sports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin 

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    April 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly