WHS Athletic HoF- 2001 Wrestling

The 2001 Weymouth wrestling team accomplished something no wrestling team had accomplished in almost sixty years by winning a state title. Lead by Captains that included Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2022) Bobby Powell, Richard Bloom, Shawn Spellman and Tyler Edmonds, the wrestling team finished with a 22-1 dual meet record, were Division 1 State Champions, Division 1 South Sectional Champions, Bay State Conference Champions, Whitman-Hanson Tournament Champions and Weymouth Tournament Champions. The only blemish on an almost perfect season was due to a whooping cough epidemic that caused six starters to be barred from competing that day.

A big part of their success was due to legendary Head Coach Kevin Mackin who was named Division 1 State Coach of the Year, Boston Globe Division 1 State Coach of the Year, Division 1 South Sectional Coach of the Year and was also later inducted in the Massachusetts Wrestling Hall of Fame. Assistant Coach’s Eric Burns and Eric Hubbard cannot go unmentioned as their dedication and commitment were instrumental in the team’s accomplishments.

The season culminated in storybook fashion as Weymouth came from behind in the second day of the Division 1 State Championships to win their first state title since 1942 in their home gym. Weymouth also walked away with every superlative award as Weymouth’s lone state champion and Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2023) Anthony McDonald received the Outstanding Wrestler Award, third place finisher Joseph Kearney received the Most Falls in Least Time Award, Kevin Mackin received the Coach of the Year Award and Eric Burns received the Assistant Coach of the Year Award. Senior captain and returning state champion Bobby Powell who started the season at 160 pounds, finished in third place at 215 pounds, senior captain Richard Bloom finished in third place, sophomore Daniel Villanova finished in fourth place and senior Steven Suppa finished in fifth place. The championship was a true team effort with all nine wrestlers who qualified for the tournament won matches and earned team points, helping Weymouth take home the team trophy.

Collectively, Weymouth wrestlers amassed three hundred and eighty one wins, thirteen individual

tournament victories, twenty seven finals appearances and fifty four tournament places. Ten out of

thirteen wrestlers placed at the Division 1 South Sectional Championships with three named champions and five making the finals en route to the fourth Division 1 South Sectional Title in a row as well as a third Bay State Conference Title in a row. The 2001 team’s success can be attributed to the all of the great coaches, teams and wrestlers that came before and helped grow the program to what it became and continued for many years after.

Kevin Mackin

Eric Burns

Eric Hubbard

Dale Trudeau

Dennis Brooks

Richard Bloom

Joseph Chamberlain

Brian Dyer

Tyler Edmonds

Christopher Graham

Joseph Kearney

Scott Long

Timothy McAuliffe

Anthony McDonald

Bobby Powell

Zachary Smith

Shawn Spellman

Steven Suppa

Daniel Villanova

Timothy Baker

Patrick Brennan

Christopher Brosnahan

Jay Anzalone

Darren Burke

Brian Carney

Elijah Cheeks

Michael Cicchese

Donny Conboy

John DeRusha

Ryan Hickey

Melton Howard

Dennis Jones

Andrew Keefe

Paul Keeley

Brian Long

Sid Reeves

Christopher Taylor

Josh Grondell