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Mostly Cloudy Bruins a year older, stronger
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Baldwin freshman Quinn Knauer, top, is off to a strong start at 112 pounds after winning eight varsity bouts last season.
Jeff Wilson/Herald
More experience and a less demanding conference schedule should allow Baldwin’s wrestling team to improve considerably.
The Bruins are back in Conference B-I, which they won two seasons ago, and laid the ground work for a successful campaign by facing stiff competition in the Battle at the Beach Tournament in Long Beach and its host event, the Bruins Cup.
“We’re still young, but nothing like last season,” coach Mike Robinson said. “We can fill every weight and we’re in a conference where we’ll be more competitive. Winning it is one of our goals, but nobody is going to hand us anything.”
In the Dec. 12 Bruins Cup Tournament won by Longwood, Baldwin had seven top-six finishers including 130-pound champion Dylan Cohen. Isiah Taylor was runner-up at 189, Austin Valenti placed third at 112, seniors Gil Hermes and Matt Stoddard were fifth at 152 and 215, respectively, and Kyle Clarke and Patrick Dillon finished sixth at 285 and 160, respectively.
A sophomore with an All-Conference season already under his belt as well as the title of captain, Cohen is fast approaching 30 career wins. He edged Akeva Melchor of Beacon (Section I), 8-7, in the Bruins Cup final. “Dylan had a big offseason and is trying to become the best wrestler he can be,” Robinson said of Cohen, who qualified for the county tournament as a freshman. “He might be flying under the radar as far as the county goes, but he has breakout potential.”
Though new to the program, Taylor, a junior, has caught the coach’s eye. “He’s an athlete who has everything it takes to do well,” Robinson said.
Valenti, a sophomore, and freshman Quinn Knauer, provide the Bruins with a young and talented 1-2 punch at 112-119 pounds. They earned All-Conference honors last season with 13 and 12 wins, respectively, and Valenti advanced to the county tournament. Knauer opened this season with a third-place finish in the Long Beach Tournament on Dec. 5.
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