New Bedford wrestling beats rival Brockton in Whalers' only home match of the season

Ed Collins

January 13, 2022 at 5:03 AM·3 min read

NEW BEDFORD — Jose Bonilla gave New Bedford the lift it needed Wednesday night in a 45-30 Southeast Conference wrestling win over Brockton at the Beardsworth-Gonsalves Gymnasium.

The Boxers had won back-to-back matches by pins before Bonilla stepped on the mat, pulling to within 33-24 in what proved to be a terrific contest between two old-school rivals.

"I knew I had to step up and change the momentum," said Bonilla, a junior who plays linebacker on the football team and is a three-year varsity wrestler at 195 pounds. "I wanted to re-energize the team and that motivated me to do my best."

Bonilla ended up pinning Jayden Medina with 35 seconds left in the first period to secure six important points that gave the Whalers a 39-24 lead with two matches remaining.

New Bedford's Anderson Cruz avoids the lunge from Brockton's Shemar Armor.

The teams split those matches, with Brockton's Matt Olivar pinning Zachary Bois at 220 pounds and New Bedford's Luis Lopez pinning Edgar Pilco at heavyweight for the final margin in the Whalers' only home dual match this season.

"Jose's win sealed the win and I knew we could count on him to come through when it mattered," New Bedford coach Steve Sentes said. "He's our captain and he's a tremendous leader. He works hard on and off the mat to be the best wrestler and person he can be."

New Bedford's Daniel Peixoto looks to roll Brockton's Mikey Darche over in their matchup at the 145 pound weight class.

It's been a tough season for the Whalers, who have had to deal with a couple of pauses for COVID.

"Having to stop and restart has been difficult for everybody," Sentes said. "The kids have been giving it their all and they've come a long way. We're a young team that started out with 70 wrestlers and now we're down to 30 on the jayvee and varsity. The kids who have stayed with it have a lot of heart and they're all hard workers at practice."

New Bedford's Alex Teixiera locks up with Brockton's Brandon Wim.

The Whalers are coming off a successful spring season that saw them win their second-straight Div. 1 South Sectional title and advance to the state final, where their season ended with a loss to St. John's Prep.

New Bedford wrestling coach Steve Sentes watches from the sidelines.

Sentes was named the MIAA Div. 1 Coach of the Year for last season and Brockton head coach Deshawn Fontress earned the honor for the 2019-20 season.

"It's always a dogfight when we wrestle Brockton, because the teams bring out the best in each other," Sentes said. "The schools have had a long rivalry and it's always a hard-fought match, I have a lot of respect for their coach. He's done a great job working with his kids and he's building a program that he can be proud of."

New Bedford's Nathan Caron controls the match with Brockton's Xavier. Caron pinned Xavier in the second period.

WHAT IT MEANS: New Bedford improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the conference. The Whalers will return to action on Saturday for the Weymouth High School Tournament.

NEW BEDFORD WINNERS: Luis Garcia opened the match with a 16-10 win over Aydan Rivera at 106 pounds. Nathan Caron pinned Xavier Maceachern at 132, Miguel Gomes pinned Patrick Monteiro at 138, and Daniel Peixoto pinned Mikey Darche at 145. ... Brockton forfeited at 113 and 126 pounds.

New Bedford's Miguel Gomes rolls over to pin Brockton's Patrick Montiero.

BROCKTON WINNERS: Brandon Winn notched a 2-0 win over Alex Teixeira at 120 pounds. Mark Lattimore pinned Forrester Thompson at 152, Ben Hogg pinned Mitch Thompson at 160, Aman Khalil pinned Tayel Guzman at 170 pounds. and Shamar Armor was a 4-2 winner over Anderson Cruz at 182

New Bedford's Tayel Guzman looks to break free from Brockton's Aman Khalil.

NOTES: The Whalers sure love their music. The song "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns 'n Roses played before they came out for their warmup and Metallica's "Enter Sandman" was blared over the speakers before the first match. ... A big thank you to Nayeli Tavarez (NBH Class of 2022) for her help with the chaotic details during a fast-moving match. The Whalers' team scorer the last three years, Tavarez is a sophomore pursuing a degree in pre-law preparation at Rhode Island College in Providence.

New Bedford's Zachary Bois battles Brockton's Matt Olivar in the 220lbs. weight class.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford wrestling beats Brockton in Southeast Conference action

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