By Donovan West, Sports Editor
@DWest_courant
Empty gyms stocked with hand sanitizer and masks. Unused wrestling mats hibernating in storage closets, ignored because of the dangers of COVID-19. A hopeful team struck down with disappointment from detrimental injuries, losing key players one after another. A change in head coaches, leaving wrestlers confused as to what to do. Yet, returning Head Coach Paul Gallo and his team of inspired athletes have worked tirelessly to put themselves back on the map.
Senior captain RJ DeCamillo described the difficulties he and the team had to overcome. “The loss of a season to COVID was very upsetting, so we spent that time preparing for the next season. It was hard not to be able to wrestle, but we trained with the next season in mind,” he said. “Then I tore my meniscus over the summer, so it was even more work and physical therapy to recover.”
Alongside RJ, top wrestlers such as senior Tucker Milligan and junior Trey Kaupp have also suffered serious injuries in recent years, resulting in time off from the sport and hindering the team’s success.
Despite the obstacles, RJ has worked hard every day to come back. Throughout his wrestling career, he has kept his mind on his end goal: winning. “I have been wrestling for so long, so it’s nice to see it pay off in the way of winning big tournaments,” he said. “Winning is always satisfying. Knowing that you were better than your opponent is a nice feeling.”
Another senior wrestler, Dylan Amaswache, reiterated these challenges and explained how the canceled season stunted his development. “I struggled to get enough matches my first two years, so I didn’t get as much experience as I would have liked,” he said. “Wrestling was non-contact and became all drills and cardio, which was very hard for all of us.”
Like RJ, Dylan’s drive for success is motivated by winning and the idea of responsibility on the mat. “I like how difficult wrestling is and how much of a challenge it is to overcome. However, once you overcome that challenge and win, it feels that much better,” he said. “Each victory and loss is very personal since it is a one-on-one sport. Everything is dependent on yourself as you choose how far you will go.”
The final hurdle the team has had to overcome was the exit of Head Coach Bobby Rushton. Coach Rushton was the head coach of the team for five years before leaving to become the Athletic Director of Wilton High School. However, this brief change at the top had little impact on the wrestlers because of the stability Coach Gallo has provided to the program. He was previously head coach for thirty years before stepping down to the role of assistant coach, and this experience has helped the team recover from the challenges they faced.
Junior wrestler Trey Kaupp described the stability and mentorship Coach Gallo has brought to the team. “Coach Gallo’s return has allowed us to grow together and continue to succeed. He always has good advice and direction to give us,” Trey said.
When asked about the team’s success, Coach Gallo credited his staff and the growth of the wrestlers. “We have two assistant coaches who have really helped a lot, especially in the development of all wrestlers,” he said. “The younger guys are getting better and the older guys have experience and are stepping into roles as leaders of the team.”
At the beginning of this year’s wrestling season, Coach Gallo explained the goals and ambitions of him and his team. “We want to stay competitive in every match this season and continue to develop all our wrestlers,” he said. “That starts with filling all our weight classes and getting as many kids in the program as possible.”
The team did show growth throughout the season; as the wrestlers participated in their last regular season home meet, they were right in the middle of the FCIAC standings.
Coach Gallo was especially optimistic about the team’s chances following their meet against Fairfield Warde on February 10, explaining that their standout wrestlers would propel the team forward. “We are going to be a really good tournament team, a lot of that due to the great success of our middleweights,” Coach Gallo said.
But then the team was hit with devastating news once again, with captain RJ DeCamillo declared out for the season. RJ was 24-0 throughout his senior season, a perfect record that he was only looking to improve as he set his eyes on winning a state championship. The news was disheartening, as a great wrestler, leader, and person lost their chance at yet another gold medal.
This loss of a leader and star wrestler was disastrous news for the program. “His injury was really sad to see, especially because it was his last season wrestling and he was going to do really well in the tournaments,” sophomore wrestler Teddy Goetz said.
Despite the injury, the team performed well in the end-of-season events, placing seventh in the Joe Sikorski FCIAC Wrestling Tournament and ninth in the Class L CIAC Wrestling Tournament. The performance in the FCIAC tournament was fueled by four wrestlers placing in the top three of their respective weight classes; senior Tucker Milligan and sophomore Cael Wilderman both placed second, while Teddy and Trey both placed third. In the Class L Tournament, Teddy finished in third, followed by three other New Canaan wrestlers finishing in the top five of their weight class.
Then came the CIAC State Open tournament, where once again Teddy shined for New Canaan. Despite tough competition wrestling in the highly-populated weight class of 160 pounds, Teddy wrestled his way to an impressive fifth place finish.
When asked about his successful season, Teddy credited the endless work put in by him and his teammates. “It’s great to see the hard work pay off and to perform well in these tournaments,” he said. “Wrestling is a sport that is both mentally and physically challenging, so to be rewarded for that time and effort feels good.”
The steps forward this season should be credited to the heart and grit of all members of the team, especially the seniors who are finally seeing their hard work pay off. Their four years of wrestling have been very difficult, but they have no regrets about their wrestling careers. “I’m very proud of my younger self for randomly signing up for wrestling and beginning this journey that it has been,” Dylan said.
