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Taking on the Tough Ruck challenge: Panther alum DeMinico takes on a unique marathon-length march

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Former Panther and Nittany Lion Brody DeMinico, seen in front of the Penn State mascot statue, will march 26.2 miles with a 40-pound pack to raise funds for veterans on April 14. / Courtesy photo

Whitman-Hanson Regional High alum Brody DeMinico (’13), a four-year high school wrestler and boys’ lacrosse player, is marching for a cause Saturday, April 14.

Over the Old North Bridge, onto the roads of Concord and through the Minutemen Trail, Hanson resident Brody DeMinico will carry an immense weight on his shoulders.

DeMinico will participate in this year’s Tough Ruck on Saturday, April 14. The course, which commences at the historic Old Manse, is a 26.2-mile march along the Battle Road Trail in Concord. “Ruckers” also carry a rucksack, weighing a minimum of 15 pounds along the marathon, and ribbons in memory of fallen service members.

For DeMinico, his rucksack will weigh 40 pounds and he will carry a yellow ribbon to remember Army veteran, Sgt. Ryan Patrick Goggin, who lost a battle with leukemia March 31, 2017. Goggin is the late cousin of Hanson resident Robert Goggin, who reached out to DeMinico on his fundraiser page for the event in early April to wear Ryan’s name.

“It’s a huge honor to know that someone sacrificed their life so that I could do this,” DeMinico said. “It’s a huge weight on my shoulders to honor someone that fought and died for this country.”

While the Tough Ruck’s main mission is to honor fallen service members, fundraising is a key component of the event. Each “rucker” must raise up to a certain benchmark, depending on what rucksack they strive to wear, to compete in the event. DeMinico has raised just shy of $1,000 for The Wounded Warrior Project.

DeMinico himself has been a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard since 2013.

“My grandfather was in the military, so I just followed in his footsteps,” DeMinico, a 2013 Whitman-Hanson Regional High graduate, said.

It was in Pennsylvania, while studying at Penn State, and participating in its ROTC program, that DeMinico grasped the true understanding of how tough it is to lose someone in the line of duty.

“I’ve known instructors that have seen people die in front of them, and it’s just been a heavy weight knowing there are soldiers that have gotten the chance to go across the ocean in other countries and have fought for our freedom and died,” DeMinico said. “I want to deploy so I can feel the honor that they’ve had.”

The Tough Ruck will begin at 7:20 a.m. and “ruckers” have nine hours to complete the trek.

“I’m doing this for everyone that’s had a family member that’s fallen or is wounded,” DeMinico said. “I’m doing this for everyone in the Whitman-Hanson area.”

Wrestling with fame: Former W-H principal, wrestling coach headed to National Wrestling Hall of Fame

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Bob Gay. / Courtesy photo

Longtime Whitman-Hanson Regional High Wrestling coach Bob Gay will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Bob Gay would not have guessed that a late-night phone call would lead to a Hall of Fame career in a sport he knew nothing about.

It was Nov. 30, 1979 and Gay had just concluded his fourth season as the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ golf coach. He was sitting in the dining room of his Raynham home testing his luck at Trivial Pursuit when he heard a ring. It was Ron Brown. The two knew each other well as they were colleagues in the W-H history department and Brown would occasionally attend some of the girls’ golf team’s away matches. But, this call wasn’t about history or golf. Brown, who had started W-H’s wrestling program two years back, needed an assistant coach.

“He asked, ‘Can I come to practice the next day?”’ Gay said.

Gay had no prior wrestling experience, but he — still a bit shocked — obliged.

“Everything was foreign to me,” Gay recalled. “I didn’t know how to score, I didn’t know the moves. It was like a brand-newexperience.”

However, Gay didn’t let his lack of knowledge hinder him one bit. He watched, listened, and attended coaches workshops and clinics along the way. 

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The 1987-88 Panther wrestling team’s members celebrate the first South Sectional Championship in school history – under the coaching of Bob Gay, inset. / Courtesy photo

“My job would be to make sure the kids would get into shape and were working out and all that stuff,” Gay said. “When Ron would get there, he would go into the instructional part of practice.”

Gay served as the assistant coach for five seasons, before taking the 1984-85 campaign off for personal reasons. At the outset of the 1985-86 season, he was back and elevated to head coach at W-H. It was a post he held until 2001.

During the course of his 16-year stint, the Panthers reached unprecedented heights. They claimed nine league titles, won three South Sectional championships, boasted nine state champions and had a span in the mid-1990s where they won 53 straight dual meets. The accomplishments of the program became Gay’s biggest recruiting tool.

“Kids like to enjoy some success,” Gay, who also served as the assistant principal at W-H from 1988-95 and the principal from 1995-2001, said. “At the time at Whitman-Hanson, the hockey team was just up-and-coming and the basketball program was going through some lean years, so if an athlete came into the school he would see the kids wearing their championship t-shirts or jackets or such for high school wrestling and I think that drew a lot of the kids that could have gone and played other sports to us.”

Gay’s wrestlers changed by the season, but his expectations of his Panthers wrestling program did not.

“We had the three same goals every year,” Gay said. “Good sportsmanship – I want them to represent their parents, their school, their team with good sportsmanship. No. 2: we’re going to have a positive experience. I want them to have fun, they’re not going to come out and stay on the team if they’re having a miserable time. No. 3: the goal is we will win. We’re not going to practice this hard, work this hard and lose. Losing is not acceptable.”

Because of Gay, W-H created a Good Sportsmanship Award aimed to recognize fairness and respect for one’s opponent displayed outside of its own program.

“I thought, at the time, we have our own awards for most improved wrestler, MVP, rookie of the year, but I thought we should be acknowledging people who displayed good sportsmanship on other teams,” Gay explained. “So, the first one to ever win it was the Rockland High School wrestling coach, Jeff Perkins. He just was a good guy. If he lost a close match he was a gracious loser, if he won a close match he was a gracious winner. Some years we’d give it to a wrestler from another team, some years we’d give it to an official or referee.”

In 2012, Gay began coaching wrestling again as an assistant to one of his former wrestlers at W-H, Nick Flynn, on the inaugural Bristol-Plymouth/Coyle-Cassidy co-op. Gay became the head coach the following season, a position he still holds today.

“If you walked into a Bristol-Plymouth/Coyle-Cassidy practice you would swear you were at a Whitman-Hanson practice,” Gay said. “I brought everything that worked and was successful.”

A few months ago, Gay was shocked again. Not via telephone this time, like it had been 39 years back, but by a piece mail postmarked Stillwater, Oklahoma.

“I don’t know anyone there,” Gay recalled of his reaction to receiving the piece of mail.

But, he went on to open it anyway. The letter explained he was selected to be inducted into this year’s class of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

For Gay, who has already been inducted into the MA Wrestling Coaches’ Hall of Fame in 2012 and New England Wrestling Coaches’ Hall of Fame in 2016, this is the ultimate achievement.

“It really humbles me very much,” Gay said. “I’m looking at the people who have gone in in previous years and you talk about the giants in the sport in our state, and when I first started as Ron’s assistant in ‘79, these people were legends back then and suddenly I’m going to be receiving the same Hall of Fame recognition. It’s an amazing thing, it’s just an amazing thing.”

Gay, despite all the success (355 wins and counting), tried to never stray too far from his primary message.

“We had a lot of wins and we had a lot of titles and stuff, but I’m hoping when all is said and done that I’ve had a positive impact on as many kids as I can,” Gay said.

Gay’s induction will take place Saturday, April 7 at Gillette Stadium.

“That call changed my entire life,” Gay said with a laugh.

Season Review: Youth takes control on wrestling mats

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The Panthers during a Jan. 3 meet against Plymouth South. / Photo by: Sue Moss

One season after boasting a core of six seniors – three of which competed in the Division 2 state tournament – the Panthers had an infusion of young talent this winter.

The 2017-18 campaign served as a bridge year for the Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team, which finished the winter at 7-13.

One season after boasting a core of six seniors – three of which competed in the Division 2 state tournament – the Panthers had an infusion of young talent this winter. Not only did they boast 10 freshmen and eight sophomores on their roster, but a significant number of them ended up playing large roles.

For starters, sophomore Steve Brooks (152 pounds) seized the most of his opportunity, racking up a team-leading 19 wins, after just three the year prior. Freshman Matt Butler (126) also took his opportunity by storm, ranking second on the team with 16 victories to conclude his inaugural campaign. Second-year Panthers wrestling head coach Gary Rabinovitz admitted he wasn’t expecting much out of either at the outset of the year.

“We really had two big surprises this season,” Rabinovitz said. “First is freshman Matt Butler. Matt placed in three tournaments this year. The second surprise is sophomore Steve Brooks, [who also] placed in three tournaments for us. Steve proved that offseason wrestling really works.” Screen Shot 2018-02-24 at 12.02.00 PM

Also, bursting onto the scene for W-H were freshmen Damari Goldsmith-Greene (132), Theo Kamperides (113) and Myles McInnis (106).

“We had a great group of freshmen this season and I am looking forward to many of them playing a big role in next year’s team,” Rabinovitz said. “These kids are the future of our program. With another class like these guys next year, we could be a force before too much longer. I really see us winning 75 percent of our dual meets next year, [but] time will tell.

While the youth movement was evident, the Panthers still received plenty of production out of their two senior captains – Ben Cordingley (138) and Steve Osborne (182). The two combined to win 28 matches and account for 154 of W-H’s points this season.

“Both Ben and Steve have been great leaders for our squad this year,” Rabinovitz said. “Ben was a four-year wrestler and was very consistent this year winning some big matches for us.

“Steve was a very vocal leader always putting the team ahead of himself and his leadership was very much appreciated. Steve was a three-year wrestler for us. Both Ben and Steve led by example throughout the season.”

For the Panthers as a team, they began the season at 4-5 after a 45-36 victory over Duxbury on Jan. 10, before dropping to 5-12 with one meet remaining. And in that final tri-meet Feb 3, the Panthers went 2-1 with wins over Norwood (46-36) and Everett (30-24) to cap the season off on the right note.

Rabinovitz said that despite the team falling a bit short of his expectation, which was at least 10 wins, he is looking for his players to remain driven.

“Offseason wrestling is a critical part of our growth as a wrestling program,” Rabinovitz said. “All of the kids are encouraged to participate in offseason wrestling or play another high school sport.”

Pinning down success: Freshman Goldsmith-Greene impressing on the mats

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Damari Goldsmith-Greene wrestles his Plymouth South opponent in his 9-5 win Jan. 3. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Freshman Damari Goldsmith-Greene is impressing on the mats this winter.

Whitman-Hanson Regional High freshman wrestler Damari Goldsmith-Greene has been turning some heads with his play on the mat this season.

It was on brisk Wednesday, Jan. 3 evening when W-H hosted and was soundly defeated by Plymouth South, 69-3.

W-H’s lone win of the match came at 132 pounds, courtesy of Goldsmith-Greene, who downed his opposition, 9-5.

It was already the third victory of the winter for Goldsmith-Greene, and while he may be in ninth grade, he is vastly ahead of the game.

Goldsmith-Greene began his career on the mat in sixth grade as a member of Josiah Quincy Upper School’s wrestling team, where he competed for three seasons, before moving at the outset of the 2017-18 school year, which led to him attending W-H.

“I came in not knowing anything and then in seventh and eighth grade it was more of like a learning thing for me,” he said. “Then, when I got here it was kind of different because we all wrestle different, but I knew I just had to work hard and just keep it up.”

W-H wrestling head coach Gary Rabinovitz said he knew from day one he had something special in Goldsmith- Greene. “He had great takedowns, but his top and bottom is what really needs the work, so he has a lot to learn, he’s a freshman, but he’s willing to learn – he’s going to go very far,” Rabinovitz explained. “He’s come with a lot of experience behind him and pure talent, I think he’s going to be really good over the next three years.”

Not only has Goldsmith-Greene enhanced his own skills, but he’s improved others around him as well.

“Actually, Ben Cordingley at 138 [pounds], they both weighed in at 132 and he has made Ben a better wrestler,” Rabinovitz said. “Damari showed up on the scene and pushed him and actually won the spot at 132 and they’re going to wrestle off one more time before sectionals, so the things that he’s brought to the team are incredible. He really works very hard, very coachable and just a great overall kid.”

Goldsmith-Greene said the biggest hurdle he’s had to overcome since joining the W-H program is just adapting to the system.

“Learning the new moves that they learn,” Goldsmith-Greene said of his toughest challenge since joining the team. “Everyone wrestles differently, that’s basically it, learning new moves.”

In the Panthers’ Jan. 10 meet against Duxbury, Goldsmith-Greene scored another 9-5 victory to help the team edge the Dragons, 45-36. Three days later, he medaled at the 2018 Weymouth Invitational with a sixth-place finish at 132 pounds.

“I just want to work harder and make it to sectionals and states,” Goldsmith-Greene said.

Rabinovitz is looking for the same thing out of Goldsmith-Greene.

“The key is to place in sectionals, go to states, especially as a freshman,” Rabinovitz explained. “Then at every tournament next year he’ll have what’s called paper, so he’ll be at least seeded at every tournament next year, so we’re really looking for him to be in the top-four in sectionals and go to states as a freshman.”

Season Preview: Coach has high expectations for 2018 Panther wrestling program

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New Compression top

 The National Wrestling Association has approved a new two piece uniform including compression shirt and fight shorts. / Courtesy photo

Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling coach Gary Rabinovitz is expecting his team to be competitive this season.

As Gary Rabinovitz embarks on his second season at the helm of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team, he is elevating expectations.

“We have a lot of wrestlers with a great deal of varsity experience and also several kids that have been through our youth program,” he said. “Bringing them up to speed will not be as challenging as a brand new wrestler would be.”

Headlining the crop of returning wrestlers ready to hit the mat for another season are senior captains Ben Cordingley (132 pounds last season), Steve Osborne (170) and Logan Scriven (160).

“Ben has been a varsity wrestler for the better part of his first three seasons,” Rabinovitz explained. “Logan is a real tough kid who I expect to win a lot of matches this year. Steve has stepped up and has become a true leader of this Panther squad. After missing his sophomore year, Steve worked really hard to make up for the lost time and I am expecting a great season from him.”

Other key pieces back in the fold for the team Rabinovitz is leaning on for production this season include sophomores Steve Brooks, who competed last winter in the 145-pound weight class, Tyler Cullinan, who saw plenty of action in the 160-pound weight class last season, and Matt Rock, who wrestled in the 120-pound weight class during the 2016-17 campaign. Also, junior Christian Schneider will likely be back in the 195-pound weight class and senior Bryce Lacombe, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, will be the Panthers’ heavyweight – a weight class they were forced to forfeit in every meet last year.

In fact, not only did W-H have to forfeit the heavyweight bouts, but it was also without a body in the 106 and 126-pound weight classes, which put the Panthers, who finished the year at 7-18, down 18 points immediately. However, that may not be an issue this time around.

“At this point it looks like we may be able to fill all 14 weight classes this year,” Rabinovitz said. “I feel we can be a .500 team this year at the very least. If we can fill all 14 weight classes then we are already 18 points ahead of last year to start every match. I like those odds very much.”

Rabinovitz said he feels this team’s biggest strength is its togetherness, which he hopes leads to success.

“By being so close nit as a unit, everyone works really hard together and supports each other,” he said. “Wrestling is not only an individual sport, it is also a team sport. When teammates push each other not only does the individual get better the whole team gets better. I also have to give a great deal of credit to my assistant coaches as they are great coaches and also all were Whitman-Hanson wrestling alumni. They know their role on our team and I am proud to have them on my team.”

Key losses for the Panthers from last season include Jake Filicicchia, Alex O’Roak and John Will, all of whom qualified for the Division 2 state tournament last winter.

W-H opens the season on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. at North Attleboro High School with a quad-meet against North Attleboro, East Providence and Pathfinder.

“The number one thing that I will be looking for from our team in the first couple of weeks is consistency,” Rabinovitz said. “We will work harder than our opponents and also smarter. As long as we can stay strong for a full six-minute match we will be fine.”

3 wrestlers head to states

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Seniors Jake Filicicchia, Alex O’Roak and John Will have advanced to the Division 2 state tournament after placing in the top four of their respective weight classes in the Division 2 South Sectional tournament held Saturday at North Attleborough High School.

Three members of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team are moving on.

Seniors Jake Filicicchia, Alex O’Roak and John Will have advanced to the Division 2 state tournament after placing in the top four of their respective weight classes in the Division 2 South Sectional tournament held Saturday at North Attleborough High School.

Filicicchia came in as the No. 2 seed in the 113-pound weight class and took care of his first opponent, Will Stern of Sharon, besting him via pinfall in 1:28. He then claimed victory over Sam Roberts of Duxbury by pinfall 0:25 in. Filicicchia then met Silver Lake’s Daniel Walsh, who he toppled 6-0 to avenge an early season loss to the Laker. Filicicchia wrapped up his day falling 7-0 to top-seeded Jacob Garcia of Marshfield.

“Jake has worked very hard in the offseason to improve his wrestling skills,” W-H head coach Gary Rabinovitz said. “Jake set some high goals for himself this year and has worked hard to achieve them. He also studies all of his opponents to get any advantage he can”

In the 182-pound weight class, Alex O’Roak went 2-1 on the day to earn his spot in the Division 2 state final. O’Roak, who came in as the No. 6 seed, ousted Stoughton’s Bobby Shaughnessy by pinfall in 1:27 and knocked off second-seeded Joe Freda of Hingham via pinfall in 3:24. O’Roak would then fall in the final to Marshfield’s Joe Pomella.

“Alex had an up and down season as he was nursing a shoulder injury most of the way,” Rabinovitz said. Entering the sectionals, he was 13-13 and was the last-seeded wrestler in his weight class. Alex pulled it all together and finished second and now has a season record of 15-14.”

Entering as the No. 3 seed in the 220-pound weight class, John Will earned a pinfall in 3:33 over his first opponent, Dylan Burns of Pembroke. In his second-round match against Dimitri Kalogeras of Sharon, Will took an inadvertent head butt to his right eye, but finished off his opponent by a pin in 4:40. After being cleared by the trainer and being forced to wear a head mask to prevent his eye lid from any further trauma,Will knocked out Marshfield’s Jeremy Edwards in a 4-3 decision. Will ended the day with 3-0 loss to North Attleboro’s Brad White.

“John has been a true team leader all season long,” Rabinovitz said. “He wrestles hard and never gives up. Like Jake, he works very hard every day and is pushed by my assistant coaches.”

Rabinvotiz, who is in his first season as the head coach of the Panthers, said he could not be any prouder to have three wrestlers representing his program in the Division 2 state final.

“The three finalists — Alex, Jake and John — are all four-year wrestlers,” Rabinovitz said. “I truly believe that if you put in your best effort and stay with it you can be successful in wrestling. All three of the guys have proven that.”

The Division 2 state tournament will run from Friday, Feb. 17 to Saturday, Feb. 18, at Algonquin Regional High School and kicks off Friday at 3 p.m.

To advance to the MIAA All-State Tournament, each wrestler must place in the top four of their respective weight class to guarantee a spot.

Season Preview: Wrestlers hit mat with big plans for 2016-17 season

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Gary Rabinovitz is embarking on his first season as a wrestling head coach.

With its new campaign approaching, Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling team is expecting a lively season on the mat as it nears a major milestone.

After serving as an assistant coach to Dr. Kevin Broderick for the past two seasons, Gary Rabinovitz has taken over the reins of the wrestling squad.

Rabinovitz is no stranger to W-H, having also served as an assistant to Bob Gray back in 1988-89, as well as participating on the first ever Panther wrestling squad in 1977-78.

The 1990 Whitman-Hanson Hall of Fame inductee said the camaraderie within the team has been exceptional out of the gate and feels it will work in its favor this winter.

“Wrestling is like family,” Rabinovitz said. “One of our biggest strengths is helping each other to get better every day.”

Leading the charge at either the 106- or 113-pound class will be one of the Panthers’ key returnees from a year ago, co-captain Jake Filicicchia.

“Jake had an outstanding year in 2015-16 and continued all offseason, wrestling and preparing for a great senior year,” Rabinovitz said. “Jake is truly committed to be the best he can be and works hard at getting better every day.”

Senior John Will joins Filicicchia as a co-captain this year and will anchor the 220-pound weight class.

“John had an impressive junior season, winning a majority of his matches by pinfall,” Rabinovitz said.

Rabinovitz also expects contributions from seniors Josh Baker (145 pounds), Alex O’Roak (182) and Kevin Smith (145).

Rabinovitz said he credits the Whitman-Hanson youth program for helping develop numerous wrestlers, including freshman Steven Brooks (138) and Matt Rock (120) and sophomore Joel McInnis (132-138), who he feels will provide key contributions down the road on his club.

“We look to these young men to play important roles this season,” Rabinovitz said.

Junior Steve Osborne (160-170), who took a year off from the mat last season, was the recipient of captain of the week, a newly installed crown to entice additional leadership within the program.

“I am looking for great things from Steve this season,” Rabinovitz said.

Also, catching the eye of the first-year Panther head coach thus far has been junior Logan Scriven (152-160).

“[He] seems to be coming into his own,” Rabinovitz said. “Logan competes hard day in and day out and I look for great things to come from him.”

With wrestling being one of the more unique sports, relying on individual and team performance, Rabinovitz said he is looking forward to two big dates on his club’s docket of contests.

On Wednesday, Dec. 14, W-H will be unveiling its brand-new state champions banner before its meet against Quincy. The wrestling squad has produced eight individual state champions, who have been invited back for this event.

The Panthers will compete in a quad home meet Saturday, Jan. 21 and celebrate with hopefully all their past state champions, four of whom live out of state, over the past near four decades of W-H wrestling. Rabinovitz said hopes all former Panther wrestlers attend.

One key number to focus on is 500. The Panthers sit at 498 career victories as the season approaches.

W-H opens its schedule Saturday, Dec. 10 at North Attleboro against East Providence and Pathfinder.

“We are a very young team with several empty weight classes so I look to be competitive in every match we wrestle,” Rabinovitz said.