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Brooks leaves his mark on and off mat

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Brooks wrestles his opponent from Hingham. / Photo by: Sue Moss

Senior captain Steve Brooks left his mark in the record book for the wrestling team.

A four-year starter and two-year captain, Steve Brooks left quite a mark on the Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling program — especially this winter.

The senior captain, who wrestled out of the 160-pound weight class, went 38-11, while tying a school-record for pins in a single-season with 32, as the Panthers (11-8) finished with a winning record for the first time in five years. Brooks also placed fifth at the Div. 2 state tournament to become W-H’s highest finisher since 2015.

“Now that my high school wrestling career has ended, the thing I am most proud of is the fact that I helped to lead my team to the best record we have had in years,” Brooks said. “I wanted to prove to my coaches and myself that my leadership, along with the other captains’ efforts, can create a winning culture in our team for years to come.”

Additionally, Brooks pinned his way to two in-season tournament titles at both Sandwich and Oliver Ames.

“Steve Brooks is a pinning machine,” said W-H wrestling head coach Gary Rabinovitz. “Steve had an exceptional career. I could not be more proud of the hard work and sacrifice that Steve has dedicated to our program over his career.”

Brooks hit the mat as much as he could this offseason.

“Sometimes I’d drive all the way to Dedham to practice with another wrestling team,” he said. “It’s great to have a wide variety of coaches and disciplinary styles to work with. My coaches have done a great job at pushing all the kids to stay in that wrestling groove by working out or going to offseason practice. Even just running for thirty minutes a day is a good way to stay in wrestling shape.”

For as eye-popping as Brooks’ stats were, it was his leadership that stuck out to fellow senior captain Bethany Ralph. She said Brooks, a Patriot League All-Star, knows exactly when and just how to lead.

“Steve is an amazing leader, he’s the quiet yet strong type of leader,” Ralph said. “Whether it’s getting everyone hyped up for our match or whether it’s helping one of the guys cool off after they lost. He’s taught me a lot but the most important being that after you think you don’t have anything left to give, take it from my opponent and work harder.”

Leadership is always at the top of Brooks’ mind.

“I take a lot of pride in being a leader, being a role model and leading by example is one of my most important responsibilities as a captain,” Brooks said. “I’m glad I had my junior year to work on my leadership skills with the team. However, this year I believe I did a much better job at governing my team and motivating them all to work as hard as they humanly can.”

Next season, Brooks will continue his wrestling career at Plymouth State University. And while he’ll trade in his Panther red and black for Panther black and green, he won’t ever forget his roots.

“Whitman-Hanson will always be my home, so I plan on staying in touch with the program and the coaches,” Brooks said. “I can’t wait to see how the team does in the future.”

A career to be proud of: Ralph’s stellar run on the mat comes to an end

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Bethany Ralph with her coaches. / Courtesy photo

Bethany Ralph placed second at 120 pounds in the girls’ wrestling state tournament.

Whitman-Hanson Regional High wrestling head coach Gary Rabinovitz called senior captain Bethany Ralph the best female wrestler he’s had.

She showed why once again today at Methuen High.

For the second straight year, Ralph finished as a runner-up in the girls’ wrestling state tournament at 120 pounds, falling to top-seeded Sophia Matthews of Woburn by pin in 3:35.

Seeded third, Ralph defeated Reading’s Latoya Kibusi by pin, 4-0, in 3:27 in the quarterfinals. She then proceeded to pin Alexcia Nou of Durfee in 5:36 (10-2 win) to gain a spot in the finals.

“Obviously, it wasn’t the outcome I expected,” Ralph said. “I don’t want to end my career like that, of course, but I can’t let it keep me down. It was another great experience, for sure. Now the next step is to decide if I go to nationals in Virginia Beach or not.”

W-H head coach Gary Rabinovitz said Ralph has set the bar high for future girl wrestlers at Whitman-Hanson.

“Bethany is highly respected by everyone that knows her, I am so proud that I was able to coach her over her high school career,” Rabinovitz said. “This respect was earned the hard way, by hard work and dedication to her work ethic, weight control and leadership. “

Leadership goes to the mat: Ralph a trailblazer for W-H wrestling

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Bethany Ralph (far left) finishes in second place at the Senators All-Girls Wrestling Tournament on Monday. / Courtesy photo

Bethany Ralph is the first girl to ever captain the W-H wrestling team.

When Bethany Ralph first stepped on the wrestling mat as a freshman at Whitman-Hanson Regional High, she knew she wanted to be a leader, not a follower. 

After all, she was a female in a predominantly male sport, but that was the last thing on her mind. 

“I realized right away, I wanted to be a captain,” Ralph said. 

Why?

“I knew that this was going to be something much more than a sport for me,” she said. “And to lead such an amazing group of young men would mean that I experienced that and earned my position.”

Ralph was one of two females on the roster in the 2016-17 season. Fellow female wrestler and friend Damari Brandao was the reason she decided to hit the mat. 

“She brought it up to me and I decided it was something different and I jumped right into it,” Ralph said.

Gary Rabinovitz, who was in his first season as W-H’s head wrestling coach at the time, was immediately drawn to Ralph‘s passion for the sport. 

“It all comes down to the heart and the work ethic,” Rabinovitz said. “She’s had it since Day One. She came in after the first week, two weeks of the season, black and blue everywhere. Her parents brought her to the doctors to make sure everything was good. It was just from working hard.” 

Now a senior, Ralph’s the first female to ever serve as a W-H wrestling captain.  

“She wanted to work as hard as everybody from Day One,” said Rabinovitz. “She doesn’t consider herself a girl, she considers herself a wrestler. From her work ethic and what she puts into this every day, she has respect from every one of these guys.”

Sophomore wrestler Rocco Ruffini echoed his head coach’s sentiments. 

“We don’t think of her as a girl,” Ruffini said. “She knows when to step up and push us harder. She’s a great leader.”

Ralph is no stranger to being a trailblazer. Last season, she was on the verge of making history, wrestling in the finals of the inaugural MIAA girls’ state wrestling tournament at 120 pounds. She finished second. 

“To be able to make it to the top of the girls’ bracket is also another big accomplishment because I’m just another girl they don’t think can get there,” Ralph said. 

Ralph has even bigger aspirations than a state title as she winds down her career on the mat. 

“Hopefully people will remember my name and I’ll be someone they can look up to someday,” Ralph said.