The Saint Paul’s wrestling team defeated Mandeville High School 75-6 in its first dual meet of the season on Nov. 6, 2024.

The Wolves had a solid start to their season, with many exciting matches and great wrestling from several Saint Paul’s wrestlers who were making their varsity debuts.

Saint Paul’s eighth grader Jagger Martinez had an excellent debut performance, pinning his opponent in the first round to record a score of 14-2. “The match felt amazing,” said Martinez. “I loved it. I worked some of my top moves and my neutral moves, and yeah, I finished it.”

Saint Paul’s freshman Oliver Scarpelli also picked up a victory in his varsity debut when he pinned his opponent in the second round. In addition, Saint Paul’s junior Will Maisano won his match by points with a score of 9-0, notching a win in his first varsity performance.

Saint Paul’s senior Miller Bourgeois made his debut as well. He won the match by points, outscoring his opponent 16-11. Bourgeois stated in a postgame interview that he knows what he needs to improve. “The first match felt good, but I just need to work more on my top game because I just rode him out for like four minutes and did nothing. I’m hoping the rest of the season goes well, but this was a solid start,” said Bourgeois. Aiden McGhee, a fifth and final varsity starter making his debut, pinned his opponent in the second round.

Impressively, the Wolves were able to dominate despite being down two starters. Saint Paul’s freshman Tristian Hauptmann filled Landen Noblet’s spot admirably, convincingly winning his match. 

Overall, this was a great start for the Wrestling Wolves, and the team and coaches seemed ecstatic after the big win. Among those excited about the performance against rival Mandeville was new head coach Pat Ritchie, who is taking over longtime Saint Paul’s wrestling coach Matt Pinero.

In a postgame interview, Ritchie seemed pleased with how the team performed, noting that the preseason conditioning was paying off. Assistant Coach Grant Hughes was also happy with the team because he now knows that they “mean business” this year.

Other strong performers included Saint Paul’s senior Rhett Nastasi, who is wrestling in the 132-pound weight class this year. This is a significant jump because Nastasi wrestled in the 113-pound weight class last season. Nastasi felt comfortable in his first match against heavier competition. “It feels good to be back. It was a good match, and I’m happy to be back for my last go as a senior, and I’m ready to see my results from all the work this summer,” said Nastasi. 

Another returning wrestler, Saint Paul’s senior Cole Mire, had a weight jump as well, going from 132 to 144, and he seemed to fare well in the new weight class. However, Mire was not satisfied despite a shutout win. “I felt a little bit dry at first, but after that, I think I picked it up. I picked it up, getting the score 8-0, and then I pinned him. Based on this, I need to put in some work, but I think I’m looking good right now,” said Mire.

Returning state champion Saint Paul’s sophomore Scott Cascio had a great start to his season, wrestling at 120 pounds this year. Cascio won his match by pin at the beginning of the second round while he was up by 15 points, making the final score 15-0. Cascio is excited to be back on the mat and looks forward to defending his state title, but he is still working through some challenges. “The first match was great, but I’m just cramping up from cutting all this weight. I think my wrestling this season is just going to keep progressing and get better and better as I start getting my weight hydration under control,” said Cascio.

Another returning state champ, Saint Paul’s senior captain Jackson Peak, has also had a great start to his season, winning his match in the first round by pin. Peak led the pack in this meet and seemed very excited to be back in action. “It felt good to get back on the mat, and it was nice getting to show all the hard work we put in over the summer. I plan to take this season one match at a time. This match felt great, and we’re gonna see how I feel at the Dale Ketelson [Invitational] this weekend, but hopefully, we’re looking to repeat,” said Peak.

Saint Paul’s only loss of the meet was a forfeit by Saint Paul’s junior John Martinez because he was ineligible to wrestle per the LHSAA. 

Overall, the Wrestling Wolves impressed in their first meet under new coach Pat Ritchie, and the athletes, coaches, and fans were delighted with the results.

The Wrestling Wolves will look to continue pinning the competition this weekend at the Dale Ketelson Invitational, a tournament hosted by Saint Paul’s, this Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024.