Recently, Triton beat Pentucket in the first-ever ‘Great Debate’ at Newburyport town hall. The event saw a great turnout from both teams with nearly 200 in attendance.

How It Came to Be

As the years have gone on, the Triton and Pentucket wrestling rivalry has gotten a little stale. Around late November, shortly before the season, in hopes of bringing a spark back to the rivalry, Triton wrestling coach Shawn McElligott and Pentucket wrestling coach Steve Beaudoin came together and tried to create something to add excitement to the event. They named the event The Great Debate and scheduled it to take place in the Newburyport Town Hall. The date was set for January 4th, and both teams started to advertise the event to the public in anticipation of the upcoming meet.

What Happened In the Match?

Triton won the match 51-29 picking up wins in the 106, 113, 120, 126, 138, 144, 157, 175, and 215 weight classes. Pentucket won the 132, 150, 165, 190, and heavyweight matches. A highlight of the meet consisted of Paul Suozzo, who is a Pentucket wrestler, from Newburyport winning a close match at 165 pounds. “It was a great feeling,” Suozzo said. “It was really cool to get a win in my hometown,” he added. 

What This Means For the Teams

With all sides happy about the day as a whole, The Great Debate marks the first of many matches held at Newburyport town hall. Triton picked up yet another CAL wrestling championship with the 51-29 win against Pentucket.

Moving Forward

The reaction from all sides was very positive about the event. Both teams look to make this a yearly tradition, and both teams are leaving the meet with something new to look forward to.