Even if you know nothing at all about Greco-Roman wrestling, watching Pinkerton Academy junior grappler Dylan Barreiro at work on the mat is impressive and even a bit intimidating.
The PA 11th grader looks very much like The Incredible Hulk – all rippling muscles and stone-faced expression – as he proves to opponent after opponent that they should have done anything other than stepping onto the mat with Barreiro that day.
And the Pinkerton star capped off his stellar, undefeated 2014-15 wrestling season last weekend by taking the 195-pound weight class title at the 51st annual New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championships at North Andover (Mass.) High School.
The successful junior’s performance helped the Astros to finish 12th overall – and fourth among New Hampshire teams – at the regionals.
That event – held last Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7 – brought together the top high school grapplers from across New England. And after claiming Division I and New Hampshire weight class championships the two previous weeks, Barreiro rose to the very top of the heap in the region by defeating still more opponents at the New Englands.
PA coach Dave Rhoads had spoken in the most glowing terms of Barreiro following his state Meet of Champions success in Nashua a week earlier, stating that, “Dylan is something special. He’s at the top of the charts in focus, intensity, and work ethic. He puts so much effort into becoming a better wrestler, and the results speak for themselves.”
And Barreiro continued to exhibit those assets in bagging lopsided wins of 11-1 in the quarterfinals and 14-6 in the semifinals of the New England event.
And then, in the title bout against Suffolk, Conn., grappler Khamri Thomas, Barreiro took advantage of Thomas’ mistakes en route to a 3-1 victory and the weight class crown.
As a result, the Pinkerton star finished up with a 46-0 record for the season, a 113-14 career mark with which to begin his senior campaign later this year, and a handful of impressive awards.
