LEBANON — Although it won’t be participating this winter, Lebanon High has added wrestling to its menu of varsity sports.
The Lebanon School Board approved the third-year program’s request for fully funded status last Wednesday night. Co-founder Chauncey Wood began the team with four athletes and has seen what, for NHIAA purposes, had been considered an independent roster explode into something much bigger. The Raiders will compete in Division III next year.
“I wasn’t sure how quickly it would take hold, but I knew there was that student body that wasn’t playing hockey, wasn’t playing basketball, didn’t have anything to do,” Wood said in a Monday phone interview. “There always seems to be that group of kids looking for something to do.”
The Raiders began wrestling in 2018 with Caiden Skakalski, McKenzie Gregor, Shane Balise and David Carvalho as debut athletes and, in Wood’s reckoning, program co-founders. Skakalski had been active in the sport upon moving from Georgia to the Upper Valley in eighth grade, seeking out Wood — then at Newport — to coach him.
The school district allowed the team to go forward without funding, and the NHIAA gave the Raiders independent status, meaning they couldn’t host dual meets or send large numbers of athletes to state tournaments. When those first four wrestlers became 18 in the program’s second year, Wood knew he had something with a future at hand.
“They would put up team scores for us (at states) to let us see where we would be if we were a team,” Wood said. “But now we can actually start fighting for a team title against the Bows and Plymouths and Mascomas. We’re going to try to make it something that the school culture wears, something they can sink their teeth into. There’s nothing like a Wednesday night dual meet, when you turn the lights down and the music up high.”
Lebanon would have remained an unfunded program had it competed this winter; authorities chose not to offer wrestling over COVID-19 pandemic concerns. Wood feels for Carvalho, who lost his senior season after finishing runner-up at 152 pounds at last year’s D-III state meet.
Still, the Raiders have been so successful at fundraising — already having purchased singlets, warmup wear and two mats — that they’ll start varsity life in good shape. The school board approval allows Lebanon to cover travel expenses and pay Wood and fellow coaches Lucas McKittrick, Erik Braghirol and Shawn O’Meara for their time.
Wood’s next challenge: Continue to grow Lebanon wrestling without the benefit of a youth program to support it. For now.
“What made me happiest was once the board meeting was over, I was able to call the four guys that started this; their excitement that it actually happened made me satisfied,” Wood said. “They started something and finished it. I was just the voice for them.”
Lebanon lax vacancy: Rob Fett has stepped down as Lebanon’s boys lacrosse coach after two years away from the program because of health issues. Fett missed the 2019 campaign as he underwent treatment for lung cancer. He would have guided the Raiders last spring, but the season was canceled by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lebanon hired him in late 2016 to relieve the departing Lochrane Gary after five springs spent helping veteran coach Sara Ecker with the Lebanon girls.
“I’m going to miss the boys,” said Fett, a Long Island native who played at Virginia’s Roanoke College, on Monday. “I’ll probably keep my fingers in the game a little bit, working with the girls a little bit, and that will be it. If the boys need me, of course I’ll be there. I substitute teach; I love the game, obviously. I’ll help in any way I can.”
Lebanon boys lacrosse has historically struggled to accumulate victories, with the last winning record coming nearly a decade ago. The Raiders were 2-12 with Fett sidelined in 2019; the two teams he did coach had a combined 7-21 mark.
Fett said two of the coaches who covered for his absence, Nick Wood and Cole Flannery, would both make good successors should they be interested in applying.
Lions Cup landing: Two Upper Valley soccer standouts were chosen on Monday to represent Vermont at next summer’s Lions Twin State Cup.
Windsor’s Evelyn Page was chosen for the Vermont girls roster after a 10-goal, 11-assist fall campaign that saw the Yellowjackets advance to the VPA Division III semifinals. Nine of her goals and 16 of her points came during a seven-match winning streak that propelled the Jacks to the semis.
White River Valley’s Carder Stratton will join the Vermont boys. He had seven goals and an assist during his senior season, leading the Wildcats on a surprise run from the 13th seed to the VPA D-IV semis.
The Lions Cup is scheduled for July 17 at Hanover High’s Merriman-Branch Field.
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.