Knights Blow Out Marshfield, Punch Ticket to State Title Meet

The North Andover wrestling team is like a machine.

In the biggest meet of the year, that machine was forced to compete without its most important part, the head coach.

David Castricone has the second most victories at the high school level out of any wrestling coach in the entire nation

Earlier in the day, Castricone declared that he would be unable to attend due to an urgent personal matter.

The absolute heart and soul of this North Andover institution,, was absent in the Division II State Semifinals at North Andover High School last night.

Luckily, that machine is backed up by the best spare parts you could ever ask for.

Stepping into the spotlight was assistant coach Carl Cincotta, who brought 22 years of coaching experience to the table.

Not bad for a backup plan.

Cincotta started off his career as an assistant at Waltham for three years, assisted again at Lexington for the next six years, then became a head coach at Waltham High where he would stay put for the next seven years. After that endeavor, Cincotta landed in North Andover to assist David Castricone.

By joining the Knights, Cincotta also gained the opportunity to coach his son, Nick, whose third period pin put North Andover up 31-6 in the meet.

When it was all said and done in last night, the giddy Knights had earned a berth in the Division II State Championship meet by beating Marshfield  52-6.

“The biggest thing of the night was that Robert Drover beat their best wrestler… That was a huge win,” Cincotta said.

Drover competed in the second match of the night after Dan Connelly pinned Tom Vincent to start the night off by putting  North Andover up 6-0.

Drover took on Jake Ryan, Marshfield’s ace. With a gutsy 8-7 decision, Drover and Knights took momentum in a match that Marshfield was fully expecting to gain points in.

, in the 215 pound class, added to the momentum with a pin to make it 19-3. Bates’ pin fired up the crowd.

“He looks so big, he gets the crowd going,” said Cincotta of Bates.

John Pollard won the heavyweight bout by decision which preceded Danielle Coughlin’s pin to make it 28-3.

Coughlin is the first female varsity wrestler in the long history of the Scarlet Knights.

Nick Cincotta made his father proud with a 12-5 decision over Marshfield’s James Garfield to make it 31-6.

By the time North Andover standouts Jason Ricketts and Frank McCarthy took the mat, the Knights had already punched their tickets to Worcester Polytechnic institute where the State Championships will be held on Wednesday Feb., 16.

Ricketts and McCarthy both won in convincing fashion, by pin, to pad their stats and gain momentum into this weekend’s sectional tournament.

The Sectionals will take place in Winchester this weekend.

Next week, the Knights have the rare opportunity to defend in the finals meet.

“We’ll be ready, physically and mentally,” Cincotta said.

Natick beat Milford in the other semifinal to set up a rematch of last year’s Division II Final.

“Basically we both have the same team almost; it’s almost identical. We’re all just a year older,” said Cincotta.

“When they go out there, they are expected to win,” he said.