Smerlas Becomes Lincoln-Sudbury's First All-State Wrestling Champion

SALEM — Going into the MIAA All-State Wrestling Championships at Salem High School's Veterans Memorial Field House, Lincoln-Sudbury senior Zach Smerlas knew he had a target on his back.

As the state’s top-ranked heavyweight wrestler all season long, not to mention, the son of five-time NFL Pro Bowler and Boston sports radio personality Fred Smerlas, who won consecutive New England wrestling championships at Waltham High his junior and senior seasons, going an incredible 60-0 during that span — there was always going to be pressure on him to succeed.

The younger Smerlas, now 50-0, proved unflappable, though, living up to the lofty expectations and capturing the state championship in the heavyweight division, becoming the first All-State champion in the history of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.

Facing Lou Ferrer of Chelmsford in the final, Smerlas edged the Lions’ heavyweight on a 3-2 decision.

“It’s unbelievable, I’m so happy right now,” said Smerlas. “I knew that (Ferrer) was pretty good. I wrestled him over the summer, he’s been training really hard.”

For Smerlas, the win goes a long way in erasing the sting of last season, when the senior grappler, who will play football at Brown University next year, failed to advance past the first day at All-States.

Smerlas bested Aguie Moxam from Norwood on a 3-1 decision in the second preliminary round, and Pioneer Valley’s Billy Randall in the quarterfinals via a 6-3 decision.

“There were two things I wanted to do this year,” said Smerlas following his win in the quarterfinal round. “Obviously, winning New England’s is the main goal, but there were two things I really wanted to do this year: win the Division 1 States and win the quarterfinals here at All-States. Two things I failed to do last year.”

In the semis, Smerlas beat Westford Academy’s Mike Mizzoni by pin at 4:51 to set up his match against Ferrer in the final.

Smerlas wasn’t the only Warrior to enjoy success at All-States, as L-S qualified a total of four wrestlers for the New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championships in New Haven, Conn., the most in the school’s history.

James Hamilton qualified at 103 pounds, Eric Davis at 125 and Nick Murphy at 135.

Hamilton went 3-2 over the two-day meet, defeating Triton’s Victor Ramirez (8-0 major decision), Dracut’s Jon Ryan by pin at 2:59 and Springfield Central’s Tyrique Dowdell on a 3-1 decision in the fifth-place consolation match.

Davis went 3-3, beating Matthew Fanikos of Melrose, Edgard Rios of Greater Lawrence and Glen Michelman of Longmeadow.

Murphy was 4-2, beating Wakefield’s Brendon Perry in the 135 lbs. fifth-place consolation match.