Wakefield High Hosts State's Best Wrestlers Friday and Saturday

Basketball has teamwork, gymnastics has grace, but if you want intensity there's one sport that's unmatched when it comes to edge-of-your seat excitement, wrestling.

The best high school wrestlers in the state come to Wakefield High School Friday and Saturday for the MIAA Division 3 state championships. First round matches start Friday at 3 p.m., followed by quarterfinals and first and second round consolation matches. Action resumes Saturday at 10:30 a.m. with the semifinals along with fourth round consolations. After a break the first, third, and fifth place bouts for each weight class will take place simultaneously starting at approximately 4 p.m.

Champions will be crowned in 14 weight classes along with a team champion. Wayland is the defending team champion. Host Wakefield finished 19th. The Warriors look to improve on that mark and have seven wrestlers competing. Brock Johnson leads the way at 126 pounds, along with Jake Goodchild at 132, Ryan Smith at 145, Matt Murdocca at 152, Mike Yirrell at 182, Aiden Coleman at 185, and Anthony Denham at 285.

The admission fee for the Friday single session is $5 (students) and $7 (adults). Saturday's admission is $7 (students) and $12 (adults).