Downs Gives Winchester A Big Advantage

Wrestling just may be the most solitary sport on the planet. When pressured, there's no one to pass to. When beat, there's no one to cover for you. And when tempted, even self-control is a lonely decision.

"Cheeseburger with bacon and french fries and a milk shake," said Winchester senior Scott Downs about his favorite off-season feast, one that would probably bump him up two weight classes if he gave in to its call.

Downs is co-captain of the Sachems' wrestling team, meaning that among the sacrifices he makes is increased self-control between December and March. "Probably the end of November," said Downs, when asked the last time he took on a cheeseburger. And the holidays? They aren't easy either, but he understands.

"Ya, Christmas was a little bit tough. But I'm going to look back after the season and be glad I made the sacrifices that I did. Wrestling makes you tougher as an athlete, but it also mentally prepares you for other things in life. If you can get through months of cutting weight, you're mentally prepared to take on anything that life might throw at you."

Downs has become one of the top wrestlers in the state not only because of that self-control, but also through practice and off-season workouts that have paid off in success. It also helps to be a good listener, especially when your coach is Larry Tremblay, the winningest wrestling coach in New England history.

Competing at 106 pounds, Downs won the Division 2 Metro title last winter, was a Middlesex League All-Star, and finished seventh at the Division 2 state meet. His junior-year accomplishments are even more impressive when you consider how he started.

"In middle school I used to play hockey but with my size (5-foot-3-inches), I decided I'd be better off and have more success wrestling because I'd be competing with kids around my size and weight. So I came out as a freshman and coach Tremblay sort of instilled in me that I could be a successful wrestler. He saw potential in me, even before I saw potential in myself."

Before high school, Downs also did Sambo, a form of Russian mixed-martial arts. "Through that I met some kids who wrestled at the high school and they convinced me to come out for wrestling."

He wasn't an instant success. His freshman year, Downs wrestled on the junior varsity team. As a sophomore he split time between varsity and junior varsity and won 10 varsity matches.

"I had some success on jv, but I had never really wrestled before so every time I went out there as a freshman it was almost like a new learning experience. Every day in practice I'd learn something that would help me become a better wrestler. Wrestling sophomore year, with some varsity experience, really prepared me for junior year when I was fully in the varsity lineup," said Downs, who wrestled twice a week during the summer at Smitty's Wrestling Barn, an hour north of Winchester in Kingston, N.H.

The jump from part-time varsity performer to a sectional champion with 35 varsity wins might surprise some, but not his coach.

"I think the biggest jump in wrestling is between a kid's sophomore and junior year for the average high school kid," said Tremblay. "I don't know why that is. Is it physical and they're starting to mature? Or some more technique they're picking up? Or is it more body awareness, feeling pressure better? But I've seen the biggest jump on kids that I've coached over my career from sophomore to junior year. Scotty definitely fit into that."

So far this season Downs is 21-5 and on his way to surpassing last year's win total. He's looking forward to February's gauntlet of MIAA tournaments and every day is embracing the accountability his sport demands.

"When you're on the mat it's just you out there. If you come off the mat you know that no one else won that match for you. It was you alone. You can see your hard work that you do during the off-season. It's a very rewarding experience almost. If you lose the match you know exactly what you have to do to be better next time because you can pinpoint exactly where you went wrong. In wrestling it's either you or the other guy who's going to win."

As for February, Downs knows what he wants.

"I like to take each match as I go, but I'd like to have a successful post-season not only in states but the all-state tournament. I'd like to place high and get my name up on the boards in the new wrestling room," said Downs, referring to the boards that are filled with the names of past Winchester greats who have won post-season honors.

Nobody knows more about the Winchester greats than Tremblay, who has 719 career wins heading into Wednesday's match with Scituate. With most matches starting at 106 pounds, Tremblay appreciates having a talented senior start things off and with Downs he also knows that most of the time the Sachems will have a quick 6-0 lead.

"He's just a great kid. He's always on time. He's always at practice. He's reliable. He's durable," said Tremblay, in his 38th year. "He's a quiet kid, especially the first three years. This year he's come out of his shell a little bit. But when last year I'd ask the captains if they'd like to say something to the team he'd be the first one up. As his confidence grows with his wrestling ability, his public speaking ability gets a little better too."

But being a coach, Tremblay can always see room for improvement.

"I wish he was more aggressive. He's not aggressive by nature," said Tremblay. "Sometimes something will happen during a match that will get him a little frustrated and I'll see him be more aggressive. But by nature he's not aggressive. But he's good in all three positions, neutral, top, and bottom. I would think his neutral is his best position. I haven't seen too many people ride him. And he is a thrower. You can be down 3-4 points and launch somebody and he's launched a lot of people. I like that with his style, he's never out of it. It's sort of like a good boxer. He's got a punchers chance.

"The big thing with Scotty is his confidence. He seems to wrestle great at the Lowell Holidays, which is the granddaddy of them all with 76 teams there this year and he took second and at a pretty good weight."

When he's not wrestling, Downs is studying and is a member of the National Italian Honor Society, an interest that comes from his Italian grandparents. He's waiting on college with UMass-Amherst his top choice. He's also being recruited to wrestle by Trinity College in Hartford and has applied at San Diego State, just in case he decides he's had enough of our miserable winter weather. His older brother John graduated from New Hampshire and his twin brother James runs for the Sachems' track team. Even his home has a Middlesex feel, with mom, Marianne, a Woburn High grad, his father, Jack, a Stoneham Spartan.

Alone on the mat except for his opponent and the official, Downs had again put Winchester up, 6-0, in a recent home match against Belmont. It was 7:04 p.m. and he was already done for the night having won with a second-period pin.

"You're very in control out there. You can't blame anyone else, but at the same time, when you win you know it was 100 percent you."

Meaning the next cheeseburger will have to wait a few more weeks.

Photos by Bob Holmes