Winchester's Larry Tremblay Isn't Ready To Slow Down

Kitty's was the choice, a potentially quiet place to sit and chat with the winningest wrestling coach in New England history. But like a Wahlberg in Dorchester, Larry Tremblay is a rock star in North Reading. From the hostess to the waitress, right down to owner Scott White (who wrestled for Tremblay in 1979-80), there was no place to hide in the longtime main street restaurant and gathering place.

But with 703 all-time wins, there's no reason for Tremblay to hide. He graduated from North Reading High in 1973 and was the Hornets wrestling coach in 1979. The next year he became Winchester's head coach and the wins started piling up, leading to his 700th win in a match against Pentucket Feb. 4. The dual meet season may be over but the success continues. In Saturday's MIAA Division 2 Metro sectionals, the Sachems finished second just behind Natick.

"We have a joke that as long as we take home hardware we're happy," said Tremblay, 61. "If we're in the money, we're happy."

Winchester had three champions Saturday -- junior Scotty Downs at 106, sophomore Dion Kourafalos at 120, and junior Ethan Graylin at 126 -- and qualified nine wrestlers to next weekend's Division 2 meet at Algonquin. The Sachems will also bring three alternates.

"We're pretty happy," said Tremblay. "I was surprised we were so close with Natick. They're so dominant."

Dominant is the word often used to describe Winchester.

In his 38 years as a head coach, Tremblay has compiled a 703-98-5 record including this year's 22-6 mark with the Sachems. He's won 25 league titles, three individual state championships, and never had a losing record. Tremblay has been inducted into five different hall of fames and won so many awards he jokes that Dawn, his wife of 38 years, has said "no more plaques."

But with 700 in the bank, don't wait for any surprise retirement announcements from Tremblay, who retired once already in 2016 from the North Reading police department where he worked for 32 years. No, things are improving for Tremblay. Last season, because of construction at the high school, the team practiced at a warehouse in Woburn. They're back at the high school this year and he says this year's tight quarters will be replaced with a larger practice room next year. His current team also has no seniors, meaning next year's team will hear that "dominant" phrase all season.

So Tremblay will be back. But he's not so sure about the chase for 800. One thing's for certain, he still loves coming to work.

"I still have a wicked passion for it. I just went out to Cleveland and watched a college all-star match, I'm going to the nationals in St. Louis, I was at the nationals in New York City. I take my kids down to nationals in Virginia Beach. I think you have to stay updated as a coach and making connections with the college programs for my kids who want to go to college and wrestle. I think we've probably put 37 kids into college ranks wrestling wise, which is a lot.

"A lot has to with the academics that are unbelievable. I can't sell the sport on 'hey, work hard you're going to get out of the ghetto.' You're in Winchester. Kids looking at me, 'coach I'm going to Cornell and I'm going to take over the family business. Good speech though.' "

Tremblay has always had an honest relationship with Winchester, a town far different from his birthplace of Chelsea. For example ...

"Winter vacations ... I have these parents over in Winchester who say, we have a time share in Puerto Rico, we won't be here for the Lowell Holidays. I say your son better be here, but you can go if you want. We all have to sacrifice, that's the name of the game."

And the record shows they've made the sacrifices.

"I just like the challenges. I like seeing the kids come in, he's like a piece of clay and you have a chance to be an artist and mold that piece of clay into a special type of wrestler," said Tremblay, who competed at Springfield College and graduated in 1977. "But if they're not buying into what I'm selling then it's never going to happen. They have to believe in what we're talking about. We've had great success with them believing it.

"I don't know if I'm that guy who maybe should have been con man selling this sport. I told someone the other day is that when this sport is best is when it's over and you can look back and see what you accomplished. Because when you're doing it, it's not a lot of fun unless you're getting your hand raised all the time. It's a grind."

Without the police department, Tremblay started doing substitute teaching at Shawsheen Tech in Billerica. When a friend in Wilmington asked for help with a 35-unit condo project, Tremblay jumped in. But when he really wants to have fun he has his cars. Tremblay owns a 1967 Camaro SS, a '66 C10-Fleetside pickup, and a Harley-Davidson. "They call it a Fat Boy and as my friends like to say, a fat boy on a Fat Boy."

On Thursday nights in the summer Tremblay can often be found at Kitty's for their classic car nights and in April he's headed down to West Palm Beach for the Barrett-Jackson classic car auction, one of the biggest car auctions in the world.

"My problem is I like everything. My wife is afraid to come into the driveway sometimes because she never knows what's going to be there."

For the time being there are no new cars. But with the state tournament ahead for Tremblay and the Sachems there could be a few more plaques.