It was a tale of two wrestlers; one who was participating in his final season with Holliston, and the other who was just beginning his career with the Panthers. Senior Rufus Koblenzer was putting the final touches on his first Division 3 State Title while incoming freshman Brian Garry was making school history in his inaugural year on the mat.
As both Holliston wrestlers were putting together memorable seasons, both came into the sport in different ways. Garry had joined the wrestling team while he was in middle school, and Koblenzer was basically told by one of the captains his freshman year to try out for the team.
Looking back, the senior had his ups and downs but this year’s State Championship made it all worth it.
“My freshman year I got beat up a lot, but it really didn’t bother me, as the sport was so interesting and so much different than anything I’ve ever done,” Koblenzer said. Following that season, I joined a club team to improve my skills – I didn’t want to get beat up anymore.”
During his sophomore campaign, Koblenzer, who was 90 pounds wrestling in the 113-pound division, started to pick up some wins despite his small stature. Slowly, things started going his way on the mat, but come his junior year, he put together a roller coaster season, one that culminated in the States with a loss.
“That year, my head just wasn’t right. I had the talent to be successful, but going into matches, I found that I was extremely nervous, and it affected my wrestling,” the now senior grappler said. “At Sectionals, I was able to put that aside and wrestle well, but come States, I was back to a bunch of nerves.”
Koblenzer would use that motivation to improve upon his senior campaign.
“Last year, Rufus captured the Sectional Championship, but didn’t wrestle his best at States. I thought that he should have placed, but he just didn’t have a good day,” Holliston Wrestling Coach Mike Capobianco said. “This year, I knew that he was going to have a good year, but you never know if he’d win a State Championship especially wrestling a long season. He worked really hard and deserved everything he got and even beat the two kids he lost to the year before.”
Going into the States, the senior was 38-1 before winning his first ever championship. He then got to wrestle in the All States where he was one match away from placing.
“State Wrestling Champs at Holliston are few and far between,” the Panther Coach said. “I think it was three or four years since our last State Champion.”
In securing his first State Title, Koblenzer credits the losses from last year as motivation.
“The fact that I did so poorly the year before made me set a goal of winning the States in my weight class this year. I knew that if I put the work into it and came out wrestling, I’d win,” he said. “Going in I was confident in my ability and just needed to prove myself. Beating the kid I lost to in the Semi Finals and the kid who threw me around in my first State match was gratifying. I wasn’t nervous at all; in fact, I was excited and wanted to prove that I shouldn’t have lost last year.”
Now, while Koblenzer was concluding his career with a State Title, the incoming freshman was just looking to do well. Wrestling in the 106-pound weight class, Garry not only put together an impressive 34-3 record during the regular season, but he kept it going in the post season. After the Holliston freshman captured his first Division 3 Sectional Title, he moved onto the States, and although he did not win he did come away with an impressive third place finish. His historic season continued with a trip to the All States, where the first-year wrestler met up with a bunch of older and more experienced wrestlers. The fact that he was wrestling older kids didn’t bother him in the least and Garry took home sixth place. The New Englands was where the ride ended, without Garry placing, but nonetheless a brilliant first campaign with Holliston.
“Winning the Sectionals was pretty cool, especially having all my teammates there to cheer me on,” Garry said. “I really didn’t expect to win, even though I was seeded number one going in.”
The wins during the Sectional Tournament gave the young wrestler a new outlook on the sport and how good he could become.
“I was not expecting to do what I did in the Sectionals at the States. I was very pleased with my performance and how I ended up,” he said. “Once again at the All States, I wasn’t expecting to win. I like wrestling older kids, as no one expects you to win, and that allows me to wrestle more freely.”
Coming into the season, Capobianco really didn’t have a scouting report on Garry, but it didn’t take long for the freshman to impress his coach.
“I didn’t know anything about him except that he had some youth wrestling experience,” the Panther Coach said. “After a couple of matches, you could see that he was going to be something special. Winning the Sectionals as a freshman is quite an impressive feat.”
Garry etched his name in the school record books be being the first freshman to place in an All State Tournament, and while good, the first-year wrestler says it does come with some baggage.
“Being the first Holliston freshman to do well in the All States is cool, but it does come with a lot of pressure where now I have to follow it up next season,” Garry said.
While Garry may think that the pressure to improve upon this year’s performance puts a bulls-eye on his back, Capobianco believes it will not affect the youngster at all.
“Placing at the All States at his age, he’s got nothing to worry about. His future is very bright,” the coach said. “Brian is one that just doesn’t stop, he keeps coming at you and that’s something you just can’t teach. Others may take a breather here and there, but he won’t and eventually he forces you into making a mistake.”
Capobianco hopes the freshman doesn’t slow down and keeps on improving and hopefully, by his senior year, he too can claim stake to a State Championship or even better.
Issue Date:
April, 2017
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