Watertown’s Tessa Master reached new heights for a WHS wrestler on Saturday when she placed third at the New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championships.
The junior’s run of tournament wins that started two weeks prior at the Div. 3 State Meet, continued through All-States, and to the the quarterfinals of the New England meet in Providence. Then she ran into one of the top athletes in the competition, said Watertown Wrestling Coach Kevin Russo.
“A great weekend overall. Tessa’s only loss came to the girl (senior Kelly Aspras of Foran High School in Milford, Conn.) who won the tournament, who is also a three time Connecticut State Champion and one-time All American,” Russo said. “Tess was the only girl to go the distance and it was a close match.”
Following the loss in the semifinals of the championship bracket of the 152 pound division, Master won two more matches to win third place. Russo said he has high hopes for Master’s final season at WHS.
“Tessa is for real and we look forward to next season,” Russo said. “Tessa will train hard per usual and leaves it all on the mat each and every time.”
Master was one of the leaders of the Watertown wrestling squad that created a culture and set the groundwork for one of the Raiders’ most successful seasons ever, Russo said, a year after having the fewest wins in the program’s history.
The Watertown High School Wrestling Team set several team records this year, the program’s 25th.
“Tommy Dicker remains the only boy in school history to win matches at the All-State level, and Tessa Master was not scored upon in the State or All State Tournament, Russo said. “She is the first wrestler in school history to qualify and win matches at the New England’s and she was not scored upon in any of her victories.”
Here are some of the accomplishments of the Raider wrestlers in 2024:
- 2 Sectional Champions (Tommy Dicker and Brady Gleason)
- 2 State Finalists for the first time ever (Tommy Dicker and Tessa Master)
- 1 state champion (Tessa Master)
- 1 All-State Champion (Tessa Master)
- 1 top New Englander Finisher (Tessa Master who took third)
Dicker, a senior, and Master served as team captains, have set a high standard, but they did not always enjoy so much success.
“The leaders on this team have set a culture that can only result in continued success. The groundwork is set. Hopefully others will follow,” Russo said. “All it takes is hard work. Tess had 1 win as a freshman and Tommy had 0. They worked tirelessly to change that. Both are the only wrestlers in team history to win matches in the All-States.”
Basketball
The Raiders boys basketball team fell to third-seeded Pittsfield, 71-45, Monday night in the Sweet 16 of the MIAA Div. 3 Tournament.
Watertown finished the season 14-8, and had a Round of 32 victory over Shawsheen Tech on Saturday.
The Watertown girls basketball team looks to go deeper in the State Tournament on Tuesday night. The Raiders will take on Newburyport in the MIAA Div. 3 Sweet 16 on March 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Waltham High School.
Hockey
Watertown’s boys hockey team faced a familiar foe on Saturday when they faced Scituate, the same team they faced in the State Semifinal in 2023. This year, like last, the Sailors came out on top. Watertown fell 6-1 in the MIAA Div. 3 Sweet 16 game played in Pembroke.
The Raiders collected a road tourney victory in the Round of 32 when they defeated St. Paul Diocesan. Watertown finished with a record of 8-12-2.
Watertown does not have its own girls hockey squad this season, but three players have been part of the Belmont/Watertown Coop Team, which has enjoyed some tournament success.
Watertown senior Molly Driscoll scored the overtime winner in the team’s Round of 32 game against Billerica.
““It was Molly Driscoll doing what Molly Driscoll does,” said Belmont Head Coach Brendan Kelleher told The Belmontonian. See the story here.
Sr Molly Driscoll scores the game winner 30 seconds in the second OT as Belmont/Watertown defeats Billerica/Chelmsford 1-0 in first round of MIAA D1 hockey. Soph. Jil Costa with her 10th SO of season. @GlobeSchools @BostonHeraldHS pic.twitter.com/MAu4NK7fDd — The Belmontonian (@belmontonian) March 1, 2024
Driscoll scored again in the Marauders’ 4-2 Sweet 16 victory over third-seeded Lincoln-Sudbury on Saturday.
Belmont/Watertown, the 14th seed, next faces the 11th seed, Archbishop Williams. The Elite 8 game will be played on Thursday, March 7 at 7:50 p.m. at The Bog in Kingston.