Pelham was unable to place any wrestlers in the New England competition, but all three competitors for the Pythons finished among the top six of the state.

Mike Perruccio came the closest to extending his season, but the 125-pound grappler fell just short during the Meet of Champions (MOC) on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Londonderry High School.

Perruccio won his first bout to advance in the main bracket before dropping to the consolation ladder in his next contest. After the loss, Perruccio knocked off Nashua North’s Mark Posnick to advance to the consolation finals, where he lost, 5-3. Had Perruccio won, he would have continued to New England regionals. The top three in each weight class advance.

The junior took part in his third MOC, and looks to make it 4-for-4 next season.

“Every year it’s a tough competition. These guys had to place to earn their way here, so you know they belong,” said Perruccio. “Even if you lose, you have to be proud to have been a part of it.”

Josh Medeiros represented the Pythons in the 103-pound weight class, coming in fifth after posting 3-2 record.

Mark Riddinger grabbed a sixth-place finish at 152 pound, finishing with a record of 2-3. Riddinger said despite the high stakes at the meet, he prepared himself like any other day.

“You have to treat it like any tournament, starting in warmups,” said Riddinger. “Then when you’re not wrestling, you spend a lot of the day watching matches, thinking about your next matches and grabbing some food.”

Perruccio also said his preparation doesn’t change from match to match, and that he remains focused throughout the day by watching other wrestlers.

“You know it’s going to be difficult coming in,” said the junior. “You have to be as ready as you can coming in, or you are going to come out flat.”