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Boston Globe
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
‘Like two Michael Jordans': Chelmsford's Thomas Brown and Shawsheen's Sid Tildsley look to complete their legacies
Each has broken 200 career wins as a senior, and leads their school in wins. Tildsley, the 138-pound dynamo at Shawsheen, could break the state record (244) at New Englands. Related : Starting at age 5, the two have been friends off the mat and each other's fiercest supporters on it. 'I don't remember a point in time I wrestled that Sid wasn't there,' said Brown, the powerhouse Chelmsford heavyweight. Advertisement 'He's one of my closest friends. To see how hard he's worked all these years, see him getting better every day . . . me too, knowing I've done what I can. It's nice knowing all of it's paid off Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up They started at Brickhouse Wrestling in Lowell. It closed, but Doughboy Wrestling Club opened up a program for smaller kids. Tildsley and Brown were two of the group that moved a mile-and-a-half south in the Mill City. They called themselves the Little Rascals. The name lives on — Nick Logan , who coaches at Doughboy and Lowell High — started Logan's Rascals as a youth summer camp. 'We're proud to say we were the first group to be that little and wrestle in that high school room,' Tildsley said. 'How many practices I've wrestled with Thomas is uncountable. He knows me better than I know myself and vice-versa.' Winning nationally came quicker to Tildsley than to Brown. It bothered Brown, since he knew they put in the same work. Sid always made sure the sting Brown felt turned into motivation. 'Seeing Sid be that good, I wanted to work harder to get to that level . . . sixth, seventh, eighth grade year I started getting those results,' Brown said. 'I finally won a national tournament and could see it paying off. I'm now seeing the work I put in paying off at the right time.' Advertisement The road to their final All-State meet in Methuen has been paved not only in hard work, but the duo's ability to keep it fun. 'They're constantly reminding you that you're doing it because you want to, not because you have to,' said Belmont Hill senior Scotty Moreau Jr ., a Chelmsford resident, and a former Rascal. 'They find the joy in it.' Moreau won a Prep New England title two years ago, but missed a season after a stroke in his right eye. The Belmont Hill 126-pounder returned for this, his junior year, and placed third in that tournament. He recalls a youth tournament in Maine, King of the Mat, in which he suddenly saw Brown, whom he calls his best friend, rushing at him across a mat. Never mind the active match, the bigger Brown barreled over, bowling Moreau onto his backpack and shattering the iPad he'd gotten the day before to film his matches. Brown was emotional and apologetic, but Moreau's father laughed. The lightheartedness in that moment resonates with Moreau. 'They're big goofballs, really. Well, Thomas is the 'big' goofball,' Moreau Jr. said. 'They have fun with everything they do. They're chill guys, they don't let anything bother them. They're go-with-the-flow people. They're not cocky kids.' Long trips for the Rascals included Xbox games in the Tildsleys' van, running around in the snow, and being kicked out of hotels for playing tag — Brown was already big enough that he couldn't dash through the hallways quietly. These days, Brown, Moreau, and Tildsley look forward to saltwater fishing and dinners at the 99 to catch up on their weeks. Advertisement 'He's one of the funniest kids,' Tildsley said of Brown. 'He'll bust your chops, get a rise out of you. He'll eat a whole pizza by himself.' As 8th graders, Sid Tildsley (55) and Thomas Brown (66) teamed up with the Junior Grizzlies in Goffstown, N.H. in an 8-2 season. COURTESY PHOTO Though they attend different schools, they had a chance to be football teammates when Massachusetts took a youth season off for COVID-19, but New Hampshire was open. Eighth graders Tildsley and Brown helped Goffstown go from 0-10 the previous year to 8-2. Tildsley played safety in New Hampshire, but upon his arrival at Shawsheen, added 'quarterback' to his resume, Thomas Brown (left) blocks for Sid Tildsley (right) when they played youth football in Goffstown, N.H. Courtesy Brown family Offseason. Football season. Wrestling season. They spend as much time together as kids at different high schools can. 'They have a million inside jokes,' said Nick Gamble , a Shawsheen assistant and Doughboy coach. 'It's like they're brothers when they're around each other. They always support each other. They're cheering for each other every step of the way.' Tildsley propelled Shawsheen to 'They're winners. Very very simple. No matter what the obstacle is, they always come through,' said Shawsheen coach Doug Pratt . 'Brownie's match with [St. John's Prep's Alex Bajoras ] went back and forth. He always comes out on top. Same thing with Sid. The brighter the lights, the better they wrestle. When you're a champion and a winner, it comes out in the big matches.' Even attending different schools -- Billerica and Shawsheen for Sid Tildsley, Chelmsford for Thomas Brown -- they stayed thick as thieves. Courtesy Brown family The Chelmsford and Shawsheen wrestling teams are forever intertwined by the annual 'Dunny Cup' dual meet. They hold a moment of silence for longtime Advertisement They share the euphoria and the heartbreaks together. Triumphs and defeats. Their names enshrined in history. 'You don't get Sid Tildsley and Thomas Brown often,' said Chelmsford coach Chris Piscione . 'That's one of the luckiest things I've seen in my life, like two Michael Jordans playing together. They're lucky kids because they're creating memories. They'll be in their 50s with kids talking about it.' 'It's going to be a while until another Sid Tildsley or Thomas Brown comes around, if ever.' Near falls • Laura Williams thought she was done with wrestling when she graduated high school on Long Island. Then, after attending Springfield College, she heard Ludlow had four girl wrestlers and was looking for a coach. After six years as an assistant, this year she became one of three women to head wrestling programs in the state ( Kassie Bateman at Phillips Andover and Tianna Roy at Chicopee). The Lions won their first trophy at states since 2005 when the girls' team, led by captain Samantha Bertini and girls' coach James Soffen , took second place in Division 2. Bertini (107 pounds) and Lucas Alvan (175) repeated as state champs. 'It's awesome,' Williams said. 'My assistants [ Justin Tunis and John Archambeau ] were a part of that when they graduated from Ludlow. They have the stories and were a part of that history. We're doing it again and it's a lot of fun that I now get to be a part of that history.' Advertisement • Doughboy trainee Jude Correa became the 13th four-time winner at prep nationals, pinning his way to the finals before earning a 5-4 decision at 215 pounds. He led a group of grapplers with Massachusetts connections at the tournament. Dani Nugent (138 pounds) and Toni Elliott (185) represented Phillips Andover atop the podium, and Hingham resident Matthew Botello , Correa's teammate at Wyoming Seminary, won at 132. Natalia Accorsi (Blair Academy via Tabor) and Isaac Novod (Belmont Hill) made finals at 120 and Niayla Curley (152) and Jimmy Bechter (heavyweight) represented Northfield Mt. Hermon as runners-up. Adding third-place finishes were: Julian Rios (113 pounds, Phillips Andover, from Lowell), Musa Tamaradze (132, New York Military Academy, from West Springfield), Elliott Humphries (175, NMH via Minnechaug), Sara McLaughlin (126, Choate Rosemary Hall, from Scituate), and Corynne McNulty (132, Blair Academy, from Malden). Tournament schedule All-States (Day 2), Methuen High, March 1. New Englands, Providence Career and Technical Academy, R.I., March 8-9. AJ Traub can be reached at
Boston Globe
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Seven things to watch for at the All-State wrestling championships
Rams and Raiders, take a bow . . . and maybe do it again? Or could we see SJP rejoin the battle? Perhaps Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Close finish for the girls too? Advertisement Just 1 point separated Framingham from runner-up Lowell, the defending All-State champion, Both teams had two state champions, which was tied for the most along with Methuen in D1, Putnam and Bridgewater-Raynham in D2, and South Shore in D3. The rematch we're all waiting for When If the two meet Saturday at 138 pounds — and it would be a stunner if they don't — it'll be the premier matchup of the day. Von Magnus, the No. 1 seed, is looking for his first All-State title, and Tildsley seeks to become the fourth to go 4 for 4. Shawsheen senior Sid Tildsley is eyeing a fourth All-State crown, but first he'll need revenge against B-R's Brent von Magnus. TAMMY DEWAR Girls' All-State champs swapped weight classes Seniors Tessa Master (Watertown) and Shelby Galex (Northeast/Bishop Fenwick) each lost just one bout last postseason, and those were at New Englands. Galex, who won All-States at 145 pounds is looking to repeat at 152, and Master, the reigning All-State champ at 152, is entering at 145. Can they win titles again, and perhaps climb to the top step at New Englands? Advertisement Brothers and sisters side by side When Walpole freshman Lauren McAteer won her 120-pound consolation semifinals matchup in Division 2, she clinched her spot at All-States where she and her brother will both compete. George McAteer, a senior, reached the finals at 132 pounds in D1. Related : Tewksbury juniors Brooke and Jack Lightfoot had the opportunity to Uncharted territory for Moraes After going 1-2 last year at 126 pounds (wrestling up two weight classes), Melrose junior Johnny Moraes is the top seed at 113 entering All-States. He accommodated teammates last year at 113 and 120 by moving up, and Another heavyweight finale The D1 team battle ended with a Much like in the 138-pound battle between von Magnus and Tildsley, Bajoras seeks his first championship at All-States and Brown is looking to go 4 for 4. AJ Traub can be reached at
Boston Globe
14-02-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Six things to watch for at Saturday's sectional wrestling meets
This is the last year for them to cement their legacies among the greatest in state history. Only three Massachusetts grapplers have gone 4 for 4 at All-States and two have earned three New England titles. Tildsley is 229-4 in his career, and could break Mount Greylock's Devin Pelletier's record of 244 wins with another strong postseason. Shawsheen's Sid Tildsley needs 15 wins to match the state's all-time career record. Erin Clark/Globe Staff 2. How many girls will qualify for All-States a week early? This is the only round of the postseason that is exclusively co-ed. Girls' state tournaments run parallel to the co-ed state tourneys the following weekend and provide an opportunity to qualify for Girls' All-States, but with a good performance Saturday, girls can earn a spot via sectional placement and could elect to wrestle co-ed at states without needing to place to advance. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Hingham's Mia Dineen chose to wrestle against boys in last year's Division 3 state tournament, and Advertisement Bridgewater-Rayaham's Livi Polansky won a Division 2 title at 107 pounds last year. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff 3. How many freshmen will earn the gold? This has been a spectacular year for the class of 2028, and the postseason could see several of them cement their status as wrestlers to watch. Franklin's Johnny Woodall has been the one to beat at 106 pounds after his Lowell Holiday title, Middleborough's Ken Mentee is the first freshman to reach 100 wins, Shawsheen's Tristan Lane has been a major part of the undefeated Rams lineup at 144 pounds, and that's just to name a few. Mentee and Lane won sectional titles as middle schoolers. Franklin freshman Johnny Woodall is looking for his second sectional crown. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe 4. A tough road through the north Each year, the Division 1 North sectional produces quite a few state champions, crowning a handful of All-State champs and a few who go on to win New Englands. But it's so competitive, it also eliminates wrestlers who may have been able to place at further rounds of the postseason. Advertisement Among D1N teams is Shawsheen, which has a strong roster led by the Tildsley brothers, Sid and James (150 pounds), both New England champions. All-State champion Bray Carbone has been working his way back from last year's injury to compete at 126 pounds and Dante Graziano came back more recently to record his 100th victory at 132. The Rams, after back-to-back undefeated dual meet seasons, can contend for the All-States team title, but will need to bring as many wrestlers there as possible. 5. Juniors reaching 200 wins? James Tildsley, Andover 132-pounder Yandel Morales, and Middleborough 150-pounder Matt Patterson all surpassed 100 wins in the December of their sophomore seasons. Each has kept pace since, setting up the trio to reach 200 before their senior years. Tildsley stands at 196-5, Morales at 192-12, and Patterson at 191-27. 6. A new postseason host As the Related : AJ Traub can be reached at
