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12/29/2022 10:14 AMIf at first you don’t succeed, try again — and again.
Make no mistake, the birth of North Haven High School wrestling wasn’t a matter of happenstance or luck.
“There’s been a group of parents that have been trying to get North Haven wrestling for years,” explained Peter Tseperkas, who coaches the school’s new program. “They went to the Board of Education years ago and it didn’t get passed, maybe five, six or seven years ago, and then went to the board again last November and made a big proposal. It was too late in the game to start the season last year.”
Those proposals, spearheaded by a group including State Sen. Paul Cicarella, North Haven athletic director Steve Blumenthal, Joseph Iamunno and Jeff Smalley, now look like a wise investment. The roster is already at 30 wrestlers, and the expectation is that number should only grow as enthusiasm for the program gains strength.
As Tseperkas explained, the program is truly starting from scratch. The roster is incredibly young, with only three seniors, and has very little experience in the sport as a whole. But with the right support, Tseperkas, who previously coached at Salem High School in Massachusetts and as an assistant at Stratford, sees no limit to what they can accomplish over time.
“We just started the feeder program, too,” he said. “I’ve dreamed about having wrestling in North Haven since I moved here in 2011. With the kids that we have in North Haven, with their tenacity and the way they work in all their sports, I think down the road we’ll be real successful.”
The team lost its first match on Dec. 16 to Notre Dame-West Haven, 63-18, and competed the next day at the Guilford Invitational alongside state powerhouses like Xavier, Fairfield Warde, and Newtown. Both meets provided plenty of teaching moments, but also glimpses of hope and optimism. Five North Haven wrestlers won individual bouts against ND-WH: freshman Justin Katz (106 pounds), sophomores Emilio Crocco (145), Jace Iamunno (152), and Luke Asbury (145), and senior A.J. Tomaszewski (160).
Iamunno followed up with another strong performance at Guilford, with two wins, including a pin and technical fall. Sophomores Mason Mansur (113), Michael Moran (160), and Tyler DiMauro (195), also scored victories.
“We still have a lot of work to do, but I saw a lot of good things this past weekend,” Tseperkas said. “Every practice we try to make it — it’s two hours — as intense as it can be.”
Intense, sure, but Tseperkas has also been careful not to push the tempo too much, given his team’s relative lack of inexperience. When you’re as evergreen as North Haven is, there’s practically no shortage of teaching points. Case in point: Tseperkas has had to explain everything, including the way to properly put on one’s uniform and headgear.
“I can’t assume that they know anything,” Tseperkas said. “I’ve got to work on instructions without boring them.” To this point, he’s been pleased with their commitment, calling the group “hard-working and eager to learn.”
“It’s going to take time,” Tseperkas said. “It’s a sport that there’s really no secret. You’ve just got to put in a lot of hard work and be consistent. That’s what we keep talking about in practice. There’s no magic pill that’s going to make you better. It’s hard work and consistency. You’ve just got to push yourself. What’s great about this sport is there’s a weight class for everybody.”
Tseperkas singled out his seniors — Tomaszewski, Michael Bolduc and Robert Richitelli — saying they could’ve easily spent their final year of high school in a different sport. Rather than go another direction, they entrusted him. He also thanked the community, noting that he coordinates practice times with North Haven Youth Basketball at the middle school.
“In a lot of towns,” he said, “that doesn’t happen. Everyone’s fighting for space. That’s really refreshing. A lot of other places, I haven’t had that.”
Tseperkas cited his experience at Stratford from 2004-11, where interest and numbers were low. Ultimately, those factors stifled the growth of the program. At North Haven, he sees a clearer path to success. It’s why he hasn’t been getting too caught up in the results, saying, “Right now I don’t care about wins and losses.”
The schedule will pick up again after Christmas, beginning Dec. 27 with the Joe Beler Duals at Jonathan Law High School in Milford. After that is another break for New Year’s, followed by a dual meet against Jonathan Law on Jan. 4. Then on Jan. 7 is a meet with Amity, New Canaan, Newington and New Haven at Amity High School in Woodbridge.
Tseperkas couldn’t possibly know how his team will fare during that stretch. Then again, he isn’t overly concerned about such matters at the moment. It’s the day-to-day process that matters more to him as the program continues to evolve and get its legs. And when it does, when it takes that next step and becomes a mainstay in the statewide wrestling scene, Tseperkas’ vantage point will have changed.
“We’ll get there,” he said, “and when they get that individual success, that’s what is really a driving factor for me.”
In addition to those mentioned above, North Haven’s roster includes juniors Matthew Kauhl, Owen Lin, Yaseen Mahmoud, Alexander Molyneaux, Nathan Ruggiero and Nicholas Travers, sophomores Joseph Carbone Jr., Autumn Clark, Elijah Ellis, Jonah Hammarlund, Hashim Ibrahim, Russell Kieslich IV and James Midgley, and freshmen Auriana Camano, Christian DeMaio, Jeremy Guertin, Logan Jeffrey, Rayyan Mahmoud, Joe Maury, and Hayden Minns.