As the start of the wrestling season nears, Coach Bucco and his team are preparing for a remarkable and dominant year. This year’s wrestling squad is so proficient that Mr. Bucco is claiming they “should be, and will be, the best team Hills has had since 2002.” They are aspiring to achieve their three goals for this season. To start, they want to win the Small School County Title. They also want to earn another title by winning the Big North Title. As a team, they are expecting more than twenty wins.
With these goals in mind, the team needs every wrestler to excel this season. “Every guy on our lineup is important,” Mr. Bucco said. Four captains lead the wrestling team: Shaun Stanley, Mike Worthington, Mike Goldstein and Marc Castrillon.
In order to win the Small School County Title, Hills will have to beat Westwood. Coach Bucco believes Westwood is the toughest competition in the small school division. On the other hand, River Dell is the hardest contender for the Big North. Mahwah seems to be the weakest program in the Big North, and they haven’t beaten Westwood, Ramsey, or River Dell in over a decade. “We’re the league favorites. We’re just as good, if not better. We have to prove it,” added Mr. Bucco.
Coach Bucco recognized that the team has both strengths and weaknesses. Their best asset is their balance as a group. Hills has a tough wrestler in every weight class. “Our upper weights should be the best public school upper weights in the county by far,” expressed Mr. Bucco. It is rare for a small school to have such tenacious upper weights, so this is unquestionably an admirable advantage. Mr. Bucco says the team’s biggest weakness is that the middleweights need to show they can stay healthy and win varsity.
To prepare for the upcoming season, the team had a beneficial offseason. They attended two team camps together where they bonded and trained. Every wrestler on the team wrestled at least fifty matches. Since last year, only three wrestlers graduated and several joined the squad.
Coach Bucco and the wrestlers are looking forward to a likely historic and superb season and they have a lot of potential to accomplish their goals. “We’re expecting to put some banners up on the board this year,” added Coach Bucco. Hopefully when the season is over, Pascack Hills can show this year’s achievements with glossy, impressive new accomplishments on the wrestling board in the gym.
