SANFORD — Before the start of Saturday’s Western Class A wrestling regional meet, Sanford senior wrestler Andrew Moriarty was sitting in the bleachers at Veteran’s Memorial Gym when it hit him.
“I kind of started realizing that this is actually going to be my last tournament here,” said Moriarty, who at 6 foot 8 inches tall is never hard to spot, even at the big meets. “I sat there and kind of sulked, but kind of got pumped up about it.”
Pumped Moriarty certainly did get, riding the wave all the way to a pin of Massabesic’s Tanner Andrews in the 220-pound championship final, Moriarty’s 100th win of his high school career and his third-straight podium at the regional meet, in three different weight classes.
All in all, not bad for a kid who is routinely asked why he’s not playing basketball instead, and who didn’t win a match during his first year of wrestling in seventh grade.
“This year I just kept on bothering coach (Nate Smith) about it, asking ”˜How close is my 100th win,’ Moriarty said.’ I just wanted to know if I could get it this year, and finally this week I saw him and he said if you win (the meet) you’ll get your 100th win. Getting my 100th win in the finals match, it’s just extremely exciting.”
Even more exciting, Moriarty said, because of the way he was able to beat Andrews. After taking a 2-0 lead in the first period, Moriarty went to work from the up position starting the second, using a move called the Jacob’s ladder ”“ where a wrestler tangles his opponents legs, grabs his arm and hoists it over his head ”“ to secure the win.
It’s a move naturally tailored for Moriarty, with his tall frame and long arms allowing him to drape his body over opponents, and one he’s spent countless hours perfecting while practicing in Veteran’s Memorial.
“I’ve spent six years of my life trying to learn what’s the best move I can do, said Moriarty, “And during high school, it’s that.”
“He just does it textbook,” added Smith. “He knows what he’s going to do, everybody else out there knows what he’s going to do, but he’s just worked really hard at it. When he was in eighth grade we knew he was going to be a tall kid, so we started him on that move and he’s perfected it.
“He’s just pushed, pushed, pushed and now he’s doing what he’s doing. It’s nice to see all the hard work pay off.”
Moriarty, who was the runner-up at 195 pounds in last year’s regional meet, will hope his form continues into next Saturday’s Class A state meet, where he has gone 1-4 the past two years.
But the senior is yet to lose to a fellow Class A wrestler at 220 pounds this season, and considering the progress already made, one more tournament title is far from out of the question.
“It’s great for all the work to be paying off, for now anyway,” Moriarty said. “I’m hoping to keep it going at states.”
— Staff Writer Cameron Dunbar can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or cdunbar@journaltribune.com.
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