PLAISTOW, N.H. – The calendar and the move last year by the Lowell Holiday Tournament up a week left a major void between Christmas and New Year’s on the high school wrestling slate.
Timberlane Regional coach Tim Brown decided to fill that void with an idea that looks like an absolute monster.
The Owls will host the eight-team “603 Duals” Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 28, bringing in some elite talent which is likely to become a major league event almost instantly.
“It’s a bit of a funny calendar this year with an extra weekend to fill,” said Brown. “We’ve been traveling since I was wrestling in high school, and I thought it was a good idea to bring some really good teams to us.”
Brown sent out 300-plus emails to schools up and down the Eastern Seaboard, basically cold-calling.
“I didn’t want to see the same teams we always see,” Brown said. “The goal was to bring in some top-notch public school teams.”
Mission accomplished.
The host Owls will be joined by Mass. All-State champ Haverhill High, Mass. Division 3 state champ Melrose, Vermont state runner-up Colchester and five-time Rhode Island state champ LaSalle.
In addition, a pair of Mid-Atlantic powers will be making the trip up I-95.
Ridge High was a divisional state champ in New Jersey last year. North Hunterdon is a New Jersey state runner-up. and Edison High of Virginia posted a 26-1 record last winter.
“That Ridge team is a wagon, and they reached out immediately,” said Brown, and the Virginia team was a district champ. They were in right away.”
The tourney field is absolutely stacked, a great first step for Brown in what he believes could blossom into a marquee event.
The teams will be placed into pools of four, with matches slated for first, third, fifth and seventh places.
If you know Timberlane wrestling, you can expect everything to be done first class.
Brown has sent out notices to “every Division 3 college program within a couple hundred miles,” and will set up a recruiting area for the athletes and coaches to get acquainted. Harvard and Brown are also expected to be sending representatives as well.
“We were looking for something a little different, and we think it’s going to be great,” said Brown. “We want to make this a top-notch event in the area.”