Photog: Belmont High’s Josh Hartley celebrates pinning his opponent in the 165-pound bout in the season opener vs Reading Memorial High

After several decades in the dark, Belmont High wrestling is now under the spotlight.

And that’s an actual spotlight, the Wrestling Mat Light, a 500-watt LED bulb that illuminates the competition circle with 50,000 lumens, that now hangs from the ceiling of Wenner Field House. 

And there’s a good reason for the program to be seen in a new light. Under the leadership of Belmont Head Coach Craig Janjigian and his assistant Andrew McCahill, wrestling attracted an ever increasing number of athletes who dedicated themselves to the sport.

The program had not presented a complete competitive roster since the golden age of Belmont wrestling in the early 1990s when the Baghdady brothers and cousins led the program to individual and team titles. Now with 45 student-athletes on the roster, the program matches the size of some of the strongest state programs.

“I think last year was our first year with a full varsity lineup, and this year we do have another full varsity lineup, and each one of those kids have been getting better and better,” said Janjigian.

The squad’s new found popularity was evident when the Marauders hosted Reading Memorial in the season’s opener. The parking lot was filled, and the stand was crowded as fans entered a dark Wenner Field House, with a single light illuminating the mat. Music blared during the pre-match warm-up, while the score and time were projected on the fieldhouse wall.

In the opening match, the second (or third) generation of Belmont’s vaunted wrestling family hit the mat as first-year Romy Baghdady started the dual match with an exciting 106-pound bout that went the distance, ending at 7-9.

In the following contest, Belmont’s reigning state Div. 1 champion junior, Ava Svistunov, took on her male opponent. (Duel meets allow for co-ed competition since most teams don’t have many female wrestlers). After a guarded first round, Svistunov dominated the second round with speed and grappling prowess, winning via pin. [On Dec. 21, Svistunov pinned her female opponent to take the 107-pound title at the prestigious early-season George Bossi Lowell Holiday tournament]

Unlike past seasons when Belmont would win one or two of the matches, the squad has developed experienced grapplers that are competitive in nearly all weight classes and especially in the middle weight divisions. Will Babcock (150) won in the first round on a quick pin, while Ryan Murphy (157) followed with a big 5-0 third round to win his match. Josh Hartley (165) battled in a high-scoring bout and was leading 10-8 in the third when he used his height advantage to get enough leverage to pin his Reading opponent.

When Enzo Passos (215) pinned his Rocket competitor, the Marauders came into the ultimate bout down by a single point, 33-34, a margin against Reading that hadn’t been seen in recent memory. Ultimatley Belmont would come up seven points short, 33-40.

Belmont’s varsity grapplers at the opening of the season included Max Devitt (120 pounds), Rayan Azhari (126), Walter Pressey (132), captain Luke Coelho (138), who took his match to overtime, Jonathan Doban (144), Max Lewie (175), Jack Papazian (190), and Will Lockwood (285).

Belmont will host the annual Brenden Grant Tournament: Saturday for Boys and Sunday the Girls, Jan. 4 and 5.

Yet it’s not just the wins the wrestlers attained or the popularity the sport has achieved that Janjigian sees as the program’s most valuable asset.

“It’s certainly the participation but it’s also the enthusiasm. There’s a clear sense of joy that the kids are having. That’s my whole thing because it’s one of the most demanding sports you can do, and if you’re not having fun doing it, what are you doing? I like to see the vast majority of the team actually having fun doing it. It is something that I’m very proud of.”