By Christopher Tremblay

As a two-sport athlete for Norwood (soccer and volleyball), Coleman Keady was looking for something to do during the winter months when he came across wrestling. While the sport was supposed to be just a fill in between his other two sports, it soon became clear that Keady was meant to be on the mats. According to the now senior, he found that wrestling matches were fun and there was no better feeling than the ref raising your hand in victory.

Entering his freshman campaign, the incoming wrestler didn’t expect all that much in terms of success. He finished the year with a 10-15 record, one in which he was happy with. It was about two or three weeks into his freshman season when Keady finally had his hand raised for the first time in his varsity career, a win over Watertown. 

In order to make sure he didn’t post another under .500 season, Keady attended a wrestling camp at Brown University, in Providence RI.

“It was a week-long program with intense workouts,” Keady said. “I believe that it really helped me with my neutral work (when both wrestlers are standing on their feet looking for a takedown).”

Wrestling in the 132-pound weight class as a sophomore, Keady found the camp put him over the top of the .500 mark as he finished with a 23-12 record. He also finished fourth in the Sectional Tournament but fell short at the States. Despite not having that great of a tournament, the then sophomore thought the experience was invaluable.

Norwood Coach Bill McDermott believes that Keady is an important key to the Mustangs success.

“Coleman has been a four-year wrestler and has had the potential to put up a winning record each year,” the Mustang Coach said. “Not only is he the voice of the team, but he is continuously putting the team on his shoulders. He made the States in his sophomore year and was one match away from going to the States a year earlier; that would have been some type of accomplishment for a freshman.”

While on a roll after his sophomore year, Keady along with everyone else, was introduced to Covid and athletics was thrown upside down. Wrestling at the 138-pound weight class as a junior, Keady posted a 4-2 record in his abbreviated six matches for the season all the while wearing masks.

“It was a different type of year,” Keady said. “We had to wear masks while wrestling and if it started to slip off, we had to keep wrestling if one of the wrestlers was in the process of earning points. Wearing the masks messes with your breathing and I am one that gets a lot of bloody noses while wrestling, so it was not fun at all having a mask on.”

In addition to having to wear masks, the athletes were also exposed to matches outdoors on occasion to eliminate the wearing of a mask rule. However, while the wrestlers were now mask free, it was colder outside and on one occasion it had rained so the mats were slippery and wrestlers could not get any traction on the mats.

Prior to the beginning of this year’s season, Keady decided to enroll in a couple of tournaments outside of high school wrestling to keep him in practice until the season actually got underway. Coach McDermott is hoping the extra work pays off for his senior wrestler.

“Coleman has performed well during the early stages (he has won 80% of his matches) of the season and finished third in the OA Tournament, and I am hoping that he can finish in the same area during the Marshfield Holiday Tournament,” McDermott said. “I’m also hoping that he is named a (Tri-Valley) League All Star, something that he has not accomplished in his career as of yet.”

Unfortunately, Keady, along with all other wrestlers within the state, will not get to perform in the Marshfield Tournament as it was cancelled due to the spike in covid.

Wrestling in the 132 or 138-pound weight class is difficult as just about every team has someone in that range making it that much tougher in becoming a champion, but Keady isn’t letting the talented pool bother him, he still has his eyes set on becoming a champion.

“My goals are to be a Sectional Champion in my weight class while trying to keep a winning record,” the senior said. “I haven’t decided on anything specific. I am just hoping to have like a 3:1 ration in regard to wins and losses. I believe that is a reasonable goal.”

Although a three-sport athlete for Norwood, Keady doesn’t believe that sports will follow him to college in the fall of 2022, at least not on a serious level.

“As much as I love wrestling, the high school season is much more different than a college season,” Keady said. “It’s an elevated commitment and I don’t want that to get in the way of my studies.”

With the season still in full swing, Keady is working on keeping his goal alive, but his coach is hoping that his senior wrestler will have a breakthrough year and knock down the door in his weight class.