If you walked into the Tsongas Center last December, you didn't just walk into a wrestling tournament. You walked into a meat grinder. The Lowell Holiday Wrestling Tournament 2024—officially the George Bossi Lowell Holiday—once again proved why it’s the most exhausting, exhilarating, and frankly, brutal two days in New England sports.
Honestly, it’s a lot. You've got over 70 teams, hundreds of wrestlers, and matches running from 10 a.m. until the early hours of the morning. It’s loud. It smells like sweat and mat cleaner. And for the 2024 edition, it was a showcase of pure dominance by a few local powerhouses.
Central Catholic Takes the Crown
Central Catholic didn't just win; they sort of took over. Finishing with 268.5 points, the Raiders put some serious distance between themselves and the rest of the field. It wasn't just about one superstar, though they had those too. It was about the depth. When you're grinding through a bracket of 64 or even 128 wrestlers, you need your "average" guys to pull out gutsy wins in the consolation rounds. That's exactly what Central Catholic did.
Shawsheen Tech hung tough for a long time, eventually securing second place with 221 points. They’ve been building something special over in Billerica, and it showed. St. John's Prep rounded out the top three with 182.5 points.
Here is how the top of the leaderboard shook out:
Central Catholic (Lawrence, MA) led the pack with 268.5.
Shawsheen Tech (Billerica, MA) followed with 221.
St. John's Prep (Danvers, MA) took third with 182.5.
Milford (MA) grabbed fourth at 159.
Concord (NH) proved New Hampshire wrestling is no joke, taking fifth with 148.
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The Lightweights Stole the Show
The 106-pound and 113-pound brackets are usually where you see the most frantic energy, and 2024 was no exception. John Woodall from Franklin put on a masterclass at 106. He capped off his run with a 7-0 decision over Nathan Morales of Andover in the finals. Seeing Woodall work is something else; he's just technically sound in every position.
At 113, Cole Glynn from Central Catholic added a major title to his resume. He didn't just win; he dominated the final with a 17-9 major decision against Johnny Moraes of Melrose. It was one of those matches where one kid just seems to be playing a different game.
Heavy Hitters and Late Night Heroics
By the time the heavyweights get to the finals, the arena usually has this weird, tired energy. But the fans stayed for the big boys.
Nick Desisto from Tewksbury won at 120 pounds, but it wasn't easy. He had to battle through a tight 8-6 win in the semis just to get there. Then you have guys like Peter Rincan of Billerica, who took the 126-pound title with an 11-4 decision over Braedon Goes from St. John’s Prep.
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One of the coolest stories of the weekend was Yandel Morales from Andover. He went on an absolute tear at 132 pounds. In the finals, he tech-falled George McAteer from Xaverian 20-2. A tech fall in a Lowell final is almost unheard of—it usually means the skill gap was just massive that day.
Why the George Bossi Name Matters
You can't talk about this tournament without talking about George Bossi. He's the guy who basically built Lowell wrestling from the ground up starting in the 60s. He’s the patriarch.
The reason this tournament feels different than a standard dual meet or a smaller weekend invitational is the history. Every kid there knows that winning "Lowell" is sometimes harder than winning a state title. Because it’s open to teams from all over New England—Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont—you’re seeing the best of the best.
Last year, Newtown (CT) broke the glass ceiling by becoming the first Connecticut team to win the whole thing. In 2024, the Massachusetts schools clearly wanted that trophy back.
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The Rise of the Girls Division
Something that's been awesome to see over the last couple of years is the explosion of the girls' division. This isn't a "sideshow" anymore. These brackets are full and the wrestling is high-level.
Greater Lawrence took the team title for the girls with 81 points, just barely edging out the hometown Lowell High team, which finished with 78.5. Salem (NH) was right there too with 78 points. It was literally a one-match difference for the team trophy.
Survival of the Fittest
If you've never been, you might not realize how much of a "survival" event this is. Most tournaments are one day. This is two days of making weight, managing your diet, and staying warm in a drafty arena.
Many kids lose their first match and then have to wrestle six or seven times in the "wrestle-backs" just to place. That is where the real grit happens. You see kids with taped-up shoulders and bloody noses crying in the hallways because they came so close. It's heart-wrenching, but it’s also what makes the victory so sweet for the guys on the podium.
Actionable Insights for Next Season
- Hydration is King: If you're a wrestler planning for the 2025 tournament, start your hydration plan a week out. The air in the Tsongas Center is notoriously dry.
- Manage the Downtime: There are huge gaps between matches. Bringing a yoga mat to sleep on and high-protein, easy-to-digest snacks is the pro move.
- Study the Film: Most of these matches are on FloWrestling. If you want to beat the Central Catholic or Shawsheen kids, you need to watch their setups now.
- For the Fans: Buy your tickets online early. The line on the morning of day one is always a nightmare, and you don't want to miss the opening rounds where the upsets usually happen.
The Lowell Holiday Wrestling Tournament 2024 didn't just give us a list of winners. It gave us a preview of what the New England Championships are going to look like. Central Catholic is clearly the team to beat, but as we saw with the tight scores in the girls' division and the grit of the Connecticut teams, nobody's spot on the podium is safe for next year.
To see the full bracket breakdowns and individual match scores, you can head over to the official results on FloWrestling or the KapWrestling archives. If you're looking to gear up for the off-season, now is the time to start hitting the local open mats before the spring freestyle season kicks off.