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January 28, 2010

Mat Warrior: Chartier a star for Andover wrestling

By David Willis

What most would view as tremendous pressure, Joe Chartier sees as excitement.

The Andover senior has no interest in passing the blame of a loss off on a teammate. He is not only willing to accept all of the fault, he embraces it.

"The biggest element that draws me to wrestling is that it is a sport where the outcome is solely on your shoulders," he said. "You can't put it on the rest of the team. It's just you against the opponent. That's where my hard work shows most, and at the end of the match — win or lose — I have no one to look at but myself."

That approach to the sport has served Chartier well on the mat so far this season, as he has excelled at 171 pounds for the impressive Andover High wrestling team. He has surged to a 18-4 record on the season going into this week.

"He has had a great season," said Golden Warriors head coach Sobhan Namvar. "He's very, very dedicated and is an extremely smart wrestler."

Chartier's wrestling career began the same year the Andover Youth Wrestling program opened its doors. But the then-eighth grader didn't initially click with the sport.

"The first year was tough," he said. "I probably won one match the entire season. It's easy to like something when you're winning, but hard when you're struggling. But, over time, I learned to like it more and more. Then I started putting more time into it, and started loving it."

Chartier following the sport into high school, wrestling for the Golden Warriors during their club year in 2006-07, going 18-0 against JV competition at 160 pounds, and the Warriors' primarily JV schedule in 2007-08, finishing 13-3 mark with all of his losses coming on the varsity level.

With Andover going to a full varsity schedule for the first time in the program's young history last season, Chartier continued to elevate his performance. Now at 171 pounds, the then-junior finished with an impressive 20-6 mark.

"I wrestled well last year," he said. "I wanted to make the state tournament, but my only losses were to wrestlers that at least placed at States. I felt very confident I could be a serious competitor this season."

But Chartier wasn't resting on confidence. Heading into his final high school wrestling campaign, he also set out on the toughest training schedule of his life.

"I wrestled all year at Brickhouse Wrestling in Lowell," said Chartier, who also traveled to Fargo, North Dakota for a tournament.

"There weren't many people (at Brickhouse), but the level of competition was high. We had Division 1 college wrestlers working out with us. I took my lumps and had a few injuries, but the (high school) season is short, so you need to be ready right away."

Ready he was.

In Andover's first dual meet of this season, Chartier scored a victory by pin in just 52 seconds against archrival Central Catholic. One meet later he won both of his matches handily as the Golden Warriors beat Beverly and Greater Lowell for their first two victories of the season. Chartier continued his success by placing third at the ultra-elite Lowell Holiday Tournament.

"Placing at the Lowell Holiday is a real accomplishment," said Namvar. "He was 8-1 and beat ranked guys from New Hampshire. He is so comfortable wrestling anywhere, on top or on the mat. He has built a lot on his strengths and is a dedicated wrestler, hard worker and smart kid. He can definitely wrestle in college."

With three victories at his latest meet on Sunday, Golden Warrior wins over Malden, Josiah Quincy and Minuteman, Chartier now holds a stellar 18-4 mark for this season.

While he has authored plenty of blink-or-you'll-miss-it victories by pin in his career, Chartier said he isn't always out for the rapid win.

"A quick pin is fun," he said. "I had a win against Billerica in like 10 seconds, and it pumps up the team and gives you momentum.

"But sometimes it's wins you really have to work for that you remember most. They can be more rewarding. I had a match at the Lowell Holiday Tournament that lasted the full six minutes. It was two good wrestlers battling."

Chartier plans to continued his wrestling career once high school has ended. While he has not made a decision on college, he has been accepted to the likes of Roger Williams, the University of Rhode Island and Southern Maine, and has discussed wrestling at every school.

Wherever he does go, he will bring his impressive skills and mindset for wrestling with him.

"I don't like to think a lot ahead of time," he said. "And I'm not an angry person. I'm pretty calm. I'm not someone that has to go onto the mat mad. Wrestling is like a chess game. I look for opportunities to open up, and when they do I take them."

Wrestling

2008-09 season: 12-14 with non-league schedule, placed 11th in Division 1 North

Returning starters (7): Brian Martin, Sr., 160; Joe Chartier, Sr., 171; Mike Tiwali, Jr., 119; Brett Welch, Jr., 125; Tito Brito, Jr., 130/135; Caleb Lynch, Jr., 140; David Ortiz, Jr., 215/285

Returning lettermen: Andy Klempa, Sr., 285; Michael Olivieri, Sr., 119

Promising newcomers: Matt Barker, Jr., 112; Zach Johnson, Frosh., 112; James Kelly, Jr., 189; Evan Mecheras, Soph., 285; James Bourque, Frosh., 103; Rey Brito, Frosh., 135

Returning Division 1 North placers: Tito Brito

Candidates in all grades: 40

Co-head coaches: Sobhan Namvar and Kevin Cote

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Mat Warrior: Chartier a star for Andover wrestling
by By David Willis , , Thu Jan 28, 2010, 10:34 AM EST
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