Twins are terrors on the mat
Sherman brothers look to measure up at Bay State Games
Karen Sherman noticed it each time she’d see her twin sons roughhousing while doing their chores. Dishwashing turned into water fights, taking out the trash became all-out races between the kitchen and the end of the driveway.
Simple tasks always meant competition - the same kind of competition that prompted Sherman to sign her sons up for a local wrestling team when they were in first grade.
“We were so hyperactive and all over the place that our mom signed us up for wrestling because we were always beating each other up,’’ said Matt Sherman, who along with his brother Jake will soon be a senior at Burlington High. “We both had a passion for it right away, which was weird because we were so young. Since then, it’s been our only focus and we’ve wrestled year round.’’
So far, that focus has paid off as Matt and Jake gear up to hit the mats this weekend at the Bay State Games. The Shermans will mark their third straight BSG-appearance when they grapple tomorrow and Saturday at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.
Matt will wrestle in the 140-pound class while Jake will compete at 135 pounds. With an individual state title under each of their belts, the Sherman brothers are using this weekend as a tuneup.
“This is a great way to see everyone and see what they’ve been up to during the off-season,’’ said Jake. “You see who’s put on weight, who has lost it and kind of gauge where everyone’s at. I like the Bay State Games because it also draws guys from all over the state at the perfect time of our wrestling season.’’
At 5-foot-10, 140 pounds, Matt is more of a finesse wrestler. The Red Devils team captain also placed fourth at last year’s New England tournament after capturing the state title.
Entering his senior year, he is ranked 11th in his class at Burlington and was a recipient of a
On the mat, Matt makes opponents pay, thanks to strength developed through hours practicing with teammates larger than he is, coupled with multiple sessions in the weight room each day.
“I definitely think he’s the stronger one, especially from the bottom,’’ said Jake. “We do have similar styles, but there are a lot of little things that we do differently. He’s funkier than I am when he wrestles and he’s also goofier than I am.’’
The smaller of the two, Jake stands at 5-9, 135 pounds. With a more classic style, he relies on speed and agility to frustrate the competition. Also a top-20 student, Jake joins Matt as a volunteer at the Boston Home, a facility primarily for multiple sclerosis patients. Jake is also a peer tutor.
Two years ago, at the 2007 Bay State Games, Jake was accidentally signed up to wrestle in two weight classes. He effortlessly obliged, wrestling in more than a dozen matches in one day to take home a second-place finish in each class.
Outside of their time with the Red Devils, the pair train with DoughBoy Wrestling and BrickHouse Wrestling and Fitness in Lowell. Summers are also spent training at various wrestling camps throughout New England.
“We never had that natural talent, but we always had to work for it,’’ said Matt. “The thing is you never complain because you’re doing something you love, so we never minded putting in that time. I just know that even when we were young, it didn’t come easy to either one of us and it still doesn’t.’’
Outside of wrestling, the pair can be found indulging in another hobby: shopping at thrift stores.
“I know, it’s kind of random, but we’re always hitting up Salvation Army or other stores like that looking for cool clothes and things,’’ said Matt.
After their senior season, both are looking into colleges where they can wrestle. They might attend different colleges and wrestle on different teams, but the Shermans will maintain their competitive spirit.
“I don’t know; it would be weird,’’ said Jake. “In the wrestling room, we don’t even practice with each other, but we still are really competitive. If someone has a better tournament than the other, it definitely serves as motivation to do better. It’s definitely nice to have someone to motivate you like that and have someone to compete with.’’
Sapna Pathak can be reached at sportsgalsp@gmail.com 