Zeramby Takes State Title, Skippers Finish 13th

PROVIDENCE—Jason Zeramby is evidence that sometimes good things do happen to good people.

A few short months ago, Zeramby was one of the top defensive players on a North Kingstown High football team that went 0-11, all the while showing that winning was not everything.

Zeramby, as well as the rest of the team, was able to continue playing the entire season with class, despite being subject to big losses on a weekly basis.

“I wasn’t planning on playing football,” Zeramby said. “I played, that was fun, but I knew once the season was over that I had to get ready for wrestling.”

On Saturday night at the Providence Career and Technical Center, the North Kingstown senior was rewarded for his patience.

Zeramby defeated Tom Lacroix of Cumberland High 5-4 to capture the title at 189 pounds at the 2011 Rhode Island Interscholastic League Varsity State Wrestling Tournament.

“He’s a hard worker," said North Kingstown head coach David Petrucci. "He deserved it. He’s been working for the past three years on it, and he finally got it.  Out of anybody in this tournament he deserved it the most. He’s a very nice kid and always working.”

The win did not come without controversy however, as the title was nearly taken from Zeramby with just two seconds remaining in the match.

Following a restart with just two seconds on the clock and Zeramby clinging to a one point lead, Lacroix rushed Zeramby and appeared to score a match-tying point on a false start.

“The kid was almost starting in a football stance, and that’s the first caution," said Petrucci. "You can’t false start anybody after that. Whatever came first is what you’ve got to call.”

This was ultimately overruled though after officials discussed the call and correctly ruled that the caution was drawn after Lacroix placed his hand on the mat prior to the infraction.

“It ended up being that they made the wrong call and I won the state championship, and I don’t believe that there should be any doubt in the state’s mind that I should have been state champion,” Zeramby said.

All that was left for Zeramby was to enjoy the product of his labor, a state championship.

“I was down. I thought I was never going to be any good after all of the years of work I put in,” Zeramby said. “My goal for this year was I had to be a state champion. There was no other option.”

Prior to the match, many former state champions over the past few decades were honored, including Petrucci, and now Zeramby has claimed the right to join this prestigious club.

“I was thinking that in the next couple of years that I want to walk in that parade of champions, and to be able to do that I had to get it done tonight,” Zeramby said.

Unfortunately for the Skippers, Zeramby’s teammates, did not fair nearly as well and the team finished the tournament in 13th place with 73.5 points. 

“We had a tough, tough day today,” Petrucci said. “I figured we’d have at least three or four people placing including Jason, but it was just not a good day for us today.”

Warwick Veterans High won the team title with 239 points, and Cumberland and Bishop Hendricken Highs rounded out the top three with 189 and 180.5 points, respectively.

While Zeramby was the only top six finisher for the Skippers, Connor Hayward, Liam Walsh, Connor MacMillan, Justin Zeramby, Greg Kervin and Caleb Comstock each won matches in their respective weight classes during the tournament.

It was the conclusion of a successful season for the Skippers in which they were crowned co-champions in Division-I South with North Providence High after finished the regular season at 9-7.