Bishop Guertin's Ayla Saeturn, in green, tries to escape the hold of Nashua South's Nathan Cast during Thursday night's season opener at the Colligadome. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – It’s a different world for both the Nashua High School South and Bishop Guertin wrestling teams, and that was on display for their season opening dual meet, a 51-30 Panther win Thursday night at the Colligadome

First, the Division I Panthers, a few days before practices were to start, found out their longtime coach Adam Langlois had opted not to return, and assistant Anthony Spero was quickly promoted to take his place.

Meanwhile, for the Cards, head coach Paul Rousseau found out during the preseason that as many as eight from last year’s second place team in Division II would not be back.

It all added up to everyone in the gym feeling their way through an impressive Panther performance despite the uncertainty.

“It was nice,” Spero said of the win. “We did a lot of preseason work, and our team is almost entirely new guys – a lot of freshmen, lot of sophomores. It’s good to seem them get out here for first matches, first wins.”

And the Cards? Their youth struggled.

“The young kids tried very hard, they were out of position a lot,” Rousseau said. “I thought some of the young kids should have won, but their positions were terrible. The veterans from last year did a nice job.”

Guertin was actually up 24-12 after the first six weight classes ended with Dom Stamp pinning South’s Chris Labrecque, at 138, but then the Panthers ripped off seven straight wins (two BG forfeits) for a commanding 51-24 lead. Gulp.

“Our captains really came out and showed their stuff,” Spero said. “Lots of good moments.”

South’s John McDevitt started the roll with a pin of Gavin Peloquin at 144. That was followed with Ben Byrne winning by technical fall over BG’s Jack Foster at 150 to make it 24-22. South’s Alex Rochette pinned BG’s Peter Cerrato at 157 to give South a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

The Panther prowl continued, as Connor Whitman pinned Kobe Spinney at 165, and after a BG forfeit at 170, South’s Nathan Cast got a tech fall win over BG’s Ayla Saeturn. There was another forfeit before Guertin’s sophomore heavyweight Bishop Kearns finally snapped the South streak with a pin of South’s Ian McCubrey in the night’s final match.

“He’s tough,” Rousseau said. “He’s just a sophomore, brand new, still learning. Algeo, just a sophomore, I though he did a really really nice job too. They tried hard, and nobody quits.”

It was pretty much all Guertin early on. After a forfeit at 106, the Panthers got a pin from Jon Signor over the Cards’ Lucas Wilson at 113 but then BG, after it forfeited 120, rattled off three straight pins by Austin Steinruck (126), James Algeo (132) and Stamp.

Then the weights got heavier and the Panthers got better.

“I give Nashua credit,” Rousseau said. “They wrestled tough, tougher than I thought they were going to be. It’s disappointing. I know it’s first match of the year. Our numbers are down a little bit. … But take nothing from those guys (South). They did a nice job.

“We’ll be better as the season goes on.”