Mascoma Hosts First Annual Holiday Invitational, Small Schools Compete

Mascoma High School staged the First Annual Mascoma Holiday Invitational on December 24, 2025, with a 9 a.m. start and organizers estimating competition would run until about 4 p.m. Athletic director Stephen Stebbins organized the event to give smaller wrestling programs in New Hampshire a holiday era tournament that avoids repeated matchups against Division I and Division II schools. Fourteen teams participated, including Conant, ConVal, Franklin, Kearsarge, Kingswood, Lebanon, Littleton, Mascenic, Monadnock, Newport, Prospect Mountain, Raymond, Stevens and White Mountains.

Competition took place on three mats, two set up in the gymnasium and a third placed in the cafeteria where portable bleachers were installed to accommodate spectators. Mascoma’s AV Club live streamed each mat so family members and scouts could follow matches remotely. Mascoma alumni volunteered to run clocks and keep score, providing essential staffing while reinforcing local ties between the school and its graduates.

For Sullivan County residents the event delivered more than high school sport. By concentrating 14 visiting teams in one day the tournament reduced travel for small programs that often face long road trips to find balanced competition. That compression of schedules can lower transportation costs for school districts and limit missed classroom time for student athletes. The volunteer driven staffing and student run live stream also highlighted low cost ways schools can expand offerings without large budget increases.

The Invitational has local economic implications as well. Even a one day event can generate modest foot traffic for nearby diners and gas stations during a traditionally slow holiday period. More broadly, streaming adds visibility for programs that might otherwise fly under the radar, supporting athlete recruitment and community recognition.

Organizers said they hope to make the Invitational an annual fixture and to add a girls division in future years, aligning with the national growth in girls wrestling participation and local calls for gender equitable opportunities. If sustained, the tournament could become a durable community asset for competitive balance, fiscal efficiency, and regional sports development.