The Pilgrim wrestling team proved last year that it can compete with anyone in the state, going unbeaten with a flawless, 17-0 record to capture the Division II title.

The recent success bumped Pilgrim up to Division I this season, and with a pair of prominent Vets transfers, the Pats have picked up where they left off a season ago.

They earned their third consecutive victory on Thursday evening, downing visiting Westerly, 53-20, to continue their torrid start.

Seven Westerly forfeits aided Pilgrim’s victory, as the Bulldogs were only able to fill half of the weight slots.

Westerly won five of the seven matches that did take place, but the forfeiture points, on top of decisive wins from seniors Jacob Zuller (132) and Garrison Potter (160), were more than enough to push Pilgrim’s record to 3-0.

Zuller and Potter both put together standout junior campaigns last winter, and Pilgrim head coach Tom O’Connor will certainly lean on them once again this season.

“They’re our staples. You have to have a core and they’re our core,” O’Connor said regarding seniors Potter and Zuller. “We’re counting on them to score points all the time, against everyone. We try to bump them and match them up against the toughest competition to get ready for states.”

For Westerly, Marco Bonanno (126), Ethan Hador (138), Brady Holhedde (145), Kyle Roberto (170) and Juden Jondalmonte (195) all defeated their opponents to put some points on the board for their squad.

Shawn Holland (106), John Castaldi (113), Eric Watts (120), Josh Parrott (152), Steven Kavanagh (182), Marcus Eckert (220) and Zack Fagundes (285) were all granted forfeit wins for Pilgrim.

Pilgrim’s depth should make it tough to beat this season.

It has already proven that it’s going to be in contention for a dual meet title, as the Pats traveled to Cumberland (13-2 last season) and handled one of the top teams in the state year in and year out, 40-24.

The reason for Pilgrim’s early success is the seasoned returning core that O’Connor brought back from that 17-0 team last season, and the additions of Watts and Holland from Vets make the team that much stronger.

Watts and Holland earned third place in their respective weight classes at the state meet last February, and they’re certainly welcomed add-ons.

“You get a tougher room and everyone gets better in a hurry,” O’Connor said of the impact that Watts and Holland are having on their new team. “They bring in a high skill level, work ethic and attitude. When you add pieces like that to the program, it can only get better. They fit into the group well, and they’re no longer from anywhere, they’re Pilgrim.”

The Pats will have two more league tests next week. They’ll travel to Ponaganset (1-0) on Wednesday and host North Kingstown (1-1) on Thursday, with both matches tabbed for 7 p.m. starts. The Skippers and Chieftains have beaten Hendricken already, so those matches will gauge where the Pats are at.

With the lineup Pilgrim has, it should be confident every night it takes to the mat, but its work ethic and health will be two components that determine just how far it’ll go this season.

“We’re hoping,” O’Connor said of whether or not he believes his team will encounter success in D-I. “We have to keep working hard and stay healthy. We’re doing a lot of out-of-state wrestling and tournament wrestling to make our kids better. We want to challenge everyone on every level.”