Old Colony Archives
No stage fright for new Mr. Cougar
By Tyra Pacheco, Standard-Times correspondent
May 19, 2003
ROCHESTER -- The competition was tough. The excitement ran high. And to Anthony DiCarlo, the best part of the Mr. Cougar contest can be summed up in two words: "Me -- winning."
Mr. DiCarlo, of Carver, is a senior at Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School, and he recently beat 10 other students vying for the title of Mr. Cougar.
"It feels wonderful. I don't have to pay for my prom tickets now," he said.
The 11 contestants competed in casual wear, formal wear and talent categories.
"I did Nelly and Enrique Iglesias," Mr. DiCarlo said. "I switched over in between, made up my own version. I'm no American Idol, but it was worth a shot. It came out better than I thought it would."
although this was Mr. DiCarlo's stage debut, he handled it like a seasoned veteran.
"I wasn't very nervous at all," he said. "I just went up there and had fun."
Nearly 400 people turned out to watch this second annual Mr. Cougar competition. According to the coordinator of the event, Matthew Trahan, the evening was everything he hoped it would be.
"We got real positive feedback," Mr. Trahan said. "Some of last year's contestants said we even outdid them. Everybody had a great time."
"It's the biggest event of the year, the biggest and hottest event," Mr. DiCarlo said. "All of my friends were doing it."
Mr. Cougar hopefuls rehearsed weekly for about a month and a half to prepare for the event and make Mr. Trahan proud.
"He wasn't really getting paid for it," Mr. DiCarlo said. "He kept on and believed in us that we'd be able to pull it off."
Although he is studying in the electrical department and playing varsity baseball, Mr. DiCarlo's plans for the future are in a different field.
"I want to get more into criminal justice and the environmental police," he said.
For now, he works as a landscaper. Next year, Mr. DiCarlo plans to attend Massasoit Community College and eventually transfer to a state school.
He said saving money on the prom was one of the main reasons he took part in the Mr. Cougar competition, but it was not the only one.
"It was a good experience, basically," he said. "I got to embarrass myself and I had fun doing it."