Staples-Westport finished second at Saturday’s New Milford Invitational — their first runnerup trophy in a tournament since 2011. (Photo courtesy Staples Wrestling)
MIDDLETOWN, January 19, 2019 — No. 2 Bristol Eastern had three individual champions and five finalists to capture the fifth annual Colter-Abely Midseason Classic at Mercy High. The Lancers (166 points) won the tournament for the first time in a field that included five teams in Connecticut Wrestling Online’s top 10.
No. 9 Xavier was second with 151½ points, one point ahead of No. 8 Trumbull. No. 5 Simsbury finished fifth in the tournament with No. 3 Fairfield Warde taking seventh. It was the fifth different champion in the tournament’s five-year run.
The tournament has a unique format – at least at the high school level. The individual wrestlers are broken up into four pools of four wrestlers each with the winner of each pool advancing to the championship finals.
Tommy Nichols (132), Justin Marshall (152) and Trinidad Gonzalez (220) won for Bristol Eastern. Nichols outlasted Xavier’s Grant Barber, 3-2 to win his weight class.
Host Xavier had three individual champions with Mikey Rapuano (106), James Lunt (145) and Dylan Souza (170) winning individual titles. Trumbull wrestlers also won three weight classes with Travis Longo (113), Matt Ryan (138) and Joe Palmeiri (182) finishing first.
Saturday, January 18 scores and results
Led by George Harrington, who earned Outstanding Wrestler honors with his championship victory at 220 pounds, Staples finished second at the 35th annual New Milford Invitational. The Wreckers finished with 128 points behind West Springfield, Mass., the second Massachusetts team to win the tournament.
With three individual champions and four finalists, West Springfield scored 166 points and became the just the second out-of-state team to win the tournament. Franklin, Mass., won in 2013.
Harrington beat Wethersfield’s Austin Harnish to win the title at 220 with a 3-2 decision to lead Staples to their best tournament finish since taking second at the Ludlowe Invitational in 2011.
Terry Brannigan (120) finished second for Staples while Luke Villaluz (126), John-Carter Montoni, (160), Nicholas Augeri,(195) and Jacob Rizy (285) each finished third.
Staples’ George Harrington, center, was named the outstanding wrestler at the New Milford Invitational. (Photo courtesy Staples Wrestling)
Saturday, January 18 scores and results
Haverhill, Mass., won five individual championships to stun Timberlane Regional-Plaistow, N.H. and capture the 29th annual Timberlane Invitational, 255½ to 214. It’s just the third time that the host Owls haven’t won the tournament.
With three individual champions, Southington finished third with 187½ points. Freshman Ben Gorr (113), junior Caleb Brick (120) and senior Jacob Cardozo (145) brought home titles for the Blue Knights.
Brunswick School in Greenwich won their own 44th annual Brunswick Invitational for the 20th time with four individual champions and six finalists. Brunswick outlasted Northfield Mt. Hermon, 209-173½. Ridgefield finished third with 151 points with Greenwich taking fifth with 94.
Chris Perry (132), Luke Errico (138), Nick Bell (145) and Tim Saunders (195) won for the Bruins. Perry was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler after beating Northfield Mt. Hermon’s Owen Finn in the finals, 7-0.
Saturday, January 18 scores and results
With four individual champions and five finalists, East Haven won the 17th Griswold Mid-Season Invitational for the first time outdistancing the host Wolverines, 197-136. NFA finished third with 125 points.
East Haven’s Victor Garcia (113), Matthew DiVito (120), Eric Araujo (145) and Josh Rao (195) won individual championships. Suffield Academy’s Luis Perez (170) was named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler.
Bristol Central had four finalists including Will Hamilton, who won in double OT at 106 and Karriem Hoe, who brought home a title at 126.
Chariho High-Wood River Junction, R.I., won the Jerry Watkins Duals at Ledyard with a perfect 4-0 record. Chariho beat host Ledyard, 39-30 along with victories over Lyman Memorial/Windham Tech, New Canaan and New Britain. Ledyard went 3-1 in the tournament.
Saturday, January 18 scores and results
Enfield won their first tournament championship in nearly 20 years at the 24th annual Eagle Classic at East Catholic High. Enfield outlasted Manchester High, 134½ to 120 to bring home their first tournament trophy since winning the North Central Connecticut Conference tournament 19 years ago in 2000.
Nick Miller (220) won a title for Enfield with Eli Pelkey finishing second at 113 pounds. Justin Beiler (120) and Sean Messina (126) each finished third.
Stafford’s Tristan Julian (132) beat Newtown’s Nik Accousti in the finals while Berlin’s Dan Veleas (145) outlasted East Hartford’s Timothy Roberts, 8-7.
Joseph’ Provo
January 21, 2019 at 8:44 pm
I’ve noticed that not much of the Ct prep schools are written about or covered, where I know for a fact that a majority of the best wrestling in Ct is going on . Why is this overlooked?
Gerry deSimas, Jr. , Connecticut Wrestling Online
January 22, 2019 at 9:21 pm
Our focus is on the public schools but we will be happy to print prep school results, too. We get some prep school results but not a lot.