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This page was last updated on: November 6, 2003

Copyright 2003, Collinsville Publishing Company
2003 Silk City Classic
Tournament results
2003 Silk City Classic
At Manchester
Team results
1. Mount Anthony Union-Bennington, Vt. 224½, 2. RHAM 160, 3. Killingly 152, 4. Berlin 148½, 5. Plainville 110, 6. Windham High 106, 7. Nonnewaug 67½, 8. New Fairfield 62½, 9. Rocky Hill 61, 10. Rockville 58, 11. Simsbury 56, 12. East Windsor 46, 13. Manchester 44, 14. New-ington 41, 15. Woodstock Academy 40, 16. Canton 37, 17. Fermi 29, 18. South Windsor 15, 19. Tol-land 16, 20. East Catholic 5, 21. Lewis Mills and E.O. Smith 0.
95 pounds
Nick Cavallaro (Plainville) dec. Doug Rohner (Manchester), 8-3; 3. Adam Olin (MAU) dec. Chris Fusco (New Fairfield), 9-4; 5. Jose Negron (Rockville) pin Matt Carpenter (Canton), 4:12
103 pounds
Joey Martin (Simsbury) pin David Brummert (Canton), 1:08; 3. Tom Phillips (Killingly) dec. Trevor Olmstead (RHAM), 10-9; 5. Kevin Horan (Newington) dec. Mike Longo (Rockville)
112 pounds
Jay Vermes (East Windsor) pin Ian Kessler (New Fairfield), 1:12; 3. Chris Pruden (MAU) dec. Jesse Cavallaro (Plainville), 8-5; 5. Nick Miraguillo (Woodstock) dec. Scott Warren (RHAM), 13-3
119 pounds
James Therrian (Killingly) dec. Rob LaBrake (MAU), 1-0; 3. Navarre Jones (Windham) dec. Nick Raiola (RHAM), 8-6; 5. Dan Madey (Berlin) dec. Rahul Bala (Fermi), 8-3
125 pounds
Trevor Brown (RHAM) dec. T.J. Maroney (MAU), 8-6; 3. Kostas Hatzikostas (Nonnewaug) dec. Jordan Blain (Windham), 2-1; 5. Dan Zachs (Simsbury) dec. Matt MacFarland (Killingly), 12-5
130 pounds
B.J. Madey (Berlin) dec. Brad Betit (MAU), 9-7; 3. Brian Bayley (Simsbury) dec. Chevon Schard (Manchester), 10-0; 5. Jeff Larron (Woodstock) dec. Eric Thoran (RHAM), 3-2
135 pounds
C.J. McCormack (Berlin) dec. Pat Parizio (MAU), 4-2; 3. Brock Littlefield (RHAM) dec. Chris Lovell (Fermi), 8-0; 5. Tim Gardiner (Rockville) dec. Kurtis Strout (Windham)
140 pounds
Vito Barbagallo (Plainville) dec. Bran Crudden (Windham), 4-2; 3. Loxley Walters (Rocky Hill) pin Kainen Mattison (MAU), 2:30; 5. Bernie Cunningham (Tolland) pin Grayson Glover (Nonnewaug), 3:50
145 pounds
Ian Coyne (RHAM) dec. Ken Volkmer (MAU), 8-6; 3. A.J. Maselli (Rocky Hill) win by disqualification over Luke Guyot (Windham); 5. Jimi Maiorino (Woodstock) dec. Nick Morrett (Manchester), 14-4
152 pounds
Greg Dussol (RHAM) dec. Justin Giarnella (Berlin), 2-1, 2 OT; 3. Larry Loomis (Killingly) dec. Corey Patrick (Nonnewaug), 7-4; 5. Vince Chiorgno (MAU) dec. Bob Marduski (Windham)
160 pounds
Kevin Davis (RHAM) pin Bryan Hawes (Windham), 1:01; 3. Tom Discipio (Newington) dec. Brendan Beloin (Killingly), 11-2; 5. Matt Morrett (Manchester) dec. Alex Pender (Rockville), 4-3
171 pounds
Ben Frost (MAU) dec. Pete Okrasa (East Windsor), 3-0; 3. Cole Whitehead (Killingly) pin Ferdinand Quiles (Windham), 3:488; 5. Ryan Beiler (Fermi) pin Nick DiSalvo (Berlin), 2:43
189 pounds
Mike LaBeef (Killingly) dec. Dave Chapman (Plainville), 6-1; 3. Mike Sanders (Rocky Hill) dec. Matt Powell (Berlin), 8-5; 5. Tim Owens (Newington) injury default over Kevin Coon (MAU)
215 pounds
Tory Rich (MAU) dec. Matt Sutera (Killingly), criteria, 2nd OT; 3. Justin Fanguillo (Plainville) dec. Brian Dinnie (Rockville), 7-1; 5. Jamie Hines (New Fairfield) dec. Kevin Valencia (Canton), 7-6
275 pounds
John Russo (Berlin) dec. Ray Dommermuth (New Fairfield), 3-0; 3. Brian Wilson (Plainville) pin Andy Dohan (Nonnewaug), 3:53; 5. Marquez (Windham) pin J.P. Pechie (Killingly), 2:23
Fast fall award  Joey Martin, Simsbury, 4 pins in 4:27
Outstanding wrestler (lower weights)  Jason Vermes, East Windsor, 112
Outstanding wrestler (upper weights) 
Lee Pinney Award (sportsmanship)  Justin Giarnella, Berlin
Barry Bernstein Award for sportsmanship  Mount Anthony
Best technican  Vermes
Best final  140 pounds: Crudden vs. Barbagallo


By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Connecticut Wrestling Online
MANCHESTER, January 25, 2003 -- Plainville High senior Vito Barbagallo won't forget the first time he met Windham High freshman Bran Crudden. A week ago, the Whippet freshman stunned Barbagallo, pinning him in the third period.

In the finals of the Silk City Classic Saturday, Barbagallo used his aggressiveness to eliminate any chance for another upset as he handed Crudden his first varsity loss in a 4-2 decision in the finals at 140 pounds.

Barbagallo's reversal with 17 seconds left in the match earned him the victory and clinched Plainville's fifth place finish in the tournament. Nick Cavallaro (95) finished first while teammate Dave Chapman was second at 189 pounds.

Berlin had an even better evening. Three Redcoat wrestlers brought home championships with John Russo (275) winning his second straight tourney title, B.J. Madey winning at 130 and C.J. McCormick taking home the title at 135.

Berlin finished fourth with 148½ points, only 3½ points behind Killingly (152). Defending New England champion Mount Anthony Union of Bennington, Vt., won the tournament for the seventh straight year with 224½ points while RHAM was second with 160.

Rocky Hill finished ninth with three wrestlers taking third place  Loxley Walters (140), A.J. Maselli (145) and Mike Sanders (189). Newington was 14th led by Tom Discipio (160) who was third while Kevin Horan (103), Tim Owens (189) each finished fifth.

Barbagallo's victory over Crudden was voted as the most exciting championship bout.

Barbagallo took a 2-0 lead in the second period with a reversal. Crudden, now 23-1, tied the match with a reversal of his own 50 seconds left in the third period but he couldn't turn Barbagallo over, leaving the door open for Barabagallo's match-winning reversal with 17 seconds to go.

"Vito knew the level he had to be at this time," Plainville coach Sean Kelly said. "Crudden overwhelmed him the last time. (Vito) knew he was stepping into a hornet's nest so he was prepared."

Madey (130) earned his spot in the finals with a tough 2-1 decision and was locked in a thriller with Mount Anthony's Brad Betit. Tied 5-5 after one period, Madey took a one-point lead after two periods, 8-7 thanks to a takedown and escape. Madey extended the lead to two, 9-7, when Betit let Madey escape but Betit couldn't get the match-tying takedown.

"I don't like to stay too stagnant," Madey said. "I like to keep moving on the mat."

McCormick (135) trailed Mt. Anthony's Pat Parizio, 2-1, with 1:09 left in the match after Parizio got the takedown. But Parizio let McCormick go to tie the score at 2-2 with 29 seconds left.

Then, McCormick was able to get the match-winning takedown with 7 seconds remaining. McCormick used a head snap to bring his opponent to his knees and then scrambled behind him.

"I think he felt me working for a reversal so he let me go," McCormack said of the escape.

Russo went the distance for the first time all season in a 3-0 win over New Fairfield's Ray Dommermuth. A two-point near fall early in the third period gave Russo, now 24-0, a cushion.

"It was my toughest match this year," Russo said. "I have pinned everyone else I have wrestled this year."

At 152 pounds, Justin Giarnella lost a 2-1 thriller in the second overtime when RHAM's Greg Dussol managed to escape. Giarnella's escape with 1:30 left in the third period tied the match and sent it to overtime. Matt Powell finished fourth at 189 pounds.

Berlin coach Jim Day was pleased with his veteran wrestlers. Russo, Madey and McCormick are all seniors while Giarnella is a junior.

"Our upperclassmen showed their savvy and mental toughness," a proud Day said. "Our young kids showed their youth. Overall, we haven't shifted gears yet but this was great. It tells us what we need to work on."

ANOTHER TITLE FOR MAU: Mt. Anthony won the tournament for a record 7th straight time but had only two champions  its smallest number of winners ever. The Patriots won the tournament by 64½ points over RHAM on the strength of its wrestlers in the consolation bracket that earned a pair of third place medals and a fourth place medal. MAU had seven wrestlers in the finals with four losing by a total of seven points.

"Some kids wrestled pretty good and some could have wrestled a little better," MAU coach Scott Legacy said. "We've lost a lot of close ones. I know people expect the world of us but we're very young."

MAU had 10 sophomores, two juniors, a senior and freshman in its starting lineup. It was the smallest winning margin for the Patriots since they began competing here in 1997.

AROUND THE MAT: Simsbury freshman
Joey Martin (103) remained undefeated with a 1:08 pin over Canton's David Brummert in the finals. Martin is now 24-0. Martin also won the tournament fast fall award with 4 pins in 4:27. ... East Windsor's Jason Vermes (112) beat three-time defending tournament champion Chris Pruden in the semifinals, 8-5. Then Vermes pinned New Fairfield's Ian Kessler in the finals in 1:12. Kessler had beaten State Open champion Jesse Cavallaro of Plainville, 3-1 in OT in the semifinals. ... Killingly's James Therrian (119, 24-1) used a second period escape to beat defending tournament champion Rob LaBrake of MAU (29-2) in the finals. . RHAM's Trevor Brown (125, 23-0) remained undefeated by beating MAU's T.J. Maroney in the finals, 8-6. ... RHAM's Ian Coyne (145) outlasted MAU's Ken Volkmer, 8-6 in the final.  Rocky Hill's A.J. Maselli (145) finished third when Windham's Luke Guyot was disqualified in the consolation final for biting him. The Whippets lost all of Guyot's team points. ... RHAM's Kevin Davis (160, 22-0) remained undefeated by pinning defending tournament champion Bryan Hawes of Windham in the finals. ... East Windsor's
Pete Okrasa (171, 21-1) lost for the first time in a 3-0 loss to MAU's Ben Frost in the final. ... Killingly's Mike LaBeef (189) won his second straight tournament title with a 6-1 win over Plainville junior Dave Chapman, scoring four points in the third period. LaBeef improves to 24-1....  At 215. MAU's Tory Rich won the title on criteria, not allowing Killingly's Matt Sutera to escape in the second overtime. The pair tied 6-6 after regulation. ... Mt. Anthony had seven wrestlers in the finals and two won. RHAM placed four wrestlers in the finals and all four prevailed. ... The competition was so good that the finals didn't begin until 9:45 p.m., ending shortly after 11 p.m.
Not overwhelmed
Barbagallo prevails in rematch; MAU wins 7th straight title; four champions lift RHAM into second place