2006 Class LL Tournament
At Trumbull
Team results -- 1. Danbury, 274.5; 2. New Milford, 172; 3. Amity-Woodbridge, 156; 4. Southington, 147.5; 5. Trumbull, 136.5; 6. Cheshire, 124.5; 7. Stamford, 111.5; 8. New Britain, 106; 9. Greenwich, 101; 10. Norwich Free Academy, 81.5; 11. Glastonbury, 80; 1 (tie). Xavier-Middletown and Manchester, 75; 14. Newington, 68; 15. Shelton, 58; 16. Hall-West Hartford, 54.5; 17. Bridgeport Co-op, 49; 18. Norwalk, 48; 19. East Hartford, 45; 20. South Windsor, 35.5; 21. Newtown, 30.5; 22. Westhill-Stamford, 29.5; 23. Fairfield Prep, 18; 24. New Haven Co-op, 16; 25. Platt Tech/West Haven, 0.
Individuals results
103
Championship: Mike Battinelli (Stamford) dec. Anthony Amorando (New Milford), 7-0; 3rd -- Mike Briskin (Cheshire) dec. Nick Custodio (Trumbull), 6-5; 5th -- Jack Germano (Newington) dec. Mike Medeiros (Danbury), 3-1.
112
Championship: Jeff Solomon (Southington) pin Mike Cunningham (South Windsor), 3:43; 3rd -- Ronnie Waters (Cheshire) dec. George Madkour (Danbury), 6-4; 5th -- Tyler Vallario (Glastonbury) dec. Steve Krohley (Amity), 4-2.
119
Championship: Dave Badgley (Southington) pin Steve Cessario (East Hartford), 5:30; 3rd -- Jon Goncalves (Danbury) dec. Chris Ly (Shelton), 5-3; 5th -- Rich Reher (Trumbull) pin Mike Katz (Amity), 3:28.
125
Championship: Brett Roberts (New Britain) dec. Spiros Stefanatos (New Milford), 6-3; 3rd -- Tucker Schaefer (Danbury) pin Matt Van Houston (Stamford), 1:31; 5th -- Justin Krofssik (Shelton) dec. Brett Pallotto (Cheshire), 9-7.
130
Championship: Tyler Howe (Danbury) technical fall over Trevor Ritchie (Southington), 15-0; 3rd -- Mike Vernik (Amity) dec. Mike Bagot (Glastonbury), 10-8; 5th -- Pat Notti (Cheshire) dec. Andrew Davis (New Britain), 2-1.
135
Championship: Joe Bullard (Bridgeport Co-op) dec. Dean Smith (Danbury), 9-5; 3rd -- Jordan Jacquo (New Britain) dec. Andrew Gewirtz (Amity), 8-6; 5th -- Casey Smith (Trumbull) won by injury default over Stefon Camacho (Stamford).
140
Championship: Frank Cammisa (Danbury) won by technical fall over Mike Bellagamba (New Milford), 18-2; 3rd -- Elard Coello (Stamford) dec. Matt Ehalt (Shelton), 4-3; 5th -- Brian Meskill (Xavier) pin Harold Zomback (Cheshire), 1:55.
145
Championship: Tom Scott (Danbury) dec. E. Pierre Saint (Stamford), 4-3; 3rd -- Cody Griswold (New Milford) dec. Jake Clarke (Greenwich), 3-2; 5th -- Robert Tomlinson (Cheshire) won by injury default over Uzzell Thomas (New Britain).
152
Championship: Kyle Rodgers (Danbury) dec. Jamie Pisano (New Milford), 6-0; 3rd -- Evan Ogren (Hall) dec. Nik Sam (Trumbull), 5-0; 5th -- Derek Waldron (NFA) won by injnury default over Ron Thompson (Westhill).
160
Championship: John Holzinger (Xavier) dec. Tim Petrides (Norwalk), 8-3; 3rd -- Ryan Roddy(Amity) dec. Rich Zschoche (Danbury), 4-0; 5th -- Kayden Luchs (Glastonbury) dec. Alex Uliasz (Southington), 5-3.
171
Championship: Jeff Espositi (Danbury) dec. Anthony Kaponis (Newington), 5-2; 3rd -- Joe Colella (New Britain) dec. Ken Oghayore (Bridgeport Co-op), 4-1; 5th -- Loc Nguyen (Manchester) pin P.J. Arnold (New Milford), 2:10.
189
Championship: Brandon Williamson (Greenwich) pin Nik Murphy (NFA), 5:20; 3rd -- Dan Lombardo (Amity) dec. Dave Kennedy (Danbury), 10-2; 5th -- Erik Sommer (Trumbull) pin Omar Brown (East Hartford), 1:30.
215
Championship: William Knight (Manchester) pin Platon Koukides (Norwalk), 3:51; 3rd -- Matt Vernick (Amity) pin Robert McAviney (Cheshire), 1:34; 5th -- Jesse Ludgin (Hall) pin Max Connolly (Southington), 5:31.
275
Championship: Tom Ferrell (New Milford) pin Anell Montanez (Trumbull), 5:35; 3rd -- Mike Ward (NFA) dec. Rej Gachelin (Greenwich), 3-2; 5th -- Spencer Charette (Southington) pin Ryan Grabinski (Amity), 0:08.
Outstanding wrestler: Joey Bullard (135), Bridgeport
Fast fall: Loc Nguyen (171), Manchester
By MATT EHALT
Connecticut Wrestling Online
TRUMBULL, Feb. 18 – The Danbury High wrestling team was proud to earn its 10th straight Class LL championship, winning by over 100 points over second place New Milford, 274.5-272. But they were just as pleased to qualify 11 wrestlers for next week’s CIAC State Open with an eye on the New England Tournament in two weeks. The top four wrestlers in each class qualify for the Open.
"They knew that part of our goal was to have 11-12," Danbury coach Ricky Shook told the Danbury News Times. "After this week it is seven to nine for New England's. If we have only four or five it won't help too much. The last two weeks we have talked a lot as a team about goals. This tournament was one of them."
Danbury had five individual champions and had two wrestlers finish second. "Everything that they get they deserve," New Milford coach Pat Burns told the News-Times. "They work for it and they earn it. You have to give Ricky Shook and all the Danbury parents credit. Every team just tries to mimic them and get to that level. They set the bar for excellence."
103
Stamford sophomore Mike Battanelli remained undefeated (41-0) and won his first Class LL title with a 7-0 shutout of New Milford’s Anthony Amorando. "Since the first day of practice, he's been working hard to get to this point,'' Stamford coach Tim Donnelly told the Stamford Advocate. "He won the championships now in the (Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference) and Class LL, and now he can focus on the State Open.'' Amorando earned a spot in the final by upsetting No. 2 Nick Custodio of Trumbull, 6-3. Cheshire sophomore Mike Briskin finished third.
112
Southington junior Jeff Solomon rallied from an 8-1 deficit to pin South Windsor’s Michael Cunningham and win the championship in 3:43. Cunningham threw Solomon to his back early for leads of 5-0 and 8-1. But he rallied in the second period. “Jeff is a great scrambler,” Southington coach Derek Dion said. “He never quits.”
Cheshire’s Ronnie Waters finished third with a 6-4 OT win over Danbury’s George Madkour. A surprise performance came from Amity’s Steve Krohley, who defeated No. 5 Dennis Lee of Fairfield Prep, 10-8 on Friday night and pinned No. 4 Tyler Vallario of Glastonbury in the quarterfinals. Lee had beaten Krohley a week earlier in the SCC Tournament.
119
A year ago, Southington’s Dave Badgley could do little but watch after injuring his thumb and missing most of the season. The sophomore is making up for it this year after rolling to a dominating championship performance by beating East Hartford’s Steve Cassario for the third time with a pin in 5:36. He caught Cassario riding too high. Danbury sophomore John Goncalves earned a 5-3 decision over SCC champion Chris Ly of Shelton to finish third. No. 8 seed Rich Reher of Trumbull was fifth while No. 9 Mike Katz of Amity took sixth.
125
Leading by one with under a minute to go, New Britain’s Brett Roberts got a key takedown to solidify a 6-3 win over top-seeded Spiros Stefanatos of New Milford and earn the first state title for the Hurricanes since 1999. Stefanatos needed a dramatic takedown in the final 10 seconds to beat No. 4 Matt Van Houten of Stamford, 3-1 in the semifinals. No. 8 Tucker Schaefer of Danbury beat Van Houten to finish third with a pin in 1:31. No. 2 Justin Krofssik of Shelton earned his 100th career win by beating Brett Pallotto of Cheshire, 9-7.
130
Danbury’s Tyler Howe won his second straight Class LL championship with a 15-0 tech fall over Southington’s Trevor Ritchie. Freshman Mike Vernik of Amity beat Glastonbury’s Mike Bagot, 10-8 to finish third.
135
Top-seeded Joey Bullard of Bridgeport became the first wrestler from Warren Harding to win a Class LL title with a 9-5 win over Danbury’s Dean Smith. It was the second win in two weeks for Bullard, who was voted the tournament’s outstanding wrestler, over Smith. Bullard had a 6-5 lead with 30 seconds left before he put Smith to his back for near fall points. In a rematch of an earlier quarterfinal match, New Britain’s Jordan Jacquo outlasted Amity’s Drew Gewirtz, 8-6 to finish third. Jacquo won the earlier bout, 4-2 in overtime.
140
Danbury’s Frank Camissa won his second straight Class LL title with an 18-2 win over New Milford sophomore Mike Bellagamba in 4:00. In a rematch of an earlier quarterfinal bout, No. 6 Elard Coello of Stamford edged Shelton’s Matt Ehalt, 4-3 to finish third. Ehalt won the earlier match, 4-1. Xavier’s Brian Meskill took fifth.
145
Trailing 3-2, Danbury’s Tom Scott got a takedown with 2.3 seconds left to beat Stamford sophomore E. Pierre Saint, 4-3. Scott, the fifth seed, earned his spot in the final by upsetting FCIAC champion Jake Clarke of Greenwich, 12-5 in the semifinals. Pierre-Saint earned his spot in the final with a 5-3 win in OT over SCC champion Rob Tomlinson of Cheshire. In the consolation final, New Milford sophomore Cody Griswold nipped Clarke, 4-3 to finish third. Tomlinson finished fifth.
152
For the third time this year, top-seeded Kyle Rodgers of Danbury beat No. 2 Jamie Pisano of New Milford to win his second straight Class LL championship. This time, Rodgers prevailed in the finals with a 6-0 victory. Pisano rallied to win his semifinal bout over No. 3 Ron Thompson of Westhill, 11-7. Trailing 7-6 with 15 seconds left in the third period, Pisano got a reversal and put Thompson on his back. Hall’s Evan Ogren beat Trumbull’s Nick Sam, 5-0 to finish third. Sam won 4-3 in the quarterfinals earlier in the tournament.
160
Top-seeded John Holzinger of Xavier left the mat with his first Class LL championship after beating Norwalk’s Tim Petrides, 8-3. Holzinger had lost two previous LL finals. Holzinger outlasted FCIAC champion Richie Zschoche of Danbury in the semifinals, 4-3 while Petrides outlasted No. 3 Ryan Roddy of Amity, 4-0 in the other semifinal. Roddy beat Zschoce, 4-0 to take fourth.
171
Danbury’s Jeff Esposti beat No. 2 Anthony Kaponis of Newington, 5-2 to win his first Class LL championship. Kaponis had an excellent 11-9 decision over No. 3 Ken Oghayore of Bridgeport in the semifinals. No. 4 Joe Colella of New Britain beat Oghayore, 4-1 to take third.
189
FCIAC champion Randon Williamson of Greenwich handed NFA’s Nikolas Murphy his first loss of the year by pinning him in 5:20 to win a championship. Murphy, the top seed, had won the ECC title a week earlier. Amity’s Dan Lombardo outlasted No. 8 David Kennedy of Danbury, 10-2 to finish third.
215
Earlier this year, top-seeded Platon Koukides of Norwalk handed Manchester’s William Knight a big 10-point loss (11-1). But in the final at 215, Knight handed Koukides his first loss of the year by pinning him in 3:52, hip tossing him to the edge of the mat to secure the pin with eight seconds left in the second period. In a rematch of last week’s SCC final, Amity’s Matt Vernik pinned Cheshire’s Rob McAviney in 1:34 to finish third. Last week, McAviney was the victory.
275
A battle of two unbeaten wrestlers was one of the most anticipated matchups of the night. Top-seeded Tom Ferrell of New Milford pinned No. 2 Anell Montanez of Trumbull in 5:36 to win his first Class LL title. It was Ferrell’s fourth win over Montanez in two years. Montanez took a second period 1-0 lead, but Ferrell registered a takedown to make it 2-1. Montanez escapted to make it 2-2 going into the third. Ferell took bottom, escaped, and then bear-hugged Montanez for the pin at 5:36. No. 4 Mike Ward of NFA edged No. 5 Reggie Gachelin of Greenwich 3-2 in a rematch of their quarterfinal which Gachelin won via pin.
Additional reporting by Gerry deSimas, Jr. Material from the Danbury News Times and Stamford Advocate also included in this report.
