Class M Tournament
At Windham High
Team results – 1. Ledyard 203½, 2. Windham High 183½, 3. Montville 138, 4. Bacon Academy 130½, 5. Platt High 122, 6. Killingly 119, 7. New Fairfield 100, 8. Stratford and RHAM 98, 10. Woodstock Academy 86, 11. Avon 83, 12. Fairfield Warde 76, 13. Brookfield 69, 14. Weaver 68, 15. Hartford Public 67, 16. Seymour 66, 17. Waterford 52, 18. Enfield 45, 19. Plainville and Darien 44, 21. Foran 43, 22. Joel Barlow 41½, 23. East Haven 38, 24. Vinal Tech 34, 25. Cheney Tech 24, 26. Wolcott Tech 21½, 27. Sheehan 11
Individual results
103 – Final: West Johnson (Platt) dec. Nicholas Perry (Montville), 11-8; 3. Noah Smutnick (Woodstock Academy) default Joseph Levine (Brookfield); 5. Joey Testa (Darien) dec. Taylor Gunnels (Ledyard), 3-2
112 – Final: Anthony Ricco (Stratford) dec. Brandon Thoutte (Killingly), 6-4; 3. Ryan Quinn (Bacon Academy) dec. Billy Lynn (RHAM), 8-0; 5. Youngin Lim (Avon) pin Dante Spinnato (Waterford), 1:29
119 – Final: Este Lara (Avon) dec. Charles Satti (Ledyard), 6-1; 3. Mikal Grant (New Fairfield) dec. Curtis Watkins (Fairfield Warde), 4-2; 5. Nick Marouski (Windham) pin Eddie Loomis (Killingly), 3:38
125 – Final: Joshua Go (Montville) dec. Jesse Inman (Stratford), 1-0; 3. Andrew Blain (Windham) pin Luis Figueroa (Hartford Public). 0:32; 5. Nicholas Giuliette (Sheehan) dec. Matt Wargo (RHAM), 10-0
130 – Final: Nelson Gonzalez (Platt) tech fall Mike Frick (New Fairfield), 16-1; 3. Antonio Torres (Windham) dec. Zach Hardcastle (Montville), 10-5; 5. Shane Sullivan (Ledyard) pin Chris Wargo (RHAM), 4:55
135 – Final: Patrick Ryan (Montville) dec. James Peek (Killingly), 6-2; 3. Zeb Levine (Woodstock Academy) dec. Daniel Oquendo (Windham), 10-3; 5. Ralph Riello (Platt) dec. Shayne McAfee (RHAM), 5-3
140 – Final: T.J. Hepburn (Ledyard) dec. Steve Flathers (Stratford), 19-9; 3. Zachary Cammarano (Foran) dec. Robert Fiore (Joel Barlow), 4-2; 5. Gage Hogestyn (Seymour) dec. Sergio Rivera (Windham), 5-1
145 – Final: Jonathan Torres (Windham) dec. Eric Campbell (RHAM), 4-3; 3. Shane Yahulke (New Fairfield) dec. Juan Flores (Killingly), 8-7; 5. Joshua Chambers (Enfield) pin Daniel Alger (Montville), 2:59
152 – Final: Michael Baker (Ledyard) dec. Kyle Czaplicki (RHAM), 5-4; 3. Zach Wetzel (Woodstock Academy) dec. Jared Marshall (Avon), 4-3; 5. John Milaras (Waterford) dec. Joe Wabshinak (New Fairfield), 3-2
160 – Final: Addison Fleming (Windham) dec. Mario Acca (Plainville), 8-0; 3. Chris Plumb (Seymour) dec. Silas Shelley (Fairfield Warde), 5-1; 5. Kyle Ungar (Joel Barlow) default Shane Battista (Waterford)
171 – Final: Sean Burgess (Bacon Academy) dec. Cody Bias (East Haven), 9-0; 3. Justin McPeek (Killingly) dec. Zachary Fleming (Windham), 8-3; 5. Kyle Casagranda (Montville) default TJ Silva (New Fairfield)
189 – Final: Julian Hightower (Ledyard) dec. Jerry Thompson (Bacon Academy), 11-3; 3. John Wamser (Brookfield) pin E.J. Wasikowski (Seymour), 0:58; 5. David Freemantle (Vinal Tech) default Marcello Catapano (Fairfield Warde)
215 – Final: Leonard Stanley (Weaver) dec. Nicholas Morales (Ledyard), 10-3; 3. Dennis Yousef (Hartford Public) dec. Elijah Williams (Cheney Tech), 12-1; 5. William Bedrin (Enfield) pin Cody Coughlin (Darien), 1:58
285 – Final: Matt Chalmers (Bacon Academy) dec. Rashannon Stanley (Weaver), 4-3; 3. John Gabordi (Ledyard) dec. Robert Wilkinson (Foran), 12-7; 5. Kevin Potter (Platt) pin Jordan Miron (Stratford), 4:21
Outstanding wrestler: T.J. Hepburn, Ledyard
Fast fall: Patrick Ryan, Montville (135), 3 pins in 2:33
Ledyard wins record 16th state championship
Connecticut Wrestling Online
WINDHAM, Feb. 17 – For the third time in four years, Ledyard is a state champion. The Colonels, who won the Class L title in 2004 and 2005, earned a record 16th state championship by outlasting ECC rival Windham High by 20 points, 203½-183½.
Ledyard’s T.J. Hepburn won his fourth straight state title at 140 pounds in a 19-9 decision over Stratford’s Steve Flathers to earn outstanding wrestler honors. Hepburn has captured two Class L and two Class M titles. But he didn’t do it alone. Seven other Ledyard wrestlers won medals including Mike Baker (152) and Julian Hightower (189) who won championships.
Charles Satti (119) and Nicholas Morales (215) finished second while John Garbordi (285) was third. Shane Sullivan (130, 5th) and Taylor Gunnels (103, 6th) were also medalwinners.
Windham High coach Pat Risley felt the tournament turned in the semifinals when the Whippets could only manage two wins in six attempts. Ledyard earned four wins in the semifinals.
Windham’s Addison Fleming (160), who had a controversial 4-3 win over top-seeded Chris Plumb of Seymour in the semifinals, won a championship with an 8-0 win over sophomore Mario Acca of Plainville
Teammate Jon Torres (145) prevailed over RHAM’s Eric Campbell in a thrilling 4-3 victory in triple overtime. Campbell took a 2-0 lead with a first period takedown. A third period escape from Torres tied the match at 2-2. The first 60-second overtime was scoreless. Both scored escapes in the second OT. In the third OT, Torres controlled Campbell to win the title. It was Torres’ second straight Class M crown.
The championship round was filled with tight matches. There were few pins and plenty of close, tight decisions.
Hepburn’s match at 140 wasn’t close at all. He beat Stratford’s Steve Flathers, 19-9. Hepburn, who previously won a pair of Class L and a Class M title wasn’t bothered by not being able to get a pin. “I was just out to get a win,” Hepburn told the New London Day. “It was nothing fantastic. I was just doing a job. Anyway, this helps me get my stamina up for the Open.”
At 112, Stratford’s Anthony Ricco had a two-point victory over Killingly’s Brandon Thoutte, 6-4. Thoutte dropped to 40-4 on the year. At 119, Avon’s Este Lara won his second straight state title with a 6-1 win over Ledyard’s Charles Satti, scoring four points in the third period to take control of the match. Montville’s Joshua Go had an escape to beat Stratford’s Jesse Inman, 1-0.
Ledyard’s Michael Baker (152) had a one-point decision over RHAM’s Kyle Czaplick, 5-4 to win a state championship. Normally wrestling at 145, Baker moved up a weight class to help Ledyard earn more points. Baker’s last-minute reversal with 26 seconds remaining gave him the championship.
At 185, Ledyard’s Nick Morales was the seventh seed and earned a spot in the finals against Weaver’s Leonard Stanley but Stanley took leads of 5-2 and 8-2 to earn a 10-3 decision.
Undefeated Matt Chalmers (285) of Bacon Academy escaped with 10 seconds left to earn a 4-3 decision over Weaver’s Rashannon Stanley and deny Stanley his second straight championship. Chalmers improved to 46-0.
Montville’s Patrick Ryan won his second straight Class M title with a 6-2 win over Killingly’s James Peek at 135 pounds. He also took home the tournament’s fast fall award with 3 pins in 2:33. … Ledyard’s Julian Hightower won his second straight title.
Reports from personal notes, the New London Day and Norwich Bulletin used to prepare this report.
