Adams is just fourth Canton wrestler to win an Eagle Classic title

Canton’s Julian Adams controls Manchester’s Rafiq Conway in the championship match at 160 pounds. Adams won, 6-4. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

MANCHESTER, Jan. 16 – Julian Adams became just the fourth Canton wrestler to win a championship at the 22nd annual Eagle Classic in Manchester Saturday.

Adams outlasted Manchester’s Rafiq Conway, 6-4 to win the championship at 160 pounds. He also beat Nick Garoffolo of Joel Barlow/Immaculate in the semifinals, 7-4 and outlasted Nonnewaug’s Flori Cenkolli in the quarterfinals, 12-11.

The last Canton wrestlers to bring home a championship from this tournament were Skylar Lang (220) and Dylan Houle (170) in 2014. Before that, it was Kacy O’Connor in 1999.

Senior Trey VandeBogart (138) and freshman Brian Connolly (113) each went 3-2 on the day with two pins each. Freshman Donovan Makin (106) went 2-2 in the tournament with a pair of pins.

New Milford beat East Hartford, 233½ to 195½ to capture the Eagle Classic at East Catholic in Manchester for the first time. Canton finished 12th in the field of 16 teams.

The Warriors (4-5, 2-2 NCCC) return to the mat Wednesday night when they travel to Coventry for a NCCC dual meet.

Eagle Classic
At Manchester (East Catholic)
Team results – 1. New Milford 233½, 2. East Hartford 195½, 3. Newtown 186½, 4. Manchester 166, 5. Berlin 123½, 6. East Catholic 99, 7. Derby 88, 8. Cheshire 83, 9. Nonnewaug 79, 10. Joel Barlow/Immaculate 71, 11. East Windsor 55½, 12. Canton 53, 13. Stafford 29, 14. Holy Cross 26, 15. Fermi 20, 16. Rocky Hill 16