By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Special to The Valley Press
CANTON, Feb. 14, 2009 – Practice had concluded one December afternoon for the Avon High wrestling team. A group of seniors went to talk with head coach John McLaughlin. The message was clear.
“They told me you have to work us harder,” McLaughlin said. “Have faith in us. We can be a good team.”
He smiled as he recalled this story a few days after the Falcons finished the regular season with a 25-3 record and 7-0 in the NCCC. When these seniors were freshmen, the Falcons were a talented squad winning a school-record 27 matches and finishing second in Class S. But it was a team that McLaughlin had to push hard all the time.
This year, McLaughlin doesn’t have to push as hard. “There isn’t a kid in this room that would run until they vomit,” he said. Now, the Falcons don’t practice until they are ill but they do work hard.
“We knew would be a good team this year,” he said. “But we didn’t think we would be this good. The guys did a lot of work in the off-season. It’s an amazingly hard-working team. And it’s a fun group. I love coming to practice every day.”
Avon, which clinched its fourth NCCC championship in five years with a win at the NCCC Tournament last Saturday, has seven seniors in the starting lineup. But they also have wrestlers who have been patient and waited for their opportunity.
Senior David Wyrick (171) and junior Mike Hogan (160) are in the varsity lineup for the first time this year. Hogan finished second at 160 while Wyrick was third at 171.
“At a lot of schools, if you’re not varsity by a sophomore, the kids quit,” McLaughlin said. “We have kids who buy into it and are still a part of the team.”
The Falcons have their veterans, too, and they are successful. Matt Silver (140, 30-7), who was named the outstanding wrestler in the NCCC Tournament, outlasted Somers’ Dave Chokas, 4-2 in the 140 championship match.
Seniors Joe Tripodi (135, 35-2), Eric Lybeck (145) and Brian Haynes (185) won NCCC titles along with Connor Douglas (112) and Sonny Portelance (215), who beat Somers’ Ken Vollaro, 6-3.
Seven of Avon’s nine finalists in the NCCC tournament won and four other wrestlers finished third. Eleven of Avon’s 14 varsity wrestlers finished in the top three of their respective weight class.
“Success breeds success,” McLaughlin said. “The more popular it gets and kids want to be part of a winning program.”
Avon’s 25 wins is the second-highest in team history. Avon’s title was its 16th NCCC championship. The Falcons will compete in the CIAC Class M tournament on Friday and Saturday at Windham High.
CANTON: The resurgence of the Canton High wrestling team continued at Saturday’s NCCC Tournament that the Warriors hosted. Canton finished second in the event, its best finish in seven years since taking second in 2002.
This season, the Warriors posted its first winning season in seven years, going 20-11 overall and 6-1 in the league. Their only loss within the league was to eventual champion Avon, 59-12, in mid-January.
Canton freshman Matt White (103) and junior Rich Jones (140) captured NCCC titles with teammate’s Steven Carpenter (119) and Nate Haller (189) finishing second. Matt Grisevich (125) and Sean Delany (215) each finished third while Brian Fitzpatruck (112), Peter LeDuc (130), Brandon Leach (145), Cole Murphy (285) each finished fourth.
White earned a 9-3 decision over Avon’s Jason Lybeck in the 103 final while Jones beat Avon’s Mike Hogan in the 160 final, 10-4. It was a bit of revenge for Jones, who lost to Hogan earlier this year, 13-8.
At 119, Somers’ Dan Piscottano spoiled Carpenter’s bid for a second straight league championship with an 8-5 victory. At 189, Haller was pinned by Avon’s Brian Haynes.
The Warriors finished strong even without sophomore Nate Getler, who was 29-2 at 135 pounds before injuring his knee last week in a one-point win over Somers. Getler is out for the season. Canton will compete at the Class S tournament at St. Bernard’s in Montville.
FARMINGTON: In Farmington, a young Indians squad earned its fourth 20-win season in five years in its first season in the Central Connecticut Conference. The Indians finished 20-11 and 4-1 in the CCC West.
The Indians hosted the first-ever CCC West tournament on Saturday.
Traditionally, CCC schools have shown little interest in a conference tournament opting for dual meets or an off weekend before the CIAC state tournament begins the following weekend.
Farmington finished second to Conard in the event but no one had more individual champions than the Indians, who had five wrestlers win.
Senior Eric Orrell (119) joined an elite number of wrestlers to win four straight conference titles with his 1-0 decision over Conard’s Marshall Simpson. Orrell (37-1) previously won three straight Northwest Conference titles. Glenn Campagna won four straight NWC titles from 1981-84.
Orrell was named the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler. “Eric won a tough battle,” Farmington coach Eric Misko said. “Those two guys have seen an awful lot of each other over the last two years but Eric found a way to come through again. This is a special title for us.”
Orrell’s younger brother, Tim, also joined him with a championship. Freshman Tim Orrell (28-6) beat teammate Brandon Lane to win the 103-pound weight class, 6-0. Tim Orrell continues to extend his record for most wins by a freshman in team history.
At 112 pounds, Chan Keoveunexay earned a thrilling 12-10 victory over Conard’s Paul Guiterez, who came into the tournament with a 29-2 record. “That’s a big win over a talented wrestler,” Misko said.
Farmington also prevailed at 125 pounds with Andrew Rivera (27-9) quickly pinning Windsor’s Angel Vasquez in 19 seconds for the quickest pin in the finals. “Andrew has been really getting after it lately and is making the most of his senior season,” Misko said.
Farmington’s final championship came at 171 pounds with Sean O’Connell pinning Conard’s Mike Laniskas in 3:33.
“This is a nice tune-up for the state tournament,” Misko said. “Our kids had some good matches that pushed them and we have some things that we can work on this week.”
Farmington will compete in the Class L tournament this weekend at Bristol Central.
Published first in the Valley Press on February 19, 2009
