Avon’s Isaiah Adams (113), right, won his first state championship Saturday at the Class M championship meet.
Junior Isaiah Adams is setting the tone in the Avon High wrestling room. He is also doing on the mat.
Adams won the CCC Tournament championship at 113 pounds two weeks ago and added his first state championship on Saturday at the Class M championship meet in Wilton.
Adams dominated with two pins, a technical fall and an 8-5 win over Bethel’s Jerry Hill to capture an individual state title. He helped lead the Falcons to a fifth place finish in the tournament.
Adams was one of four Avon wrestlers to win medals and earn berths in this weekend’s State Open tournament at the Floyd Little Athletic Center on the campus of Hillhouse High in New Haven.
“He has a crazy work ethic,” Avon High coach John McLaughlin said. “He understands wrestling. He is super quick. Before you have a chance to defend it, he can be in on you for a takedown. He’s great for the wrestling room. Kids always try to emulate the best wrestler (in the room).”
Adams came to Avon with some experience. He wrestled when he was younger and competed as a freshman at Chelmsford High in Chelmsford, Mass., where finished fourth at 106 pounds in the state’s Division I tournament – which is comparable to Class LL here in Connecticut.
His family came to Avon as a sophomore but like all wrestlers in the state, he missed out when the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adams came into the tournament with a 26-2 record. “He is a very focused and driven kid,” McLaughlin said. “His work ethic and leadership have been the spark for the team’s success.”
The Falcons went 14-4 this season and were second in the CCC North with a 5-1 record behind Class LL co-champion East Hartford.
Adams, now 30-2, won his first two bouts at the Class M championships with pins in 16 and 26 seconds, respectively. He beat Foran’s Mason Hallstrom by technical fall in 4:45 in the semifinals. Thanks to three takedowns, Adams beat Bethel’s Jerry Hill, 8-5. Adams gave up just five points in four bouts.
Roel Johnson finished second for the Falcons at 152 pounds, dropping an 8-2 decision to Platt’s Caiden Talento. Johnson (21-11) won his first match by pin (24 seconds) and outlasted E.O. Smith’s Dakota Blanchard, 4-2 thanks to a reversal and near fall in the second period.
Johnson pinned Waterford’s Mason Concascia in 3:22 in the semifinals to advance to the finals.
Cameron Casey (160) finished fourth with a 3-2 record. Teammate Ethan Volpe (195) was sixth at 195 pounds. He went 3-3 in the tournament.
Avon was without one of their top wrestlers in the tournament. Jonah Weber (132) got hurt in the finals of the CCC Tournament and wasn’t able to participate. Weber was 3-1 in the CCC tournament with three pins. He would have been a top seed in the Class M tournament and was second in Class M at 113 pounds in 2020.
Before Adams, the most recent state champion for the Falcons was Chris Gens, a two-time state champion at 220 pounds in 2020 and 2019.
CIAC Class M championships
At East Haven
Team results: 1. Branford 261½; 2. Foran 226½; 3. Berlin 155½; 4. RHAM 150½; 5. Avon 119; 5. Plainville 119; 7. New London 101; 8. Lyman Mem/Windham Tech 99; 9. Suffield/Windsor Locks 93; 10. Bunnell 89½; 11. E.O. Smith 88; 12. Ellis Tech 84; 13. Platt 79; 14. Waterford 76; 15. Brookfield 70½; 16. East Haven 61; 17. Weston 60; 18. Joel Barlow 56; 19. Notre Dame-West Haven 55; 20. Bethel 47; 21. Jonathan Law 31; 22. Rockville 26; 23. Masuk 22; 24. St Joseph 20; 25. Watertown 3
Individual results
106 pounds
Final: Mason Arborio (Berlin) pin Jackson Tassoni (Ellis Tech), 1:15
3. Jack Batista-Fletcher (East Haven) pin Ben Fournier (RHAM), 4:17
5. Keith Pokornowski (Foran) pin Cesar Rodriguez (Platt), 0:35
113 pounds
Final: Isaiah Adams (Avon) dec. Jerry Hill (Bethel), 8-5
3. Hayden Ferland (Ellis Tech) dec. Mason Hallstrom (Foran), 6-4
5. Jorge Gonzalez-Garcia (New London) forfeit over Miles Fine (Weston)
120 pounds
Final: Antonio Madero (Foran) dec. Danny Carrozza (Brookfield), 12-0
3. Jake Elpi (Branford) pin Andy Martinez-Soliz (New London), 2:07
5. Gavin Plourde (RHAM) dec. Esther Ribeiro (Bethel), 5-0
126 pounds
Final: Matthew Carrozza (Brookfield) dec. Caleb Phillips (E.O. Smith), 13-2
3. Dominick Zdunek (Branford) pin Kyle Currier (RHAM), 0:45
5. Evan Cavicchia (Weston) forfeit over Stryder Hanson (Joel Barlow)
132 pounds
Final: Scott Romano (Joel Barlow) dec. Craig Mager (Foran), 5-1
3. Lucas Gannotti (Waterford) dec. Nehemiah Czelusniak (Lyman Mem/WT), 6-4 OT
5. Carter Burgess (Branford) pin Nathan Videira (Masuk), 2:08
138 pounds
Final: Jace Korab (Branford) dec. Zackary Kanaitis (RHAM), 6-3
3. Landon Vieira (Berlin) dec. Kevin Sevigny (Notre Dame-WH), 5-1
5. Anthony Giordano (Foran) pin Tristen Robledo-Thompson (New London), 3:12
145 pounds
Final: Joseph Kennedy (Plainville) dec. Kyle Pokornowski (Foran), 5-2
3. Ghassan Saleh (Suffield/Windsor Locks) dec. Josh Berdon (Branford), 10-2
5. James Hiltz (Lyman Mem/WT) forfeit over Jake Ortiz (East Haven)
152 pounds
Final: Caiden Talento (Platt) dec. Roel Johnson (Avon), 8-2
3. Mason Concascia (Waterford) dec. Dakota Blanchard (E.O. Smith), 5-1
5. James Taylor (Foran) dec. Inderpreet Behal (Branford), 9-8
160 pounds
Final: Patrick Zdunek (Branford) dec. Jeremy Devine (RHAM), 8-5
3. Joshua Nieroda (Suffield/Windsor Locks) pin Cameron Casey (Avon), 2:51
5. Cameron Sammarco (Lyman Mem/WT) pin Ahmed Hernandez (Platt), 4:37
170 pounds
Final: Cole Snider (Branford) dec. Ryan Mclaughlin (Bunnell), 5-2
3. Marco Marino (Berlin) dec. Connor Bly (Suffield/Windsor Locks), 9-1
5. Devon Powers (Waterford) pin Mustafa Dannett (New London), 3:59
182 pounds
Final: Alexander Santini (Plainville) pin Elijah Bean (Ellis Tech), 7:12
3. Kieran Mcguire (Weston) dec. Greg Kealey (Branford), 5-0
5. Michael Marques (RHAM) pin Joseph Cichowski (Foran), 2:31
195 pounds
Final: Nate Mathis (Branford) pin Nicholas Demanche (Bunnell), 3:28
3. Eliot Poffenberger (Foran) dec. Thomas Paneccasio (RHAM), 8-5
5. Nick Ebrahimi (Berlin) pin Ethan Volpe (Avon), 2:06
220 pounds
Final: Brandon Toscano (Bunnell) dec. Drew Schwartz (Branford), 7-1
3. Hamza Mourabit (Berlin) pin Barry Held (Foran), 2:10
5. Nicholas Dennis (Plainville) pin Kaden Smith (New London), 2:14
285 pounds
Final: Jeff Quirion La Oz (Plainville) dec. Aiden Cote (Berlin) 3-0
3. Jaycee Diaz (E.O. Smith) pin Jason Cruz (Foran), 1:44
5. Lou Sabo (Jonathan Law) dec. Tim Breault (Lyman/WT), 9-4
Outstanding wrestler:
2022 Class M championships (brackets, results via FloArena)
