Avon wins its 1st state championship in 29 years by a half-point
Avon won its first state wrestling title since 1995 by a halfpoint Saturday after runner-up RHAM was penalized by a point following a celebration on the mat in the Class M finals at Law High School in Milford.
Avon won the Class M championship with 196.5 points over RHAM (196). After the Falcons’ three finalists won, they were ahead by 5 ½ points and RHAM still had two wrestlers left to go.
When RHAM’S Michael Marques pinned Jason Toth of East Haven in the 195-pound weight class final, he scored six points for his team and RHAM went up over Avon by a halfpoint with one RHAM wrestler left. That touched off a celebration in which RHAM wrestlers spilled onto the mat. However, one of the wrestlers did not have his uniform singlet pulled up over his chest, which is against the rules, and RHAM was assessed a one-point penalty for unsportsmanslike conduct and suddenly Avon was ahead again.
The second RHAM wrestler lost, and Avon took home the title.
“I thought we lost for sure then they got the penalty point,” Avon coach John Mclaughlin said. “It was insane. I didn’t want to win it that way.
“About 20 years ago, they made a rule because kids were pulling their shirts down and flexing after they won and it became a little bit unsportsmanlike. When you’re on the mat, you cannot be bare-chested.”
Avon, which won its ninth title, had three champions — seniors Isaiah Adams (113 lbs.), Jonah Weber (145) and Roel Johnson (160). Adams was a State Open champion last year at 113. Top-seeded Johnson won his first title and so did Weber, who was the top seed last year at 138 but sustained a concussion the week before the class meet and could not wrestle.
East Hartford, which tied Danbury last year in the Class LL state championship, finished second (177.5) to champion Trumbull (181) in Class LL Saturday at Trumbull High. Sophomores Isaac Quiles (120 lbs.), Jaeckez Mendez (138) and Drayvn Roberts (160), whose pin in the Class LL meet last year as a freshman helped the Hornets tie for the championship, won titles.
Xavier won the Class L title for the third straight season (2020, 2022 and this year — there was no 2021 season due to COVID-19) with 293 ½ points to runner-up New Milford’s 269. Raekwon Shabazz (103 lbs.), Braylon Gonzalez (112), Kevin Kasperowski (120), Kyle Levesque (132), Anthony Basile (138), Charles Weidman (182) were winners for Xavier.
Killingly won the Class S championship, with New Fairfield second and Windham third.