Newtown High School’s wrestling team celebrated its future as well as its very recent past, along with the present — and capped things off with a victory on January 18, as the Nighthawks toppled visiting Stratford 54-18 to improve to 11-2.

The Hawks recognized nearly 100 wrestlers from the Newtown Youth Wrestling Association and it was Senior Night so Franco Cacho, Luca Manfredi, Stanley Chenet, and Acea Shamam were honored. What’s more, Manfredi was recognized for his 100th career win, which he accomplished during Newtown’s team win in the January 14 Greater Hartford Open.

Manfredi is in a club of just 20 NHS wrestlers since the Nighthawks began tracking the results in the 1980s. The two-time captain and state champion reached this milestone in only two and a half seasons as his sophomore campaign was canceled due to the impact of the coronavirus. Manfredi has been wrestling since kindergarten and came up through the Newtown Youth Wrestling Association.

As for the match against Stratford, Newtown won nine bouts via pin fall.

Results are as follows: 152 — Luca Manfredi (N) pin Adenna Mckay (S); 160 — Andrew Corey (N) pin Angel Lainez (S); 170 Fisher Stites (N) pin Paul Mushala (S); 182 Justin Duhancik (S) pin Acea Shaham (N); 195 — Jake Kszywanos (S) MD 12-0 Charles Dunn (N); 220 — Cameron Kelemen (S) pin Mikey Quesenberry (N); 285 — James Duhancik (S) pin Jon DaSilva (N); 106 — Tommy Milligan (N) pin Nathan Marshall (S); 113 — Kenna Gioffre (N) Forfeit; 120 — Daniel Kellerman (N) pin Tyler Curtiss (S); 126 — Spencer Jorgenson (N) pin Marcus Cavallo (S); 132 — Grayson Renkert (N) pin Shyna Rolle (S); 138 — Henry Terifay (N) pin Andrew Pond (S); 145 — Marc Maurath (N) pin Giuseppe Amat Paderes (S)

The Nighthawks placed fourth out of 23 teams at the Colter Abely Mid-Season Classic behind host Xavier of Middletown (ranked No. 1 in Connecticut), Chelmsford, Mass., and Bishop Hendricken of Rhode Island. Newtown put nine on the podium, including with Stites taking first; Gioffre earning second; Milligan, Maurath, Manfredi, and DaSilva all finishing third; Dunn coming in fifth; Renkert sixth; and Terifay seventh.

The Hawks test themselves every week with the toughest competition in the area. Ranked fourth in the state, according to Connecticut Wrestling Online rankings for the second week in a row, the Nighthawks will visit No. 6 East Hartford for the TFC Kevin Miller Tourney on Saturday, January 28, starting at 9:30 am.

Newtown will visit Masuk of Monroe Wednesday, February 1 at 7 pm, then head to Bacon Academy in Colchester for the Matt Bishel Bobcat Classic Saturday, February 4, beginning at 9 am. After a February 6 visit to Joel Barlow of Redding at 7 o’clock, it is on to the postseason beginning with the South-West Conference championships, set for Saturday, February 11 at Stratford High, beginning at 8:30 am.

Newtown has two grapplers — Manfredi and Stites — ranked in the top ten in the New England rankings.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.