Nighthawk Grapplers Top Bunnell, Gear Up For Stretch Run

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s wrestling team knocked off Bunnell of Stratford 60-24 at home on January 17, winning a match that Coach Alan Potter and his grapplers hope sets the tone for a successful stretch run this season.

The Nighthawks, following four losses in the Trumbull Duals the week before, won via the strength of its middle weight-division competitors.

At 112, Nick Crudo pinned Syed Saud in 1:35; at 135 Ian McEvoy pinned Sebastian Echavairra in :58; at 145 Joe Pieretti pinned Brett Kohler in 1:06; at 160, Will Northrop pinned Jon Iseppi in 1:44; at 171 Cory Fisher pinned Marcus Edwards in 2:57; and at 189 Aaron Nezvesky pinned Zack Martini in :26. Newtown also won four weight classes by forfeit. Among the Newtown winners, Fisher was given the biggest test, but used his ability to reverse positions with opponents to get on top and take control of the match.

The Nighthawks narrowly lost to Oxford in an early-season meet, but still carried a 3-1 dual meet record against South-West Conference foes into the Bunnell match. Despite the early-season winning ways against conference opponents, the Nighthawks have been striving to improve. The Nighthawks could have beaten Oxford had they come out stronger from the onset, Northrop believes. “We realized we couldn’t come into a meet flat-footed anymore,” he added.

“I think the team’s back on track — where we need to be. We need to keep fighting and work hard,” Fisher added.

Newtown’s SWC competition is anticipated to be tough in the final weeks of the regular season as the Hawks face Bethel, New Fairfield, Brookfield, New Milford, and Masuk of Monroe. The team also has the Manchester Duals, Platt Tech Duals, and Staples John Chaco Classic tourney as it tunes up for the postseason.

“We’re hoping to beat all the SWC teams except for maybe New Milford because they are a powerhouse in the state. So we’re hoping to go into the SWC tournament in second or tied for second,” Newtown Coach Alan Potter said. “So we’ve got our work cut out for us, but these guys will step it up and I feel pretty confident that we’ll pull out something like the Jets did last night.”

Potter was referring to the New York Jets upsetting top-seeded and arch nemesis New England in the NFL playoffs on January 16.

Newtown, after Wednesday’s scheduled meet with Bethel (after The Bee sports section went to press), will compete in the Manchester Duals on Saturday, January 22.