There wasn’t much, if any, question as to which team was the best in all of the state. But Newtown High School’s wrestling team put to rest any doubts there may have been by earning the State Open championship, at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven, on February 28.

According to Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference results, Newtown racked up 159 points to easily outscore runner-up Danbury, which had 112.5 and New Milford, which compiled 110.5, in a competition that featured the top six grapplers in each weight class from all four of the state’s divisions, representing 91 teams. Complete team in weight class results are to be posted as casciac.org.

The Nighthawks had a pair of individual champions as sophomores Joe Accousti, in the 152 pound weight division, and Anthony Falbo, at 170, took home titles. This marked the second State Open triumph in as many chances for Falbo, who got things done quickly, pinning Killingly’s Austin Caffrey in just 43 seconds.

Accousti, after a scoreless first period, seized a 3-0 second-period lead behind an escape and reverse, and held off his opponent, Woodstock Academy’s Joe Graysen, for a 6-3 decision.

Newtown had six grapplers among the top four, each of whom qualifies for the New England Regional Tournament.

Having already beaten the best rival Class LL teams en route to its second straight championship, and previously dethroned South-West Conference champion New Milford, which went on to win Class L, Newtown entered into the competition as the state’s top ranked team.

Read more about Newtown's State Open success in the March 6 print edition of The Bee.