Newtown High School's wrestling team defeated visiting Weston 54-24 in the season-opener, on December 13. Ron Chivinski, the team's first-year head coach, saw five of his grapplers win via pin fall, each collecting six points.

The match began with the 182 pound weight division and Weston earned a pin for a quick 6-0 lead. The Nighthawks forfeited each of the next two weight divisions - 195 and 220 - and fell behind 18-0 before Newtown got its first win in the battle of heavyweights. Joe Zeller pinned Steven Kolenik in 1:12 to win the 285 bout and get things going for the Hawks.

Weston won via forfeit at 106, and Newtown won on forfeits at 113, and 126. At 120, Newtown's Aidan Occhipinti took just 34 seconds to pin Christopher Wilson.

At 132, Aaron Occhipinti won via pin in 1:50. In the 138 division, Nik Accousti earned a 4-0 decision.

Newtown won the next three bouts by pin fall.

In the 145 weight class, Justin Bogdanoff and Jake Cavicchia went back and forth in an action-packed first period that saw Bogdanoff take a 6-5 lead. Bogdanoff scored a two-point reversal then pinned his counterpart only 17 seconds into the second two-minute stanza.

At 152, Steven Leuci won via pin in 3:40. Leuci is the lone freshman in Newtown's lineup and impressed Chivinski.

"It's tough for any freshman to win their first varsity match. It's a big task to be assigned being in their first varsity match," the coach said.

In the 160 division, senior captain Owen Walsh won by pin fall in 3:36.

Steven Vournazos earned an 8-5 decision at 170 to close out the match. Clinging to a 7-5 lead late in the match, and with Weston's Alec McGlone starting to gain some control, Vournazos scored a point on an escape and escaped with the win.

"It was inspiring seeing him fight the whole time. He's a hard worker," Chivinski said of Vournazos, adding that his sophomore and first-year varsity starter gutted out the win.

The Nighthawks knew going into the match that they would have to make up for a trio of forfeit defeats.

"It's going to require a 100 percent team effort to win as a team. They're going to have to fight through setbacks," Chivinski said.

"For our first match and what we're up against I couldn't be more pleased," Chivinski said.

Newtown will compete in the Guilford Invitational on Saturday, December 16. This tourney features some of the top teams in the state, including Fairfield Warde, Ledyard, and Fitch, and will be a good test for the Nighthawks.

"That's going to be a knockdown, drag out, tough first competition weekend," Chivinski said. "This is not a tournament for the weak-hearted. They're going to find out where they stand quickly."