A tough field of competitors awaited the Joel Barlow High wrestling team at the South-West Conference finals. The Falcons were represented in a number of weight classes on Saturday, Feb. 10. Few would get past the quarterfinals, as Barlow finished 11th out of 12 teams with 38 points at Newtown High.
Defending champ New Milford won its third straight title, this time with 278.5 points. Host Newtown was runner up with 248.5 and New Fairfield took third with 123.
Barlow’ Ben Azzara the sixth seed at 106 pounds, lost his opening match by a pin in one minute, one second to New Fairfield’s Ryan McVeigh. He had better luck in the consolation quarterfinals, getting a 6-1 win over Stratford’s Dante Cavallo before getting pinned in 58 seconds by New Milford’s Joe Fleming in the semifinals.
At 120 pounds, Kai Lee was pinned in his opening match in 1:06 by Masuk’s Chase Walser. In the consolation bracket he lost by a pin in 2:26 to Pomperaug’s Colin Bensley.
Stryder Hanson opened the 138-pound class by pinning Bunnell’s David Pires in 3:34. He then lost by a major decision to Brookfield/Shepaug’s Dan Carrozza. He finished in a consolation round of four, losing by decision to Newtown’s Grayson Renkert.
Representing Barlow at 144 pounds, Anthony Azzara was pinned in 1:12 by New Milford’s Victor Ignacio. He then pinned Brookfield/Shepaug’s Nathaniel Smith in 2:17 but was in turn pinned by Weston’s Weston Jandrucko in 2:54.
Barlow’s best performance came from second-seeded Scott Romano at 150 pounds. He needed only 46 seconds to pin New Fairfield’s Cristhian Robles in the quarterfinals and then did likewise to Stratford’s Patrick Spellman in 1:22 in the semifinals.
The only Barlow wrestler to reach the finals in his weight class, Romano lost a close 7-2 decision to top-seeded Jake Maddox of Newtown.
R.J. Gasper was pinned by Pomperaug’s Ian Carlin in his first match at 157 pounds. Moving to the consolation round, he was pinned by New Fairfield’s Alex Gutierrez in 19 seconds.
In the 175-pound class, Barlow’s Logan Bacas was pinned in 4:33 by Masuk’s Evan Deleo. His last match was a loss by decision to New Fairfield’s John Coniglio.
Dylan Cooke lost by decision to Masuk’s Kauan De Sant’anna before losing by injury default to New Fairfield’s Anthony Mckague.
Getting a win in the quarterfinals of the 215-pound class, Chad Pranzo defeated Notre Dame of Fairfield’s T.J. Serrano by a close decision. A loss by pin in 1:46 to Newtown’s Tom Morgan in the semifinals sent him to the consolation bracket, where he was pinned by New Fairfield’s Ryan Greutzner in 1:07 in the semifinals.
Barlow next competes in the state Class M finals on Feb. 16 at 4:30 p.m. at Guilford High.
