Milford Mirror

Lions win division title (wrestling)

Tuesday, 14 February 2012 15:16

With the opportunity to win the Southern Connecticut Division II wrestling title one win away, coach Frank Peters’ Foran High Lions made short work of Cheshire High on Senior Night at the Edna Fraser Gymnasium on Feb. 8.

“It was quite an accomplishment for this team,” Peters said after the Lions defeated the two-time defending champion Rams, 57-18, to complete a 5-0 season in the division.

“I sympathize with Cheshire tonight. They were down some wrestlers because of injuries. This score doesn’t reflect the quality of that team.”

It does, however, place this Foran High team in the rarified air of champions, and reward the Lions for all its hard work.

The last wrestling team from Foran to title was in 1986, when coach Paul Schulte led the Lions to the CCIAC crown

Dave Esposito, an assistant now at Foran, Noel Luth and Bob Rubino captained that squad.

Mark Steeves and Peter Bassine were honored as the lone senior wrestlers, with team managers Mike Andranovich and Tom Babcock also earning a shout out.

Steeves at 182 pounds took his 18th win of the season, and Bassine improved to 25-5 at 220 pounds, both unopposed.

Zach Huebler was first to take the mat for the Lions, and the 170-pound sophomore defeated Josh Hunihan by a 10-1 major decision.

Leading 2-0 after one period, Huebler esacaped early in the second frame and tacked on another takedown to lead 5-0.

He added a pair of tilts in the final stanza for a 10-0 lead, before Hunihan got free at the buzzer.

Four forfeits to Foran followed in the upper weights, with Steeves, junior John Buzzelle (195), Bassine and Chris Kyek (heavyweight) getting their hand raised, to make it 28-0.

Liam Callahan, a sophomore, scored a quick takedown and pinned his 106- pound foe in 58 seconds.

Jake Pouliot, his classmate, followed suit winning by fall in 1:11 at 113 pounds.

Rodrigo Sapriza pulled the wild card, here, drawing Cheshire’s talented Lee Hurlbert in the 120-pound bout.

Showing off his defensive moxey, the Lions’ junior worked hard from the bottom, and when denied, didn’t allow Hurlbert to turn him over for back points, losing 5-1.

C.J. Luth improved to 35-0 on the season when the junior 126-pounder pinned in 52 seconds.

Jesus Ortiz, another junior learning on the mat, took on Cheshire’s Dan Massucci and worked hard before losing out 4-0.

Junior Gabe Concas took a 4-2 lead into the second period, before getting caught in a roll and losing by fall to the Rams’ 138-pounder Kyle Wood in 4:50.

Clay Callahan went after Steve Bergeron from the outset of their 145-pound bout.

The junior put the Ram on his back four times to take a 12-0 lead into the second period, where Callahan won by 17-0 technical fall 19 seconds into the frame.

Luke Stojanowski was awarded a forfeit at 152, and Piotr Stojanowski lost by first-period fall at 160.

“We improved to 20-11 tonight, and I don’t know the last time Foran won that many dual matches,” Peters said.

“I’m proud of the way all my guys showed up to wrestle. Last year, we were a young team that was hurt [from improving] by all the snow days.

“This year, they’ve all become good wrestlers and the program has turned the corner.”

And the 2012 Foran High squad will have its name on a banner to prove it.

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