Jonathan Law won seven consecutive matches on Wednesday night when the Lawmen recorded a 45-18 victory over SCC rival Cheshire High in the James L. Richetelli Sr. Gym in Milford.
“I’m hoping to win these Wednesday matches,” Law coach Matt Schoonmaker said. “We don’t have the bodies to win on Saturdays (Invitationals). The guys did well tonight.”
Teagan McCourt scored an 8-1 decision over Cheshire’s Paul Ponthempilly in the match-opening bout at 120 pounds. McCourt took a 4-0 lead into the second period.
From the neutral position, McCourt blocked a takedown attempt and the senior made a spin move to gain control. Ponthempilly rolled through a half-nelson, but Malin went with him at the 26-second mark of the second stanza.
Malin hit a switch to open the third period and rode the rest of the way, until Ponthempilly escaped right before the buzzer.
Law’s Dylan Benedetti lost by fall to Cheshire’s Eli Moskowitz at 126 pounds, but showed why Schoonmaker is a fan of his freshman.
“Dylan never wrestled before,” Schoonmaker said. “He is a 120-pounder, but we needed him at 126 tonight. He bought in right away and you can tell by the way he works. He has six or seven wins and doesn’t give up.”
Moskowitz got the first takedown, then twice had to bring Benedetti back to the mat from a standing position over the next 15 seconds. The Ram put him to his back one minute in, but Benedetti twice took his shoulder off the mat before Moskowitz pinned with 25 seconds remaining for a 6-3 Cheshire lead.
Cody Malin began Law’s pin parade in his 132-pound bout with Troy LaRusso. Malin shook off an underhook try by LaRusso and gained control, The sophomore then switched from a half to a cradle and posted the fall in 1:47.
Alex DeLorio met Cheshire’s Hamed Sow-Sene at 138 pounds.
The rivals tied up for most of the first period, before DeLorio used a single-leg lift to gain a 2-0 lead with one-second left. A junior, DeLorio escaped nine seconds into the second period then used a head lock to take Sow-Sene to his back and win by fall at the 2:59 mark.
Law senior co-captain’s Aisaiah Rodriguez and Shayne McCourt took care of business in the next two weight classes.
At 145 pounds, Rodriguez had two takedowns and repeated the same move twice for an 8-1 lead, The third time was the charm, as he got the pin call at 1:59.
Shayne McCourt followed a similar path in his win at 152 pounds. In control seven seconds in, he earned two back points at 1:48 and 1:23, led 10-0 and pinned in 1:39.
Antonio Rosado and Marco Acorda earned wins by fall in even quicker times.
A junior, Rosado and Cheshire’s Patrick O’Donnell worked for control at 160 pounds when the Lawman applied a headlock for the takedown and pin at the 58-second mark.
At 170 pounds, Acorda fell behind the Rams’ Jack Villano 4-0. The senior wasted little time to gain a reversal and earned the pin 47 seconds into the match.
Law’s Sam Bergami and Cheshire’s Elijah Mulligan brought everything but a good disposition to the mat at 195 pounds. Mulligan led 2-1, Bergami 3-2 and then the senior Ram hit a switch one minute in. Bergami missed his reversal try and Mulligan took him to his back for the fall at 1:21.
At heavyweight, Law sophomore Ashley Rodriguez lost by fall to Cheshire senior Mike Cienke.
Law junior Jaime Cisneros won unopposed at 220 pounds. There were double forfeits at 106, 113 and 182 pounds.