Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern wrestling teams finally hit the mats at the BC Invite this past Saturday

By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – The Bristol Central Wrestling Invitational was sorely missed last season – along with the scholastic wrestling season due to COVID – and is a great event that pits Bristol’s best grapplers against several talented programs.

And both Bristol Eastern and Central held their own at the meet.

The Lancers made a seventh-place finish behind 89.5 points while the Rams finished in ninth (75 points).

New Fairfield won the four-mat event with 142 points while runner-up New Milford was just a half-point behind (141½) in an amazingly close finish.

Berlin (139 points) placed third, Hall (135) nabbed fourth while Pomperaug (116½) took fifth.

Bristol had grapplers place up and down the card and several of those athletes were in the finals of the event.

In the title round, Central’s William Hamilton (120 pounds) dominated the action over the first period, seizing the championship as he pinned Canton’s Ethan Titus in 1:26.

Due to his outstanding day on the mats, Hamilton – a tremendous senior grappler – earned the Outstanding Wrestler award.

The Rams were back at it when Thomas Bock (New Fairfield) wrapped up a 10-3 decision over Central’s Landon Dionne in the 138-pound final.

The other three title bouts featured grapplers from Eastern as the Lancers took two of the three championship matches.

At 160 pounds, Eastern senior Alex Marshall needed a couple overtime sessions in an all-out battle against Hall’s Jake Long but the outstanding athlete from Bristol snared a 3-2 decision in the end to get the Lancers another title.

And then at 182 pounds, veteran Dylan Piazza was able to topple Berlin’s Tim Mrachek via pin-fall in 2:48 to take the championship.

Finally at 152, Ella Nichols drew Michael Carpenter of Pomperaug – falling by pin-fall in 1:05 to complete the championship round.

And in the consolation finals – the third-place matches – Central and Eastern battled the competition once again.

Hall’s Laitham Arias (126 pounds) pinned Eastern’s Gabe White in 1:37 and at 145, Central’s Lincoln Archibald lost via pin-fall to New Fairfield’s Tyler Peterson in 0:36.

And in a third-place bout at 220 pounds, Plainville’s Nicholas Dennis pinned Central’s Michael Thaxter through one minute of the first round.

In fifth place action, Eastern’s Nathan Torres (132) pinned Cody Barnett from Hall of West Hartford, just beating the second period buzzer in 3:59.

Finally at 106, Pomperaug’s Emin Ismaili pinned Eastern’s Luke Viens in forty-one seconds.

Upcoming Schedule

If the schedule holds for Bristol Central, the Rams are home over its next two CCC South meets.

Central is scheduled to battle Middletown from the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium on Wednesday, January 12 and then on January 19, Maloney heads to town.

Start time for both those attractions is at 6 p.m.

Eastern is busy this week with a road meet from Maloney in Meriden this Wednesday and on Saturday, the Lancers’ program is slated to take part of the Cumberland Tournament in Rhode Island.

Bristol Central Invitational

from Bristol Central high school

Team results – 1. New Fairfield 142, 2. New Milford 141½, 3. Berlin 139, 4. Hall 135, 5. Pomperaug 116½, 6. Avon 107½, 7. Bristol Eastern 89½, 8. Canton 81, 9. Bristol Central 75, 10. Plainville 71, 11. Wethersfield 46, 12. Farmington 41, 13. Harding 33, 14. Enfield 23, 15. Woodland 20, 15. Watertown 8

Individual results – Championship matches

120 pounds – William Hamilton (Bristol Central) pin Ethan Titus (Canton), 1:26

138 pounds – Thomas Bock (New Fairfield) dec. Landon Dionne (Bristol Central), 10-3

152 pounds – Michael Carpenter (Pomperaug) pin Ella Nichols (Bristol Eastern), 1:05

160 pounds – Alex Marshall (Bristol Eastern) dec. Jake Long (Hall), 3-2, 2 OT

182 pounds – Dylan Piazza (Bristol Eastern) pin Tim Mrachek (Berlin), 2:48

Consolation finals – Third place matches

126 pounds – Laitham Arias (Hall) pin Gabe White (Bristol Eastern), 1:37

145 pounds – Tyler Peterson (New Fairfield) pin Lincoln Archibald (Bristol Central), 0:36

220 pounds – Nicholas Dennis (Plainville) pin Michael Thaxter (Bristol Central), 1:00

Fifth place

106 pounds – Emin Ismaili (Pomperaug) pin Luke Viens (Bristol Eastern), 0:41

132 pounds – Nathan Torres (Bristol Eastern) pin Cody Barnett (Hall), 3:59

Outstanding wrestler: William Hamilton (120 pounds), Bristol Central