Danielson — Matt Dowler signed prior to the season to wrestle next year at Division I Edinboro (Pa.) University, which finished third in the nation in 2015. Dowler, a St. Bernard School senior, called his destination “a dream come true.”

So when Edinboro's coaching staff asked Dowler — last year's Eastern Connecticut Conference and Class M state champion at 113 pounds — to wrestle at either 132 or 138 pounds this season, preferably 138, he wasn't about to argue.

“It's a different weight class, a different style,” Dowler said. “Every weight class is hard, but (138 is) harder. I had to adjust a little bit. I'm trying to take (my senior year) one step at a time, trying to get as many (wins) as I can.”

On Saturday, Dowler won his third straight ECC championship, pinning Sam Kury of Montville in 1 minute, 17 seconds. He was the 106-pound champ in 2014 before winning at 113 last year. There was no ECC tournament due to inclement weather his freshman year, giving Dowler a clean sweep in his career.

Earlier this month, Dowler broke the state record for career pins with his 122nd in a dual meet against Waterford. The mark of 121 was set by South Windsor's Casey Mitchell from 2010-14, according to the Connecticut High School Wrestling Record Book.

Dowler now has 128 pins, including three during the tournament. The No. 1 seed wrestling for the St. Bernard/Norwich Tech co-op, Dowler earned a first-period fall facing Matt Charron of Killingly in his quarterfinal match and added a pin against David Gill of East Lyme in the semifinals (4:21).

Dowler said he attended the Preseason Nationals in Iowa last fall to help him get used to the weight class. He's also spent time lifting in the St. Bernard weight room in order to become stronger. While Dowler is certified to wrestle at 126, coach Tom Dowler, his father, said he's kept Matt up all season, having him wrestle as high as 152.

He'll wrestle next at the Class M championship Feb. 19-20 at Guilford High School. Dowler is 40-1 this season and 191-19 in his career.

“I lifted my butt off,” Matt Dowler said of his preparation for the season.

“It's tough out there,” Tom Dowler said of the national tournament. “I think he went 5-2 out there. That's the big time. The biggest thing was he had to lift. He had to learn. He's wrestling big time.”

v.fulkerson@theday.com

Twitter: @vickieatheday