Killingly — Sophomore Jacob Commander had never wrestled when he arrived at New London High School two years ago.

Commander’s older brother, Mikey, was a wrestler, but Jacob didn’t feel right about trying the sport due to, ah, fashion reasons.

“I thought I wasn’t going to like it because of the singlet,” Commander said. “I didn’t feel right about the singlet. Ugh.”

Jacob eventually decided to give wrestling a shot despite feeling uncomfortable about the apparel. He rallied with seconds left to beat top-seeded Jake Millbach of Ledyard, 5-4, to win the 160-pound title at Saturday’s Eastern Connecticut Conference tournament.

Commander looked good in winning a title — he wore Mikey’s old singlet — all green with a yellow stripe around the waist, a design that's different than the rest of the teamm. Mikey had given it to Jacob last year, and Jacob never wore it until Saturday.

“(Mikey) was the only one who would wear this (style of) singlet,” Jacob Commander said. “Everybody was like, ‘Mikey was a great, great, great wrestler.’ People thought last year that I was Mikey. I was like, ‘you know what, I’m going to show off for my brother, show off for the team, show off for the family.’ I wore this singlet to honor him.

Mikey Commander graduated from New London in 2015 and is in the Marines.

“Maybe I’ll wear it at states (the CIAC Class M tournament),” Jacob Commander said. “Hopefully I’ll win a state championship, too. I really want it.”

Commander lost to Millbach during the regular season, his only loss of the season. Commander had a one-point lead with 40 seconds left Saturday when Millbach took him down and took the lead.

Commander scored a reversal with eight seconds remaining and held on for the win.

“I’m astonished,” Commander said. “I never thought I could do it as a second-year wrestler. … I’ve grown a love (for wrestling). I basically love it as much as I love football.”

• • • •

Bo Nguyen doesn’t want to waste time on the mat.

Nguyen, a Ledyard senior, moved from 106 to 120 pounds this season and found it challenging, but it had nothing to do with the extra weight.

“I’m used to the high-pace at 106,” Nguyen said. “When I was at 106, I would always go for pins, pins, pins. This year, I’m just trying to win; get it done. If I get a pin, I get a pin. It’s just different, but I kind of like it.”

Nguyen was the top seed at 120 and, despite being more conscious to slow down, he pinned Killingly’s Mike Charron in one minute, 3 seconds in the champiionship match.

“I didn’t think it would be that fast,” Nguyen said. “I was battling (with slowing down) at the beginning of the year, I guess you could say. Recently, I’m starting to find out my new style and what I can do better because I was always going at a high pace.”

It was Nguyen’s first ECC title. He placed fourth as a junior and fifth as a sophomore.

“My freshman year, I was two-and-screw because coach (Steve Bilheimer) had me go up to 120 when I was 106 pounds,” Nguyen chuckled. “It was ECCs. I was down to go.”

• • • •

Fitch junior Jarod Kosman successfully defended his 106-pound championship, but looked about as enthused as a patient waiting to get a cavity filled.

“I don’t really show that much emotion,” Kosman said. “I don’t like to disrespect my competitor. He trains just as hard or harder than me, so I don’t like to show too much emotion after I win.

“I was never raised that way. It’s just not something I do a lot.”

Kosman beat Waterford’s Logan Smith in the final, 5-1. He, Ledyard’s Dan Contino (220) and Joel Morth of Montville (132) were the only three to defend their ECC titles, although Contino won at 195 in 2016.

Kosman will try to win an elusive Class L title this weekend. He lost in the 106-pound final by injury default as a freshman. He was edged in last year’s final, 5-4, by Robert Hartling of E.O. Smith.

“It’s something I’ve been striving for a lot,” Kosman said. “I’m not sure if (Hartling) is back (at 106). I’m going to try hard and I’m going to try my best and hope I end up on top.”

• • • •

Montville junior Sam Kury won his 100th career match at the tournament en route to winning the 145-pound title. Teammates Noah Caskey (126), Emanuel Diaz (182) and Morth also won titles, giving the Indians’ the most individual winners. … The CIAC's four state tournaments are Friday and Saturday at Trumbull (Class LL), Bristol Central (L), Guilford (M) and Windham (S). The most area teams will be at Class M (East Lyme, St. Bernard/Norwich Tech and Waterford). Fitch and New London are in Class L, Ledyard and Montville are in Class S and NFA is in Class LL. ... The State Open is Feb. 24-25 at New Haven’s Floyd Little Athletic Center.

n.griffen@theday.com