Montville — Junior Cy Champagne doesn’t ordinary wrestle at 145 pounds for the Montville High School wrestling team, but when it’s midway through the season and injuries and illnesses become the biggest enemy for every team, it’s next man up.

Such was the case for the Indians on Wednesday night as Champagne was forced to fill in and even led in the second period before losing by pin with seconds left to Killingly’s Isaac Bean.

Montville and Killingly each won five of the 10 matches that weren’t decided by forfeit, but Killingly had two more pins to win the match 39-33.

Montville was down three starters and forfeited two matches. Killingly also forfeited two matches.

“It was a close battle,” Montville coach Gary Wilcox said. “It’s a learning experience for the kids because when something happens to a teammate, it creates opportunity. Cy Champagne stepped up good tonight and he was actually beating the kid until he got caught. It was a great opportunity for him.”

“We wrestled pretty well, they wrestled pretty well. They’re a very good team and we’re right there. We’re probably a forfeit away from being really good and that’s what happens at a small school, but I’m proud of them. They did a good job and didn’t get down.”

Killingly (14-0), ranked ninth in the Norwich Bulletin coaches’ poll, received pins from Cooper Morissette (132), David Charron (138), Jon Creswell (182) and Bean. Jack Richardson (126) also won by decision.

Killingly is the two-time defending Eastern Connecticut Conference champion and has won the previous two CIAC Class M championships. It has dropped to Class S this season where Montville also resides.

“We hung in there tonight,” Killingly coach Rich Bowen said. “We’ve got a couple of guys dinged up and a couple of other issues, but we’re battling. Wrestling is a long season.

“We snuck by. Some of my better kids did a nice job and got some wins and pins. Some of the kids battled out and didn’t get pinned. That was good for us because we knew they were tough up top with their heavier weights.”

Zach Dorion (220) and heavyweight Somuadina Agunyego won by pin for Montville (8-3). Brandon Pederson (152), Chris Cullen (160), and Ioanni Cobena (170) all won by decision.

Killingly took a 27-0 lead from the jump thanks to a forfeit win, followed by three pins.

Pederson broke up Killingly’s early run, followed by wins by Cullen and Cobena.

“Those middle weights where we’re strong, they’re very, very strong,” Wilcox said. “That made the difference because we couldn’t get some traction down there. We needed one of those guys to really win down there and Killingly pulled it off. They swept through those lower weights pretty good.

“When we get those (injured) guys back later in the season, we’ll be tough. We’re a typical Montville team. We’re just a little light with the injuries.”

n.griffen@theday.com