ECC Division I

East Lyme/Norwich Tech

Coach: Ed Lorah (15th season)

Key returnees: Jr. Lukas McKusick, Sr. Jerimiah Irizarry, So. Lincoln Carlson, So. Rueben Minter, Sr. Joseph Morse, So. Aiden Leclair, So. Brayden Soleau, Sr. Kevin Filewich, So. Jonathan Harms, Sr. Jackson Hart.

Top newcomers: Sr. Jacques Borja, Sr. Jackson Lynn, Sr. Daniel Aram, Fr. Gianno Pearson, Fr. Anthony Caisse.

Outlook: The Vikings must replace two key veterans in Michael Minevich (138) and Noah Santiago (ECC heavyweight champ), but an experienced group returns led by four wrestlers who were ECC tournament runnerups last season: McKusick (113), Carlson (126), Morse (132) and Soleau (152). Lorah expects East Lyme to improve on that success and enjoy a competitive ECC season.

Fitch

Coach: Ed Strickland (1st season)

Key returnees: Sr. Luca Ursini (138), Sr. Melakai Maddox (170), Sr. Nazier Matthews (220), Jr. Dylan Beebe (195), Jr. Christopher Gregor (182), Jr. Cisto Mercado (132).

Top newcomers: So. Marco Ursini (106), Fr. Shad Stewart (145).

Outlook: Fitch graduated six seniors, but the biggest lost was the retirement of head coach Mark Kosman after 25 seasons. But the Falcons are in good hands with Strickland, his assistant for 13 years who brings great familiarity to the program. Maddox, who will serve as team captain with Luca Ursini, won the ECC title at 160 last season while Ursini and Gregor were semifinalists. “We are expecting to be an aggressive and exciting team from start to finish this year,” Strickland said.

New London

Coach: MIke Gorton (10th season)

Key returnees: Jr. Andy Martinez-Soliz, So. Kaiden Smith Sr. Jorge Gonzalez-Garcia, Jr. Treyvon Lewellen, Sr. Jairo Ruiz, Jr. Christian Ortiz, Sr. Demarcus Green, So. Jose Negron-Ortiz, Jr. Trevin Robledo-Thompson, Jr. Masyn Smith.

Top newcomers: Jr. Henry Santana-Liriano, Jr. Jeriel Suriel.

Outlook: ECC champion Mustafa Dannett (170) and runnerup Tristen Robledo-Thompson (138) will leave a void, but Gorton is excited with addition of Noah Boozer to his coaching staff and his new roster. “We have plenty to be excited about with a crew of sophomores and juniors who joined the team last year and stuck together in the off season, inside and outside the gym,” he said. “This group is crazy about wrestling.”

NFA

Coach: Steve Nelson (7th season)

Key returnees: So. Brock Nowakowski, Sr. Jaiden James, Sr. Will Ambruso So. Edward Lavoie, So. Jackson Sorel, Jr. Dugan Marsh, Sr. Thomas Brunelli, Sr. Denali Doran, Jr. Logan Jenkins, Jr. Zaire Wallace, Jr. Rhys Suprenant, Jr. Brenden Vine So. Hayden Anderson, So. Faith Insalaco, So. Eric Newman, So. Wyatt Strong, So. John Dexter, Sr. Darly Horst-Loy.

Top newcomers: Jr. Joseph Carlosviza Torres, So. Joshua Cuevas, So. Masyes Betances, Jr. Bryan Contreras, Sr. Matthew Gil, Fr. Albert Gladue, Fr. Saylor Klein, So. Dodly Lordilia Fr. Hans Louis, So. Owen Luty, Fr. Ian Redanz, Fr. Chase Reynolds, Jr. Kael Rojo, Fr. Richael Travera, So. Jesse Tingley, Fr. Niam Wallace, Fr. Ellie Sheibley, Fr. Fiona Hood, Fr. Ronaldy Baez, Jr. Krisnondo Irizarry, Sr. Jancarlos Malave, So. Amrit Marasini.

Outlook: The present and future looks bright for NFA, which finished second in the ECC tournament a year ago and brings back an experience cast including James, the ECC champ at 120, and semifinalists Nowakowski (106), Brunelli (145), Zaire Wallace (170) and Suprenant (195). But Nelson welcomed a large and talented freshman class and says this year’s team “has their sights set on winning the ECC Division I title again and and making a run at the overall ECC title..

ECC Division II

Ledyard

Coach: Allyn Quibble (4th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Linda Holeman (138), Sr. Colin DeGaetano (152), So. Joseph Crader (120), So. Ryan Taggart (145), So. Josiah Estriplet (132), Jr. Matthew Tebbets (285).

Top newcomers: Fr. Tatiana Irizarry (113), So. Brian Johnson (160), So. Noah Jones (132).

Outlook: The Colonels were hit hard by graduation, including State Open champion Connor Doran (132), so there will be some growing pains, but Ledyard has a solid returning nucleus led by returning ECC champion Crader (he won at 113 last season) and ECC placewinners Holeman, Taggert and Estriplet. Holeman was also the runnerup at 132 in the State Open girls’ tournament. “I have a young team this year,” Quibble said. “We’re working on building experience (but) I hope to stay competitive throughout this year and get some wins.”

Waterford

Coach: Chris Gamble (23rd season)

Key returnees: So. Luke Gannotti, So. Titus Olson, Jr. Zachary Ruest, Jr. Devon Powers, Sr. Brody Ruest.

Outlook: The Lancers must replace ECC champion and State Open runnerup Mason Concascia (152), but have a small nucleus of returning wrestlers with success at the ECC and state level. Gannotti, who missed most of his freshman regular season with an injury, returned just before the postseason and placed third in the ECC’s and third in Class M at 132. Powers was the ECC runnerup at 170 and fifth in Class M while Ruest was fifth in the ECC meet at 113. “This will be an interesting year,” said Gamble. “We have a young team with some promising new wrestlers.”

Note: Division II also includes Killingly and Windham.

ECC Division III

Bacon Academy

Coach: Drew DeBowsky (2nd season)

Key returnees: Sr. Connor Tuttle, Sr. Wyatt Nowakowski, Jr. Carson Brown, Jr. Dante Colella, Jr. Gabe Mahon, Jr. Jay Wikarska, Jr. Manny Cabrera, Jr.Jonah Brownson.

Top newcomers: Sr. Nick Guire, Sr. Sam Steinman, Jr. Logan Dmitri, Jr. Olivia Hightower, Fr. Jacob Brownson, Fr. Michael Krol, Fr. Grayson Mahon.

Outlook: The Bobcats return nine varsity wrestlers and expect to be strong in the middle of their lineup with the return of two ECC tournament semifinalists: Brown and Colella. DeBowsky has also been impressed with a talented group of newcomers during the preseason. “We look to challenge the other four teams in the division and be competitive throughout the season with a young growing team,” DeBowsky said.

Griswold/Wheeler

Coach: Dana Cooke (22nd season)

Key returnees: Sr. Jesse Costley (145), Sr. Liam Gervais (170), Sr. James Gagliardo (220), Sr. Cody Comeau (120), Jr. Rylee Kenny (152), So. Seth Christie (106), So. Caleb Christie (126), So. Jeff Bentley (132), So. Ben Lewis (182), So. Skyler Wilson.

Top newcomers: Fr. Steven Steniger (106/113), Fr. Evin Shea (160/170), Fr. Russell Stewart (160/170).

Outlook: Griswold co-ops with Wheeler for the second straight season and solid numbers will allow Cooke to cover all weight classes. The Wolverines return 10 varsity wrestlers and Cooke expects the team to be competitive within the divison, adding, “it is refreshing to have a large pool of freshmen and sophomores that will be the future of the team.”

Lyman Memorial/Windham Tech

Coach: Brandon Strout (9th season)

Key returnees: So. James Hiltz, So. Chase Plourde, So. Jalinda Pontes, Jr. Cameron Sammarco, Jr. Hunter Sanchez, Jr. Timmy Breault, Jr. Zachary Rebello, Sr. Nehemiah Czelusniak.

Top newcomers: So. Nolan Morton, Jr. David Bean, Jr. Ben Broderick, Jr. Montego Cruz-Blake, So. Jordan Franklin, Jr. Jayden Veilleux, Fr. Kylin Williams, So. Alex Zimnock.

Outlook: Sammarco was the ECC runnerup at 160 last season while Plourde (120), Czelusniak (132) and Breault (285) were semifinalists. Said Strout: “With the returning experience and better numbers, which include a mixture of new and experienced wrestlers, we are looking to make consistent improvement throughout the season and have a core group of athletes make deep runs in the postseason.”

Montville

Coach: Jake Caskey (2nd season)

Key returnees: Karla Flores, Christian Hall, Luke Chapman, James Linder Jr., Jordan DelMonico, Jayven Williams.

Top newcomers: Adrian Adames, Jay Bonagura, Keegan Ingle, William Klinefelter, Carter Heisler.

Outlook: Montville graduated ECC and Class S champion Blake Chapman (138) and has some holes to fill, but Linder Jr. and Luke Chapman were ECC and Class S place-winners a year ago and expect big seasons. Caskey is also happy to welcome 2016 Fitch grad and current UFC prospect Billy Ray Goff to his staff. “We will continue to breed a culture built around discipline, integrity, and grit as they carve out their place in this new chapter of Montville wrestling,” Caskey said.

Note: Division III also includes Putnam.

Other

Old Lyme

Coach: Nicholas Bradley (2nd season)

Key returnees: Hoshena Gemme (106/113), Stefan Ryer (182/195).

Outlook: The Wildcats became a varsity program for the first time a year ago and although gaining experience is still paramount to growing the program, Bradley said, “Our inexperienced roster is still growing an improvement.” Old Lyme has two known quantities in Gemme and Ryer, however, Gemme was fifth in Class S at 106 and then second in the State Open girls’ tournament while Ryer was fourth in Class S at 170. “Both are looking to improve upon their results from last year and are poised to make a climb up the podium this season,” Bradley said.