ECC Division I

East Lyme/Norwich Tech

Coach: Ed Lorah (15th year)

Key returnees: Jr. Lincoln Carlson, Jr. Jonathan Harms, Jr. Reuben Minter, Jr. Brayden Soleau So. Anthony Caisse, So. Gianno Pearson

Top newcomers: Jr. Jeffrey Chen, So. Jacob Bookmiller, Fr. Riely Georgian, Fr. Jackson Mikolinski, Fr. Angel Stimson, Fr. Jacob Palermo

Outlook: Lorah is very excited about the upcoming season, as the Vikings return two wrestlers — Carlson and Soleau — who finished first in the ECCs, second in Class LL and third in the State Open as sophomores. They will be joined by a group of sophomores and freshmen with experience to round out a competitive team.

Fitch

Coach: Edward Strickland (2nd year)

Key returnees: Sr. Dylan Beebe, Jr. Marco Ursini, Jr. Lance Stewart, So. Shad Stewart

Top newcomers: Sr. Onyx Molina, Sr. Brendan Vine, Jr. Jaciel Diaz

Outlook: Led by veterans and team captains Ursini and Beebe, who compete in the 106 and 190 pound weight classes, the Falcons have a strong contingent of returnees looking to make their mark on this season after tasting success last season. A host of young athletes are hungry to prove themselves in their first and second seasons of competition. Strickland anticipates Fitch being a competitive team that catches teams by surprise. Junior Cooper Light, who attends Stonington, also is competing as an individual.

NFA

Coach: Steve Nelson (8th year)

Key returnees: Sr. Zaire Wallace, Sr. Rhys Surprenant, Sr. Dugan Marsh, Sr. Logan Jenkins, Jr. Hayden Anderson, Jr. Masyes Betances, Jr. Edward Lavoie, Jr. Dodly Lordilia, Jr. Eric Newman, Jr. Brock Nowakowski, Jr. Joshua Cuevas, Jr. Jackson Sorel, Jr. Wyatt Strong, Jr. John Dexter, Jr. Jesse Tingley, So. Fiona Hood, So. Saylor Klien, So. Hans Louis, So. Chase Reynolds, So. Richard Tavera, So. Niam Wallace, So. Ronaldy Baez

Top newcomers: Sr. Dylan Vanegas, Sr. Gavin Yu, Jr. Samuel Noboa, So. Savion Witherspoon, So. Gavin Jenkins, So. Jeremy Demillo, Fr. Harper Barile, Fr. Jack Burton, Fr. Radames Canibano Polanco, Fr. Michael Dexter, Fr. Landon Herdic, Fr. Nathu Jebor, Fr. Sophia Milner, Fr. Collin Nadeau, Fr. Reed Nowakowski, Fr. Israel Rodriguez

Outlook: The loss of last year’s seniors will be difficult but the team has a large group of returning veterans from last year’s varsity lineup and a strong crop of new wrestlers to NFA that are ready to make an impact for the team. Led by Marsh, Jenkins, Wallace and Surprenant, all senior captains, the Wildcats will look to make a run at the overall ECC title and perform well on the state level.

(ECC Division I also includes Woodstock Academy)

ECC Division II

Ledyard

Coach: Allyn Quibble (4th year)

Key returnees: Sr. Matthew Tebbets, Jr. Josiah Estriplet, Jr. Joseph Crader, Jr. Ryan Taggart, So. Tatiana Irizarry

Outlook: Quibble is rebuilding the program. The Colonels will look to stay competitive and take one match at a time. They welcome a good number of newcomers with potential.

New London

Coach: Mike Gorton (11th year)

Key returnees: Sr. Henry Santana, Sr. Andy Martinez, Sr. Trevin Robledo-Thompson

Outlook: Gorton calls his 13-member senior class special and the largest in his 11 years as a head coach. The group is close-knit, experienced, athletic and aggressive and focused. There also is no shortage of talent in the junior class, giving the Whalers plenty of reason to be excited and enthusiastic about the upcoming season.

Waterford

Coach: Chris Gamble (24th year)

Key returnees: Sr. Devon Powers, Sr. Zachary Ruest, Jr. Lucas Gannotti, Jr. Braeden Sollima

Outlook: Gamble is optimistic that the Lancers will have a competitive season. They return a solid core of veterans that performed well at the ECC and CIAC state championships. Gannotti, a middleweight, was an ECC and Class S runner-up at 145 while Powers took second in the ECC and third in Class S at 170. The roster, which also features some promising underclassmen, is the largest in many years.

(ECC Division II also includes Killingly and Windham)

ECC Division III

Griswold/Wheeler

Coach: Dana Cooke (24th year)

Key returnees: Sr. Rylee Kenny, Sr. Jon Macfeat, Jr. Seth Christie, Jr. Caleb Christie, Jr. Jeff Bentley, So. Michael Capablo

Outlook: Seth Christie, the ECC champion and Class S runner-up at 106, will anchor a team with its largest turnout (43, including 16 returnees) in Cooke’s coaching career. Griswold is looking ahead to the season with hopes of great success, shooting for an ECC title and hoping to do well in the state tournament and bring more wrestlers to the State Open than last year’s five. “We have got a lot of challenging events scheduled for the season and look forward to testing our abilities,” Cooke said.

Lyman Memorial/Windham Tech

Coach: Brandon Strout (10th year)

Key returnees: Sr. Hunter Sanchez, Sr. Jayden Veilluex, Sr. David Bean, Sr. Ben Broderick, Sr. Timothy Breault, Sr. Zachary Rebello, Jr. Chase Plourde, Jr. James Hiltz,

Top newcomers: Jr. Oliver Gatti, Jr. Luke Davis, Fr. Jason Thoma, Fr. Lucas Judd, Fr. Calvin Sammarco

Outlook: The Bulldogs will be relying on a good mix of youth and veterans. Strout expects his team will be competitive in everything, with a focus on becoming better wrestlers through the season.

Montville

Coach: Jake Caskey (3rd season)

Key returnees: Sr. James Linder, Sr. Jordan DelMonico, Jr. Adrian Adames, Jr. Christian Hall, Jr. Luke Chapman, Jr. Hector Aponte

Top newcomers: Jr. Chloe Leonardi Sr. Calen Vanvoorhies, Jr. Meccai Venett, Jr. Matthew Mel, So. Chantz Jones, Sr. Zhed Hankins

Outlook: Montville enters the season with a strong core group of returning wrestlers led by Linder, the defending ECC and Class S champion as well as New England finisher, and Chapman. A fresh batch of newcomers will fill the ranks. The Wolves expect to be a strong tournament team with multiple divisional state champions.

(ECC Division III also includes Bacon Academy and Putnam)

Others

Old Lyme

Coach: Nicholas Bradley (2nd year)

Key returnees: Jr. Hoshena Gemme, Jr. Rowan Hovey

Top newcomers: Fr. Taiyo Gemme, fr. Chase Catalino

Outlook: The Old Lyme program is back for its third year with its highest numbers in program history. The Wildcats have done well on the individual level the last two years. Now they look to build on that success at the team level.