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02/25/2017 11:00 PMWrestling
The Branford wrestling team was represented by Zach Cash, Noah Pantani, and Kyle Zalewski at last week’s State Open Championship. The meet took place at Floyd Little Athletic Center on Feb. 24 and 25. Branford scored 20 points and finished in 40th place.
Pantani won his first two matches in the 120-pound weight class at the Open. Pantani pinned Farmington’s Kyle Wolkner at the 2:41 mark, after which the senior won a 4-3 decision over Derby’s Jordan Stefancin. In his third match, Pantani lost a 5-3 decision to Collin Lindner of New Milford to go to the consolation bracket, where Pantani was eliminated with an 8-3 loss to Masuk’s Michael Fedorko. Pantani had posted a third-place finish at the Class M State Championship in the previous week.
In the 152-pound weight class, Cash received a bye through the first round and earned a 9-2 decision versus Trumbull’s Brian Wallace in his opening bout. After that, Cash was edged 9-8 by Pomperaug’s Mathew Pangle in the quarterfinals. Cash won his first consolation bout by a 6-1 final over Joshua Schwartz of Northwestern, after which he took an 8-3 loss to Foran’s Jeffrey Suschana.
Zalewski competed in the 220-pound weight class. The junior won a 10-2 major decision versus Bloomfield’s Nicolas Kennedy and was pinned by Renelson Michel of New London at the 2:26 mark of his next match. That sent Zalewski to the consolation round, where pinned Foran’s Andrew Vella at 1:40. Zalewski was eliminated by losing to Dillon Forstberg of Conard by pin at 1:22. Previously, Zalewski placed third at SCCs and fifth in states.
Girls’ Indoor Track
Bridget Wirtz finished fifth in the pole vault for Branford at the State Open Championship at Floyd Little Athletic Center on Feb. 20. Wirtz’s performance scored two points for the Hornets, which put them in 40th place.
Wirtz, a junior, eclipsed a height of 11 feet to take fifth place at the Open. She had previously won the event at the SCC West Sectional Championship with a school record height of 11-6 and also took first at the SCC Championship with a 10-6, which tied the meet record.
Boys’ Indoor Track
The Hornets’ 1,600 sprint medley relay turned in another record-breaking performance at last week’s State Open Championship.
Branford’s sophomore group of Matt Alexander, Carlos McCaay, Aidan Kropiwnicki, and Marzio Mastroianni ran a time of 3:47.17 at the Open. That mark was good for eighth place and it also beat their school record time of 3:48.36 from their fourth-place finish at the Class M State Championship. They had initially set the school record by running a 3:48.72 to place third at the SCC Championship.
Boys’ Ice Hockey
The Hornets had another nice week by claiming a pair of victories before losing to East Haven. Branford is now 10-8 with two games left in the regular season, after which the Hornets will compete in the Division II State Tournament.
On Feb. 20, Branford posted a 2-1 victory over Hand to win the President’s Tournament at Northford Ice Pavilion. Max Bunton scored from Scott Klouda in the first period, after which Klouda lit the lamp on a Jamie Cunningham assist in the second for a 2-0 Branford lead. Hand got a goal in the third period, but it wasn’t enough, as the Hornets hung on for the victory. Klouda and Mitchell Petrillo were presented with game awards, while goalie Justin Edwards was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Two days later, the Hornets hosted Newtown and cruised to a 7-2 win. Branford netted the first five goals of the game. Bunton scored three for a hat trick and he also had two assists. Klouda handed out four assists to go with a pair of goals. Petrillo had two goals with an assist, plus Rob Lionetti had an assist.
Branford closed the week with a game against East Haven at DiLungo Rink on Feb. 25 and dropped a 6-2 decision. Klouda scored from Lionetti, who later scored from Klouda to tie the game at 2 in the second period before East Haven netted the game’s last four goals.
Boys’ Basketball
Branford opened the SCC Tournament as the No. 12 seed and took a 60-39 defeat at No. 5 Amity on Feb. 23.
Trevor Brown scored 10 points, while Jake Sullivan had eight points. Ryan Sember and Damien Maniscaclo added seven and six points, respectively, for the Hornets.
Next up for Branford is the Class L State Tournament that gets underway next week.
Girls’ Basketball
The Hornets enter the Class L State Tournament as the 30th seed and will play at No. 3 seed Pomperaug in Southbury for a first round matchup at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27. If Branford (5-15) wins, it will play at the winner of No. 14 Harding and No. 19 St. Joseph in the second round on Thursday, March 2 at 7 p.m.
Boys’ Swimming and Diving
Branford-Guilford hosted Hand for its regular season finale at Walsh Intermediate School on Feb. 22 and took a 105-71 defeat. The Hornets went 1-10 for the regular season and now get ready to compete at the SCC and Class LL State championships.
Against Hand, Corey Gambardella won the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:48.63 and he also placed first in the 100 butterfly by swimming a time of 50.70 seconds. Aidan Henry won the 200 individual medley (2:08.99) and the 500 free (5:02.20). Also, Alek Karosas won the 50 freestyle with a 24.15, while Kyle Boucher was first for the 100 breaststroke at 1:09.44. The 200 medley relay of Gambardella, Boucher, Henry, and Karosas took first place at 1:46.22, plus the 400 freestyle relay of Aleandro Hanaj, Henry, Karosas, and Gambardella won with a time of 3:33.69.