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01/29/2022 11:00 PMAfter missing out on the 2021 season, the East Haven wrestling team returned to the mats eager to compete this year. While there have been a few setbacks, Head Coach Mark Tolla said that the Yellowjackets are staying resilient and appear poised to succeed in the postseason.
“The initial feeling was kind of euphoric. After a year off, we were really excited,” Tolla said. “We lost the competitive season last year. It was a long time waiting. We were ecstatic to be out there wrestling.”
East Haven had one match last week when the team hosted Jonathan Law on Jan. 24. The Yellowjackets came away with a 60-24 win over the Lawmen to improve to 10-9 on the season. Junior Elijah Trufan (126), senior Kevin Phan (138), senior captain Jake Ortiz (145), freshman Alex Dombrowski (160), senior Mike Pagan (195), and freshman Zander Molster (285) all won their matches via pinfall to propel the Easties to the victory.
“It was an excellent night for us. We had some struggles earlier in the year. For most of the season, we have had about half of our lineup. Against Jonathan Law was our first opportunity to be almost whole,” said Coach Tolla. “We wrestled well. We’re young this year, and we’re happy to see the development of our younger kids. In the last week or so, we’re seeing a big change in how our kids are wrestling.”
East Haven is being led by senior captains Ortiz, Frank Papa, and Dylan Tavares, along with junior captain Jason Toth. Papa was named a captain at last year’s team banquet. While the Yellowjackets didn’t compete last season, Coach Tolla said that Papa led the team at every single practice. Papa, who wrestles in the 126-pound division, has a record of 4-1 this season, and Tolla called him one of the hardest workers on the squad.
Ortiz, who is 5-1, was voted captain at the beginning of the season. Tolla said that Ortiz a vocal leader and a “lightning bolt” both on and off the mat for the Yellowjackets.
Tavares was named a captain during the middle of the season. Tavares is 7-4 in the 152-pound division, and Tolla only expects him to get better as the campaign continues.
Toth is 7-6 in the 170-pound division. Coach Tolla said that Toth has never missed a practice since his freshman year, adding that he’s vocal leader who has improved tremendously.
East Haven features four more seniors in Isaac Florentino, Zayuri Castaneda, Pagan, and Kevin Phan. Pagan, who has been wrestling since elementary school, has a record of 7-6 this year. Coach Tolla said that Pagan has re-dedicated himself to wrestling and gets excited every time he steps on the mat.
Phan is only in his first year of wrestling, but he’s competed in nearly every meet for the Easties and has eight wins in the 140-pound division. Tolla said that Phan is a fast learner who has been an excellent surprise this season. As Phan earns his varsity letter in his first year as a wrestler, Tolla said that the senior has also earned his respect.
Florentino has yet to wrestle in a varsity match this year, but Coach Tolla expects him to get more work as the team moves toward the postseason. Castaneda hasn’t wrestled a varsity match, although she is slated to compete for East Haven in the postseason meets. In 2019, Castaneda finished first at the inaugural Girls’ Wrestling Invitational.
Sophomore Jack Batista-Fletcher, who wrestles in the 106-pound division, is currently leading East Haven with a record of 17-6. Junior Marcello Torres, who competes at both 106 and 113, is 15-7 on the year. Trufan, who is in his first year with the team, has a mark of 14-7 at 126. Coach Tolla said that all three wrestlers have been impressive and are helping to lead the team this season.
Tolla added that junior Dylan Snyder (152 and 160), along with freshmen Alyson Alberino (120), Joe Allen (182), Felipe Castaneda (220), Dombrowski (145, 152, and 160), Gonul Celik (126) and Molster (285), are all stepping up and succeeding in their roles when called upon.
Coach Tolla said that everyone on the Yellowjackets is showing resilience and persevering after coming back from a canceled season. From the very first day, Tolla has seen his athletes consistently improve and become much stronger wrestlers.
“We’re a close-knit group of young men and ladies. They’re resilient,” Tolla said. “December and the middle of January was very difficult for us. We had to put out a lot of inexperienced wrestlers. We had kids who were not ready to wrestle varsity. But they persevered and kept their heads up. They worked hard in practice. They never let it get to them. They’ve shown great improvement.”
All season long, the Yellowjackets’ goal has been to grow and show gradual progress. Coach Tolla feels that everything is starting to come together as his athletes gain a greater understanding of what the East Haven wrestling program is trying to accomplish. As the team moves forward, Tolla and Assistant Coach Lou Rivellini are excited for the future based on the improvement that the Easties are showing this season.
“Over the last two weeks, we can really see that the young men and women have been able to chain moves together and understand the whole picture of wrestling,” said Tolla. “Coach Rivellini and I are excited. We knew it would be a difficult season because of what we lost, but we know we have a good base of talent of good kids who work hard. We expect to compete at a higher level.”
The East Haven wrestling team features senior captains Jake Ortiz, Frank Papa, and Dylan Tavares; seniors Zayuri Castaneda, Isaac Florentino, Mike Pagan, and Kevin Phan; junior captain Jason Toth; juniors Noah Franchi, Jeremiah Kane, Harris Malik, Sophia Milano, Dylan Snyder, Marcello Torres, and Elijah Trufan; sophomores Jack Batista-Fletcher, Christian Carabantes, Tin Trinh, Jacob Ushchak, and Nick Vance; and freshmen Joshua Albee, Alyson Alberino, Joe Allen, Felipe Castaneda, Gonul Celik, Alex Dombrowski, Chase Horton, Aidan Loehman and Zander Molster.