The Concord High wrestling team opened the 2025 calendar with as good a start as the Crimson Tide could hope for, topping 38 other teams to win the Keene Minickiello Holiday Wrestling Tournament.

The boys didn’t bring home any individual champions, but showed their depth and toughness across several weight classes, highlighted by sophomore Biswas Darji (106 pounds), and juniors Jaxon Carter (144) and Wayne Gutierrez-Sakakeeny (285), who all finished runner-up in their respective weight classes.

The Crimson Tide scored 219.5 points, nine ahead of the Massachusetts prep school Northfield Mount Hermon (210.5). Hosts Keene (208), Pinkerton (168) and Noble, Maine (164.5) rounded out the top five, while Bow (96.5) finished ninth.

“The key was that everybody did their part,” Concord assistant Nick Zeras said. “That’s what it’s going to take to win at states. Everybody scoring at every weight class to edge out the other teams. It wasn’t a big spread  (between Concord and NMH), e   v  ery bonus point (earned by winning by pin and major decision) and every point you can, it takes everybody to do it.”

Junior Madison Beauregard provided Concord’s lone title of the day, winning four matches by pin, capped by a second period pin against Pathfinder Tech’s (Massachusetts) Ava Swist to claim the 235 title in the girls’ division.

Beauregard singlehandedly lifted the Tide girls to the middle of the pack, 11th out of 22 in the girls’ division.

Saturday’s victory marked Concord’s first tournament win of the season. The Tide finished second at the Salem Blue Devil Classic in mid-December and finished sixth at the two-day Noble (Maine) Tournament over the holiday break.

Darji made quick work of his opponents in the early rounds, winning three bouts with pins in the first period to reach the finals before dropping a 15-11 decision to Keene’s Tristin Woodbury in the finals at 106. 

Carter had a similar path at 144, winning three matches by pin and an 11-0 major decision in the semifinals to reach the title bout, where he fell to Portsmouth’s Stephen Whisler in a narrow 10-9 decision.

Gutierrez-Sakakeeny, competing in his second major tournament final this season, was pinned by Keene’s Evan Ray in the second period of the heavyweight final. Gutierrez-Sakakeeny reached the final by winning three matches by pin and another by an 8-2 decision.

Carl Sirrianna (third 190), Isaiah Puckett (fourth 215), Ryley Holt (fourth 165), Max Chung (fifth 157), Leo Chung (fifth 138), Carter Buxton (sixth 106) and Jeremy Richard (sixth 150) were Concord’s other placewinners.

“Every kid coming back as much as they can (in the consolation rounds), getting extra points makes a difference,” Zeras said. “It’s definitely less common (to win a tournament of this size) without one or two individual champs. … It takes a lot of heart and teamwork.”

Sophomore Jaron Todisco Coulon finished runner-up at 113, going 2-1 on the day, to lead Bow, while Josh Roos (fifth 126), Jake Coulon (sixth 138) and Chase Flagg (sixth 190) also placed for the Falcons.