Wrestling: Concord finishes 2nd at Salem Blue Devil Classic, Sakakeeny wins heavyweight crown in first tournament of the season

Concord’s Wayne Sakakeeny (top) pins an opponent from Timberlane in a 2023-24 dual meet. Sakakeeny won the 285-pound title at the 16-team Salem Blue Devil Classic on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, to help lead the Crimson Tide to second place. Jessica Merrill
Published: 12-15-2024 10:27 AM
Modified: 12-15-2024 12:07 PM |
The Concord High School wrestling team capped a solid season-opening week by finishing in second out of 16 teams at the Salem Blue Devil Classic.
Concord junior Wayne Sakakeeny claimed the heavyweight title, winning three bouts by pin, including a second-period pin against Atilio Colon of Lowell, Mass., in the 285-pound final.
Three of his Crimson Tide teammates – juniors Jaxon Carter (144), Max Chung (157) and Jacoby Merrill (175) – all had runner-up finishes in their respective weight classes.
“We surprised ourselves a bit,” Concord head coach Ham Munnell said. “We beat all the New Hampshire teams. I think we wrestled well, but I feel like we can be better.”
Munnell added, “(Sakakeeny) has been training a lot, he looks good. He’s gotten bigger and stronger, he was already pretty good last year. We want to contend for the state title, so we need more individual champs and wrestle better in finals.”
Shawsheen Valley Technical High School, based in Billerica, Mass., won the team title with 268 points.
Concord (189), Salem (179.5), Pinkerton (151.5), Whittier Regional in Haverhill, Mass. (146.5) and Spaulding (127) were the top six teams.
The Division III Bow Falcons, the only D-III program competing against all D-I, D-II and strong out-of-state competition, finished 14th with 75 points.
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Ryley Holt (third 165), Carl Sirrianna (fourth 190), Cullen Burke (fourth 126), Isaiah Puckett (fourth 215) and Owen Gregg (fifth 132) were the other wrestlers who placed for the Tide.
Senior Jackson Hall finished runner-up at 215, and teammates Chase Flagg (fifth 190), Jaron Todisco Coulon (fifth 113) and Jake Todisco Coulon (sixth 138) placed for Bow.
The Capital Area’s other wrestling teams competed at the ConVal Early Bird Invitational.
Exeter (223), Bedford (206.5), Plymouth (143.5) and Bishop Guertin (129.5) were the top four teams, while Winnisquam (122.5) was the top local team, finishing fifth.
Aemon Gauthier (second 132), Colin Parenteau (second 150), David Jean (second 175), Ryan Cormier (second 120), Aiden Sufert (third 120), Sam Weisman (sixth 190), Dylan Griffin (eighth 138), Jameson Dunn (eighth 144), Lucas Fournier (eighth 126) and Noah Bassett (eighth 175) placed for Winnisquam.
John Stark tied for seventh with Vergennes, Vt. with 103 points each.
Junior Sean Crean won the 113-pound title with two victories by technical fall and two wins by pin, including a third-period pin over Plymouth’s Anthony Torres in the final. Lyncoln Jablonski (third 126), Alex Descoteau (fourth 215), Brenna Crean (fourth 120) and Hunter Griffin (fourth 144) also pl aced for the Generals.
David Wigger (sixth 165), Gage Richard (sixth 144), Jacob Mullen (sixth 126), Brodie Malynowski (eighth 175) and Chris Bolton (eighth 157) placed for 13th-place Kearsarge (50).
Cameron Labrecque (sixth 215) led Franklin (17th, 31 points) and Nolan Linstad (third 144) competed individually for Hopkinton.