READING — Brandon Weyant had nothing to lose.
The Hampshire senior 160-pounder entered his All-State finals match Saturday against a familiar opponent, and he wanted to make sure the second time around was a different outcome.
In last Saturday's state Division III final, Weyant lost to Somerset sophomore Austin Cooley 2-1 in double overtime. This weekend, the point differential was the same, but Weyant needed just the regulation six minutes, and he came out on top.
Weyant won 5-4 to become Hampshire's first-ever All-State champion. Minnechaug juniors Ryan Monteiro (145 pounds) and Benton Whitley also won titles.
"It feels great," Weyant said. "After losing last week to coming back here with a completely different mindset, it really feels great. I feel awesome, I don't know how else to describe it."
"This was my goal at the beginning of the season," he added.
Weyant's match was for the entire six minutes. He scored the opening takedown and led 2-1 afterone period and 4-3 after two. Weyant heads into next weekend's New England Tournament in Providence, R.I., with a 48-1 season record. This was his second All-State final, losing last season at 160 pounds to former Central star Jon Viruet. Hampshire coach Todd Bryant attributed the win to Weyant's work ethic.
"As a coach, the thing you have to consider is what you put into the program, but it's what the kids have to do with what you put into it," Bryant said. If anybody has a work ethic, if anyone has a desire to become better, it's Brandon Weyant. "He's put so much work into this, and he has since he's been in seventh grade."
Weyant defeated state Division II champ Anthony Fraumeni of Winchester in the semifinals.
Monteiro won his second All-State title, but, for one of the first timesthis season, faced a wrestler with a similar style to his. Monteiro squared off with Nashoba's Lucas Cordio, a fast-paced, technical wrestler who garnered the first takedown of the match and held a 2-1 lead on Monteiro after the first period.
"He likes to always stay in a three-point stance, and as soon as he grabs an arm, he likes to go for a low (single-leg) takedown," Monteiro said." "But I didn't have a problem (escaping) from the bottom."
Monteiro and Cordio wrestled each other this season at the Chelmsford Invitational, where Monteiro won 5-4. Cordio almost brought Monteiro to his back with seven seconds left in the third period, but Monteiro countered with a roll that put the two wrestlers out of bounds, avoiding what would have been a match-clinching takedown for Cordio.
"I'm always cautious when I'm wrestling him because I'm not used to wrestling someone with such similar styles," Monteiro said.
Whitley pinned Chelmsford's Phill Kimera in 41 seconds, the quickest of the three pins in the finals. It was also Whitley's 100th career win, becoming the 13th Western Mass. wrestler and fifth Minnechaug wrestler to reach that milestone this season. He joins teammates Monteiro, Lucas Gobel, Mike Lemoine and Riley Jacobson.
"I was trying to get some takedowns in neutral because he's good in neutral," Whitley said. "I was just trying to score some points before the second and third periods... so it wouldn't be a really close match."
Even Whitley, who is now 45-0 this season, did not expect to win by pin.
"I was really surprised when I saw the opportunity," Whitley said. "When I saw that I had the opening for the pin, it shocked me."
Despite bringing only four wrestlers (Monteiro, Whitley, Gobel and Lemoine), Minnechaug placed third overall in team points with 71, a testament to the high-level talent the Falcons put on the mat. Gobel placed seventh at 152 and will serve as an alternate for New Englands.
Coach Doug Daponde said all of Minnechaug's 10 wrestlers share in the effort.
"If it wasn't for the other guys that are in the room wrestling hard and practicing with them and pushing the guys — who in our room is going to push Ryan? We have Lucas who doesn't quit, Lemoine who doesn't quit." Daponde said. "They helped form Ryan and they helped form Benton and Lucas. They help each other, it's great to have that."
The top six wrestlers in each weight class qualify for New Englands, to be held next Friday and Saturday. Nine Western Mass. wrestlers advanced to the tournament. The other six placers are as follows:
120- Matt Garcia, Central (4th)
126 -Keith Gordon, Central (6th)
160 -Devin Pelletier, Mount Greylock (6th)
170 -Kolby Smith, Sabis (3rd)
220 -Nolan Hodgins, Granby (3rd)
285 -Joe Luna, Central (4th)
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