NEW HAVEN, Conn. — What a way to wrap up an unforgettable season!
Greater Lawrence's Miguel Guzman finished the season undefeated (41-0) with a 5-1 decision yesterday in the 119-pound New England finals over Danbury, Conn.'s Charlie Costanzo.
Guzman went to the mat moments after sophomore teammate Matt Buco lost a controversial decision in the 112-pound finals. Despite being the aggressor, Buco was penalized a point for pushing New Bedford's Corey Melo out of bounds.
It was a call that drew boos from the crowd and such a vocal protest from Reggies' coach Bryant Dube that he was ejected from the tournament.
"That did bother me, but I had to concentrate on my match," said Guzman. "It is my last match in high school and I wanted to go all out. I feel really good. Never for a minute did I think I would go undefeated and win New England."
The dream of dual New England titles for summer training partners Cody Byrd of Londonderry and Haverhill's Isaiah Williams came to fruition in impressive fashion.
Byrd (41-0) rallied for a 5-3 decision over Andrew Ford of Bethel, Conn., before Williams (50-0) whipped Nick Bedard of Lowell for the fifth time this year, with an 11-2 major decision.
"I don't really like wrestling that same guy that much, but I was confident," said Williams. "Watching Cody's match got me really pumped up. This has been my goal since States of last year and we wanted to get back-to-back New England titles."
It's been quite a year for Williams, who previously captured the All-State, Division 1 State and Division 1 North titles as well as a slew of smaller competitions.
It all began in the summer, when he won a national crown.
Now the question is, what does the junior do for an encore?
Among several local placers, Central Catholic's Jack DiBurro of Haverhill finished sixth at 145 after defaulting his final match because of a shoulder injury. St. John's Prep senior Ryan Harding, of North Andover, was sixth at 152.
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