Upper Weights Power Montgomery Wrestling Past Franklin, 37–29
Nicholas Mistretta
MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP — Montgomery’s varsity wrestling team used a string of big wins in the middle and upper weights to pull away from Franklin on Wednesday night, earning a 37–29 road victory to improve to 10–6 on the season.
The Cougars opened with a forfeit and then traded blows with the Warriors through the lightweights and middle of the lineup before slamming the door with back-to-back pins at 175 and 190 pounds. Franklin dropped to 8–9 with the loss.
Fast Start at 106, Quick Answer at 113
The dual began at 106 pounds, where Benson Chen put Montgomery on the board immediately with a forfeit, staking the Cougars to a 6–0 team lead.
Franklin struck back at 113, where Farhan Hasani pinned Nicholas Vitiello in 1:23 to level the team score at 6–6.
Bagchi’s Pin and Fong’s Decision Push Cougars Ahead
At 120 pounds, Rishi Bagchi swung momentum back to Montgomery, securing a first-period pin over Annas Ahmed at 1:54. The fall pushed the Cougars back in front, 12–6.
Montgomery extended that lead at 126, where Gavin Fong earned a hard-fought 5–3 decision over Victor Perez-Alvarado, making it 15–6 in favor of the Cougars.
Franklin answered with a pair of wins in the next two bouts. At 132, Alexander Holt dominated Andrew Medina-Ortiz with an 18–3 technical fall at 4:00, and at 138, Abdul Aloko edged Derek Bravo, 4–2. Those results closed Montgomery’s advantage to 15–14.
Clutch Decisions at 144 and 150
Two tight matches at the middle weights helped turn the dual back toward Montgomery.
At 144 pounds, Johnathin Swank survived a high-scoring bout with Ali Zafar Nayebi, emerging with a 12–11 decision that added three more points to the Cougars’ total.
At 150, Anjin Tsuchihashi followed with a 13–9 decision over Christopher Winfrey, giving Montgomery another three team points and a 21–14 lead.
The Cougars picked up bonus points at 157, where Elior Mezhericher delivered a dominant 19–5 major decision over Gabriel Dumbuya, stretching the margin to 25–14.
Franklin stopped the run at 165, as Brandon Martinez-Samano defeated Islombek Azimov, 8–3, to cut the lead to 25–17 and keep the Warriors within striking distance.
Shakirov and Carr Seal It Up Top
Montgomery slammed the door in the upper weights.
At 175 pounds, Aiden Shakirov pinned William Clark at 3:06, pushing the Cougars’ advantage to 31–17.
At 190, Jahkee Carr followed with another fall, sticking Kyrie Byrom at 3:38 and effectively putting the dual out of reach at 37–17.
Franklin closed the night with a pair of quick pins in the heavyweights. At 215, Jason Peters pinned Petre Zhuravskiy in 38 seconds, and at 285, Evan Hartel recorded a fall over Jacob Huntoon in 31 seconds to bring the final team score to 37–29.
Anchored by pins from Bagchi, Shakirov and Carr, a major decision from Mezhericher, and clutch decisions from Fong, Swank and Tsuchihashi, Montgomery turned a one-point mid-match margin into a solid road victory. The win puts the Cougars to 10–6 on the season.
Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com