Mount Anthony wrestling leaves no doubt, extends nation-leading record

VERGENNES — Aaron Johnson waited four years and two finals exits for his moment in the spotlight.

His Mount Anthony Union High School wrestling team has been living on top for the last three-plus decades, one year removed from nearly losing its grip on an historic title stranglehold.

Johnson wouldn't be rebuffed a third time. And hint: The Patriots’ reign isn’t going anywhere.

The high school wrestling title resides in Bennington — the Palace of the Patriots. And Johnson, the Patriots’ star, nabbed his long-waited title belt with a 42-second pin at 170 pounds.

Mount Anthony kicked off the 2023 championship matches with Johnson’s pin and ran to the finish line with five grapplers competing in the finals to extend their nation-leading championship streak to 34 straight years.

“He finally got the monkey off his back,” Mount Anthony coach Frank Gaudette said of Johnson. “He’s been to the finals every year and I think the pressure’s gotten to him a few times, but this time he left no doubt with it. I don't think it would have mattered if he went first or if he went last, he was gonna get it done.”

Johnson was the Patriots’ lone individual winner, one less than they had last winter, but MAU used seven top 3 finishes to ease past runner-up Colchester 219-157.50. The Patriots entered with just two top-ranked grapplers and five in the top 3.

The longer odds than MAU is accustomed to didn’t dismay the Patriots.

“Seeds at the end of the day don’t really mean anything,” Gaudette said. “We tell the kids once you hit the postseason it’s (records) 0-0.”

Johnson finished with over 120 career wins in a shortened high school campaign due the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I don't know whether to feel proud of myself or hate myself for taking this long to finally do what I got to do,” Johnson said. “After the pin my head went straight to, I finally did it. All the work I put in over the four years, this is it. That was my final moment in Vermont state and I just proved myself I was where I wanted to be.”

Mount Mansfield’s Jack Arpey (160 pounds) and Coy Lyford (106) of Spaulding captured the second of back-to-back titles. Despite entering as the defending champion, Arpey was the No. 2 seed behind Colchester’s Cam Katon. The two were familiar with each other and Arpey welcomed the challenge.

“It was a lot harder and a lot more fun,” Arpey said of his 13-8 decision at 160 pounds compared to last year’s win. “He (Katon) came back to wrestling. He used to wrestle my brother when we were younger and I was so glad that he came back. It was great competition.”

Colchester capped the season that saw the Lakers win the Peru (N.Y.) Invitational and be the top Vermont team in the Michael J. Baker Classic with two individual winners in the state tournament to finish runner-up. Freshman Cahota Lafond won 113 pounds 6-0, while Josh Martel snagged top honors at 195 pounds.

But the Patriots resolidified their standing in the state after last year’s scare.

“It was much easier to coach than it was last year with a five-point margin,” Gaudette said. “It was nice to be able to go out and leave no doubt. That's been our model all year, leave no doubt wherever we've gone.”

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Contact Jacob Rousseau at JRousseau@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter: @ByJacobRousseau

2022 wrestling championship results

At Vergennes (Saturday)

Team scores: 1. Mount Anthony 219; 2. Colchester 157.50; 3. Otter Valley 145; 4. Vergennes, 121; 5. Spaulding 115; 6. Essex 104. 5; 7. Mount Mansfield 86; 8. Champlain Valley 76; 9. Fair Haven 71; 10. St. Johnsbury 70; 11. Randolph 66; 12. Springfield 59; 13. Mount Abraham 56; 14. Middlebury 54; 15. Winooski 20; 16. Mount St. Joseph 12; T17. Lake Region 10; T17. Lyndon 10; T19. Burr and Burton 9; T19. Harwood 9; 21. Mill River 2; 22. Green Mountain 0.

106 pounds: 1. Coy Lyford (SPD) def 2. Mason Sheltra (Colch) 9-1; 3. Noah Markwell (SPR); 4. Hannah Keithen (SJA); 5. Finn McMahon, (E); 6. Sean Maynard CVU).

113: 1. Cahota Lafond (Colch) def. 2. Duncan Harrington (MAU) 6-0; 3. Conner Meacham (Mount Abraham); 4. Thomas Given (OV); 5. Samantha Hallock (VER).

120: 1. Devan Hemingway, (Mount Abraham) def. 2. Logan Davis (MAU) 2-0; 3. Camden Ayer (CVU); 4. Abraham Krueger (MMU); 5. Austin Strang (SJA); 6. Alex Sperry (MIDD).

126: 1. Trey Lee (FH) pin 2. Alex Perez (MAU) at :16; 3. Dillan Lacasse (SPR); 4. Leo Johnson (SPD); 5. Karter Morey (LYN); 6. Aiden Perran (Colch).

132: 1. Eli Brace, (VER) pin 2. Lincoln Wilcox at :51; 3. Avery Carl (MIDD); 4. Tyler Monick (MAU); 5. Sebastian Krueger (MMU); 6. Matthew Smardon (CVU).

138: 1. Elias Kalat (SPD) def. 2. Asa Reis (MAU) 7-1; 3. Caleb Whitney (OV); 4. Kingston Cotter (MSJ); 5. James Ripley (MMU); 6. Drew Best (RAN).

145: 1. Noah Powell (E) def. 2. Taylor Fletcher (MMU) 9-4; 3. Shawn Gassaway (MAU); 4. Michael O'Callaghan (Colch); 5. Matt Conant (Mount Abraham); 6. John Marcellus (SPD).

152: 1. Anthony Matas (E) def. 2. Tucker Babcock (OV) 11-1; 3. Spencer Boucher (MAU); 4. Max Laperle (SPD); 5. Jordan Lavoie (Colch); 6. Ethan Verricchoine (CVU).

160: 1. Jack Arpey (MMU) def. 2. Cam Katon (Colch) 13-8; 3. Ozzy Alsaid (SJA) ; 4. Chase Cram (OV); 5. Payton Lavoie (VER); 6. Zane Cooper (RAN).

170: 1. Aaron Johnson (MAU) pin Simon Allen (RAN) at :42; 3. Gabe Bache (FH); 4. Skylar Lamphere (Colch); 5. Coalby Reid-Lamonda (SPD); 6. Tyerell Lavoie (VER).

182: 1. Thomas Murphy (CVU) def. 2. Issac Preston (VER) 8-4; 3. Isaac Whitney (OV); 4. Brody Coppins (Colch); 5. Ryan Marsden (MAU); 6. JT Wright (BBA).

195: 1. Josh Martel (Colch) def. 2. Jamison Couture (VER) 4-3; 3. Sanat Amantayev (SJA); 4. James Murphy (MAU); 5. Rieley Lyford (RAN); 6. Simon Martin (OV).

220: 1. Chris Folsom, (E) pin Colton Delong (FH) at :15; 3. Caden Howell (VER); 4. Carson Herzfeld (MAU); 5. Keevon Parks (OV); 6. Trent Rumrill (SPR).

285: 1. Nick Sheldrick (MIDD) pin 2. Cole Wright (SPR) at :24; 3. Gramham Resmer (WIN); 4. Derek Li (OV); 5. Schylar Francis (MAU); 6. Jonathan Hayward (E).

Coach of the year

Cole Mason, Otter Valley

100 win club

(*wrestlers who reached milestone this season)

Taylor Babcock, Otter Valley

Eli Brace, Vergennes

Aaron Johnson, Mount Anthony

Coy Lyford, Spaulding

Caleb Whitney, Otter Valley

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Mount Anthony wrestling extends nation-leading record to 34 years