The winter sports season of 2016-17 saw a fairly young wrestling team at Stamford high. Out of the 14 wrestlers on the team, nine were wrestling for the first time. Considering the circumstances though, the Black Knights had a fairly successful season and saw four wrestlers place in FCIACs and even one place in states. The team was largely carried by the returning players though. Seniors Nick Lucente and Kevin Thomas placed 5th in the 152-lb weight class and 4th in 170-lb weight class in the FCIAC, respectively. Julius Page, junior, was able to place 6th in the conference for the 145-lb weight class.

The player that shined the brightest though, was junior Garey Mendez. He placed 3rd in the FCIAC for the 132-lb weight class and he was able to qualify for the state tournament, something no one else was able to do for Stamford High this season. Mendez was able to accumulate two wins and two losses in states; however, he did not place.

The team was forced to compete without the help of one of their best wrestlers this season. Junior Jake Heerman was sidelined for the season with a torn meniscus. He hopes to come back and leave his mark on next season. Overall, it was a decent season for the Black Knights; however, things are looking up. Lucente had this to say about the team: “We were a young team that competed with a good county (Fairfield County) and next year I think we will come back stronger.” Hopefully, the team will prove him right next year!