Bristol Eastern senior Trinidad Gonzalez started his final high school wrestling tournament with a loss, but ended it with a bang.
After losing his first bout at 220 pounds in the New England championship meet, Gonzalez won five straight to close his career with a third place finish. Gonzalez went out with a 3-1 decision over Noah Gifford of Concord (N.H.) in the third place bout.
“Pretty special run by Trinidad this season!! Great job!” read a tweet from John Stavens of Bristol Eastern athletics. “We’ll have to do some research for the next Lancers with Answers for a discussion of the Lancer GOAT wrestler. Trinidad is on the short list for that conversation.”
“Lancers with Answers” is a school podcast. Gonzalez, who already had Class L and State Open championships to his name this season, had a first round bye at the New England meet. Gonzalez didn’t get the start he wanted, however, losing a 3-1 decision to Jeffrey Worster of Oxford Hills (Maine) in the championship round of 16.
Gonzalez dropped into the consolation bracket and was one loss away from seeing his high school career close prematurely. After a bye, Gonzalez pounded Owen MacMillan of Hollis Brookline (N.H.) in a 17-1 technical fall. After a 2-0 first period, Gonzalez tallied 10 points on a reversal, takedown and pair of nearfalls. He had all five points in the third period (escape, takedown, nearfall) to secure the tech fall.
Gonzalez advanced to the second consolation round of eight, where he faced Shea Garand of Algonquin (Mass.). Eight seconds into the second period, Gonzalez took Garand down. Seventeen seconds later, Gonzalez moved on with a pin.
In the consolation round of four, Gonzalez took on William Ogebebor of Foxborough, Mass. After falling behind 1-0 in the second period, Gonzalez got a takedown to lead 2-1. An escape 11 seconds into the third period gave Gonzalez a 3-1 lead he would hold through the end of the bout.
Gonzalez got another chance at Worster in the consolation semifinal, and he took a 5-2 decision over the Oxford Hills wrestler. Worster sandwiched two escapes between a Gonzalez takedown for a 2-2 score after two periods. Gonzalez escaped six seconds into the third period, then got a takedown for a 5-2 margin that lasted through the end of the bout.
Gonzalez took on Giffard in the third place bout, and after a scoreless first period, the Eastern senior picked up an escape and a takedown to lead 3-0 after two periods. Giffard got a point on an escape in the third period, but Gonzalez held him off the rest of the way to finish third.
