Powell Sets Taconic Wins Record in Home Gym

PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Zabion Powell christened the gym at the new Taconic High School in historic fashion on Saturday at the Taconic Invitational.

 

First, he earned his 100th career pin in the 145-pound semi-finals. Then, he won the tournament title with a 4-1 decision to take his program-record 141st victory.

 

“It was a little extra pressure -- at home, getting the record, 100 pins,” Powell said. “There was a lot going on today.”

 

And there was a little more fanfare than the last time Powell hit a milestone on the mat.

 

“It was really awesome,” he said after getting a handmade poster and hugs from family and friends. “I got my 100th last year at the Mount Greylock tournament, and it was the first round, here you go. I was wrestling a backup from Colonie (N.Y.), and it was like, ‘Here you go. Here’s your 100th win.’

 

“I mean, it was still a 100th win, but it wasn’t anything like this. It was no final.”

 

And likely was not nearly the challenge that Sabis’ Jalen Rogers presented in Saturday’s final.

 

“I wrestled him once, sophomore year in the Western Mass semi-finals, and it was a close match then,” Powell said. “I think it was 4-2, maybe 4-3. It was a close match. The kid’s good. I knew he was going to be good. I knew he was strong as hell.”

 

Powell started on the bottom in the third period and earned a reversal to take a 2-0 lead. After Rogers was able to escape, Powell got a takedown at the edge of the mat late in the period to secure the 4-1 win.

 

“I got the kind of match I was hoping for,” Powell said. “I’ve been wanting close matches. And to have it in this area is awesome. Usually, Berkshire County and Western Mass, I don’t have close matches like that too often.

 

“So I was excited to wrestle him again. But I was hoping to beat him by a little more, so I’ve got some stuff to work on.”

 

Powell cruised into the finals, earning a 37-second pin in his first match of the day and stopping his opponent in the semis in 1:09 to pick up career pin No. 100.

 

He was joined in the finals by six of his Taconic teammates.

 

Mike LaFreniere earned a second-period pin to take the title at 132. Dylan Burke defeated Hampshire Regional’s Kobe Clifford, 13-5, in the 182 final. Shawn O’Shea at 195 and Isiaha Hartman-Caeser at 285 each ended his day with a pin.

 

Taconic got runner-up finishes from Devon Pekosz at 126 and Zach Mathes at 138.

 

Taconic also earned three third-place finishes. David Babineau (120), Louis Rhodes (132) and Mike Puskey (160) each won his consolation bracket final match.

 

Taconic finished first with 211 points, well ahead of runner up Hampden Charter (158) in the 11-school field.

 

Mount Greylock sent three wrestlers to the consy finals.

 

Trey Lepicier fall to Boston’s Julian Perez in the 106 third-place match. Jack Rossiter lost to Hampden Charter’s Shaunari Buckhannon in the 145 consy final. And Mason Willard of Hampshire earned a 3-1 decision over the Mounties’ Liam Feeley to take third at 170.