The postseason is wrapping up for one sport and getting going for another as wrestling and basketball playoffs continue this weekend.

Newtown High School’s wrestling team, coming off South-West Conference and Class LL state championships, is going for a State Open crown. The event is slated to start at 4:30 pm on Friday, February 27, and conclude with the finals, beginning at 5:30 pm, on Saturday, February 28. All competition unfolds on the mats at the Floyd Little Athletic Center on 480 Sherman Parkway in New Haven.

Ticket information for the wrestling State Open is as follows: Ticket prices for each session (Friday and Saturday): Children 5 and under, free; students in grades 1–12 and senior citizens 65 and older, $5; and all other adults, $10.

The top six wrestlers from each weight class of all four state divisions — Classes LL, L, M, and S — qualify for the competition. Newtown has 11 team members in the Open, and the breakdown is as follows: Four champions — Luca Crudo (113 pound weight division), James Leuci (138), Joe Accousti (152), and Anthony Falbo (170); three runners-up — Ed Lovely (126), Alex Stavola (145), and Andy Hubina (195); two grapplers who placed third — Matt Gonzalez (132) and Logan Walsh (182); and two who came in fourth — Connor LeMay (160) and Tom Long (220).

SWC Basketball

On the hardwood, Newtown High’s boys’ basketball team begins postseason action on Friday, February 27, when the sixth-seeded Nighthawks visit Joel Barlow, 100 Black Rock Turnpike in Redding, for a 7 pm South-West Conference quarterfinal round game. Cost for admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students.

Both teams went 8-5 in conference play this winter, and Newtown won its regular-season meeting against the Falcons. By virtue of tie-breakers, however, Barlow earned the home game; the Falcons also defeated 8-5 teams Stratford (the No. 5 seed) and Immaculate of Danbury (the No. 4 seed), and Newtown lost to both schools.

The winner advances to the semifinals, at Bunnell High in Stratford, on Tuesday, March 3. The winner of Newtown and Barlow will face either No. 2 Notre Dame-Fairfield or No. 7 Bethel at 5:30 pm, and the winners of No. 1 Bunnell and No. 8 New Milford will take on the Stratford-Immaculate winner at 7:30 pm. The SWC championship game is scheduled for Thursday, March 5, at 7:30 pm; the site is to be determined based on which teams reach the title game.

Girls’ SWC playoff action concluded on February 26, with No. 1 New Fairfield defeating No. 3 Notre Dame-Fairfield 58-50. Newtown, which was seeded second, lost a 79-74 double-overtime heart-breaker to Notre Dame in the semifinal round. Up next for Newtown is the Class LL state tournament first round. The bracket is set, and the Nighthawks earned the No. 14 seed and will host No. 19 Conard at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 3. Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults.