Section VI crowns class wrestling champions

The five sectional qualifying Class tournaments for wrestling in Section VI and  the other eleven NYSPHSAA sections took place this past Saturday, February 3rd. The Class tournaments are wrestled amongst schools whose enrollment fall within the numerical guidelines as established by the NYSPHSAA Executive Committee.

In wrestling, public high schools with enrollment of 600 and more are considered Division 1 ‘large’ schools and those with 599 and less are considered Division 2 ‘small’ schools. In Section VI, the top five place finishers in each weight in classes AA and A advance to the divisional tournament while the top four placers in each weight in classes B, C, and D advance to the divisional. The division tournaments and state tournament are also split into two divisions.

The first year of the split division tournament in NYS was the 2003-2004 season in which the state meet was contested at University at Buffalo. Section VI crowned three champions that year (all in Division 2) in Salamanca’s Kane Smith (189-pounds), Southwestern’s Matt Mazgaj (215), and Fredonia’s Frank Zielinksi (275).

In Section VI wrestling there are nine AA teams, nine A’s, twelve B’s, eleven C’s, and eleven D’s. Throughout Section VI there are ten combined teams consisting of wrestlers from two different schools all the way to four different schools. The five tournament team champions and fifteen individual champions in each are considered NYSPHSAA Class Sectional champions.

2017-2018 AA results: Team Champion: Lancaster – 236 points 2nd: Clarence – 163.5 3rd: Frontier – 163

Four of the nine Section VI Duals large school teams participated in the AA tournament in Lancaster, Clarence, Frontier, and Lockport.

The Legends dominated the AA tournament crowning five individual champions in Myles Gronowski (99-pounds), Jacob Harry (106), Tournament MOW Parker Rozler (113), Ryan Stencel (152), and Joe Andreessen (220). Andreessen will officially wrestle the rest of the season at 220-pounds. It’s no secret that Andreessen’s athleticism is top notch. Considering the talent across the state at 220 in large schools, Andreessen may have the best shot at a state title in the 220-pound bracket in seeking to be Lancaster’s first state champion since Joe Zito accomplished the feat back in 1986.

Clarence was the runner up team with a pair of champions of their own. Defending Section VI champion Aiden Rabideau who wrestled at 113 earlier this season was seeded at 120-pounds for the AA tournament and is locked in at that weight for next weekend.

Rabideu and teammate Anthony Corigliano (126) claimed the AA titles for the Red Devils.

An up and coming Frontier team was one-point shy of claiming second place and crowned two champions in Derek Wojciechowski (170) and Diego Valasquez (285).

Williamsville North/East was fourth in the team standings and had a pair of champions in Vinny Catanzaro (138) and Cam Walter (195). Niagara Falls crowned champion Josh McCoy (132) and will medical hardship standout wrestler Willie McDougald (132) into next weekend’s Section VI Division 1 Tournament.

Jamestown’s Seth MacTavish was the 145-pound champion, Lockport’s Steve Daskavitz was the 182-pound champion, and Ken-Ton’s John Milks won the AA title at 160-pounds.

Class A results: Team Champion: Grand Island – 263.5 points 2nd: Niagara-Wheatfield – 239 3rd: Amherst – 154.5

Some realignment of teams in and out of Class A made for a very different tournament landscape than years past. Iroqouis and Starpoint both dropped into Class B this season while Niagara-Wheatfield moved down from AA and Amherst rejoined the big schools by moving up from Class B. In total four of the nine Class A teams competed at the Section VI Duals – Grand Island, Niagara-Wheatfield, Williamsville South, and Hamburg. The Vikings won over half of the individual titles at the Class A tournament crowning eight champions while sending eleven wrestlers into the finals. Winners for Grand Island were Brian Bielic (99), Steve Bachman (113), Seth Jackson (132), Adam Daghestani (152), Dan Emblidge (170), Connor Kenney (182), Blake Bielec (195), and Jeremy Fridmen (220).

Niagara-Wheatfield crowned four of its own champions in Justin McDougald (126), Jake DeWolf (138), Warren McDougald (145), and Josh Thibeault (160).

Amherst’s Calik Kennedy was named the tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler for a victory over Grand Island’s Jaquan Johnson in the 285-pound final. Kennedy lost the previous two matches to Johnson earlier this season.

North Tonawanda’s Tyler Bartolomei was the 106-pound champion and host team Sweet Home crowned champion Yasser Esalah at 120-pounds.

Class B results: Team Champion: Iroquois – 192 points 2nd: Pioneer – 182.5 3rd: Olean – 174

A very good Class B tournament saw newly added Iroquois take the team title over Pioneer, who had beaten Iroquois at the Section VI Duals for third place. Three of the top four teams from the Duals competed in Class B, including Akron-Alden (2nd at Duals), Pioneer, and Iroquois as well as Duals #1 seed Olean.

Iroquois crowned a pair of champions in Jacob Vergien (132) and tournament MOW Cory Day (145) after sending seven total to the finals.

Pioneer crowned one champion in Mike Rigerman (220) with a win over teammate Trevor Smith who was fourth seeded and made it to the final. Seven Panther wrestlers placed in the wrestle backs with one champion and two finalists.

Two Olean wrestlers won Class B titles in Nick Bierfeldt (120) and Patrick Walsh (182). Akron-Alden crowned a trio of champions in Owen Kissell (126), Jacob Sarow (170), and Millard Young (195). Starpoint crowned one champion and took fifth overall. 285-pound Anthony Robinson earned three pins on his way to the Class B title.

East Aurora crowned a pair of champions in Alex Skowronski (113) who has been wrestling very well over the last few weeks of the season, and Johnny Putney (138) who earned a tech fall and two pins on the day. Host Cheektowaga crowned one champion in Austin Silwinski (152). Depew/Cleveland Hill had a pair of champions in brothers Carson (99) and Michael (106) Alberti. Lewiston-Porter’s Cody Fouts was the 160-pound Class B champion.

Class C results: Team Champion – Falconer – 271.5 points 2nd: Newfane – 209 3rd: Fredonia – 159.5

Host team Falconer dominated the Class C tournament and crowned four champions who all recorded pins in the final matches. Defending state winners Dylan Ingrao (152), Dan Torres (160), and Corey Keefe (195) all dominated their brackets and Robbie Penhollow wrestled for a total of two minutes and twenty-nine seconds all day recording three pins to claim the Class C 170-pound title. Two other Golden Falcons made the finals as well.

Newfane was the team runner up and crowned three champions of their own including Andy Lucinksi (99), Julian Nixon (182), and Ty Casinelli (285) and four other Panthers took second.

Fredonia crowned a trio of champions as well in Brandon Wallace (120), Hector Colom (132), and Giovani Russo (138). Colom (defending state finalist) defeated Falconer’s Jimmy Kramer in a tight decision 4-3.

Next weekend’s 132-pound small school bracket may be the deepest bracket in both Division 1 and Division 2.

Tonawanda was fourth in the team standings and had a good showing. Former section champion Zach Braddell dominated the 126-pound bracket all day to claim the Class C title. Three other Warrior wrestlers made the finals as well. Eden’s Blake Colantino (113) and Giovanni Schifano (145) claimed Class C titles for the Raiders.

Springville’s defending section champion Mikey Evans won the 106-pound bracket and Barker/Royalton-Hartland’s Ben Schwab won the Class C title at 220-pounds.

Class D results: Team Champion: Chautauqua Lake – 227 points 2nd: Portville – 196 3rd: Southwestern – 192.5

Chautauqua Lake wrestlers took home the Section VI Class D title on Saturday in Portville with a strong team performance. Four Thunderbird wrestlers in Brendan Ramsey (120), Austin Bourgeois (126), Bryce Rowe (160), and Ben Szymanowski (220) earned Class D tournament titles. Two other Thunderbirds made the finals as well.

Portville crowned one champion in eighth grader Dakota Mascho at 152-pounds. Southwestern’s Garrett Swan (106), Michael Carnes (113), and Giuseppe Hoose (182) all claimed Class D titles for the Trojans. Randolph’s Matt Evans (132) and Nick Becker (285) were champions for the Cardinals. Evans earned three pins on the day to claim the Class D title. Maple Grove crowned a trio of champions after only entering nine wrestlers in the tournament in Luke Tomlinson (99), Taige Jones (138), and Zak Trim (195). Trim is a defending section champion who wrestled most of the season at 182 and split matches with Hoose from Southwestern. He is now locked in at 195 pounds going into next weekend where defending section finalist and state place finisher Corey Keefe from Falconer will be. Trim earned a 5-2 decision over Keefe at the STWOA Tournament in December. Top seeded 120-pound Red Dragon Shane Hetrick did not finish the day after suffering an injury. It remains to be seen whether or not Hetrick will be granted a medical hardship into the Section VI Division 2 Tournament.

Also winning Class D titles were Cattaraugus-Little Valley’s Sam Grey at 145-pounds and Franklinville’s Cleon Lawton at 170-pounds.

On Saturday, February 10th both Section VI Division 1 and 2 Tournaments will be wrestled. The large school tournament will begin at 9 am at North Tonawanda High School. The small school tournament will begin at 9 am at Lake Shore High School.