Section VI Division II Wrestling Championship Preview and Predictions

Cover image courtesy of Ciaran Edwards/CE Design

Section VI small schools graduated a fantastic senior class in 2019 that included three NYS champions, a finalist, and two more place winners. Despite eight total place winners, the Section had its worst overall place finish since 2006 (5th) and still has not won the inter-section title at the state tournament going back to the divisional split in 2004, even though Section VI Division II is regarded as a Level A region in the state’s placement points formula.

Overall, the incoming group of representatives from WNY small schools for the state tournament in Albany will have a lot of ground to make up if the Section is to outscore and move past its Upstate rival sections, especially after losing over half of the 2018-2019 sectional champions at graduation. The only returning NYS place winner in the area’s small schools is defending state finalist Andy Lucinksi from Newfane. Unfortunately, Fredonia lost a state title contender when returning NYS 4th place finisher Dalton Gardner was lost for the season back in December.

Eight defending and nine total Section VI champions return for this weekend’s state qualifier including Alden/Depew’s Carson Alberti who won a Section VI Division I title last season. Only three returning state tournament wildcards are back as well. With a big group of returning sectional champions, a talented handful of hungry, young athletes, and expanded placement to eight podium spots, the Section VI small school team could be primed for a revival in Albany.

99-pounds:

Top seeds:

1. Caden Barrientos – Lewiston-Porter – 8th grade

2. Martin Ohlsson – Chautauqua Lake – 9th

3. Gavin Ciarfella – Barker/Royalton-Hartland – 9th

4. Aiden Gillings – Newfane – 7th

5. Xander Kirsch – Pioneer – 9th

6. Mike Ball – Fredonia – 8th

7. Johnny Vicario – Eden – 10th

8. Brady Wilkinson – Iroquois – 7th

9. Matt Skowronski – East Aurora – 10th

10. Jordan Joslyn – Chautauqua Lake – 8th

There is a lot to unpack with the lightweight group in the Division II tournament. All ten of the competitors are promising young wrestlers who have spent the entire season battling one another in matches that clearly have become highly consequential going back all the way to the start of the season. Barrientos has beaten all seven of lower seeded wrestlers he’s faced this season on the way to earning the Class B title and the top overall seed in the bracket. Barrientos was a winner by pin over 8-seeded Wilkinson and a 4-2 decision winner over Kirsch in the B final, their first meeting of the season, and also owns a 3-2 decision over the 2-seed. Ohlsson captured the C/D title in a loaded bracket defeating Gillings by pin in the semi and Ciarfella, 4-0 in the final. Ohlsson is the only returning sectional place winner as he took 5th in the section at 99 in 2018-2019. Ciarfella has had a breakout season and has a handful of quality wins over other wrestlers in the field as well as Division I top seeded 99-pounder Travis Browning from December 6th. Should they meet in the quarters, Ciarfella does have a major decision win over Ball from January 25th while Kirsch and Gillings have not met this season, even though Pioneer and Newfane have met three times. Some advice for Saturday at Southwestern: don’t blink while the 99-pounders are on the mat.

Semifinal predictions: Barrientos dec. Gillings, 5-3; Ciarfella dec. Ohlsson, 3-1 OT

Championship prediction: Caden Barrientos dec. Gavin Ciarfella, 4-3

106:

Top seeds:

1. Andy Lucinksi – Newfane – 11th

2. Ethan Coleman – Franklinville – 8th

3. Brayden Newman – Falconer – 11th

4. Peter Gaglio – Iroquois – 10th

5. Nolan Skowronski – East Aurora – 10th

6. RaShawn Bloom – Medina – 10th

Lucinksi is the front runner of another solid group of light weight wrestlers heading into Saturday. Andy is a two-time state place winner and Section VI champion already and has head to head wins over Coleman, Newman, and Bloom this season. Coleman has put together an outstanding season for the Panthers and really caught some attention with major decision wins over Skowronski and Chautauqua Lake’s Ohlsson in January and last weekend with a third period pin over NYS Dual Meet Tournament hero Brayden Newman in the class semifinal. Gaglio has two head to head decision wins over Skowronski this season and to have a shot at Lucinksi would need to hold off the East Aurora sophomore again. Newman is a returning sectional finalist while Gaglio, Skowronski, and Bloom are all returning place winners.

Semifinal predictions: Lucinski p. Gaglio; Coleman dec. Newman, 5-2

Championship prediction: Andy Lucinski p. Ethan Coleman

113:

Top seeds:

1. Dave Ball – Fredonia – 11th

2. Dan Kirsch – Pioneer – 10th

3. Michael Schiffhauer – Iroquois – 10th

4. Adam Huntington – Newfane

5. Trent Burchanowski – Chautauqua Lake – 9th

6. Austin Chase – Falconer – 9th

Defending Section VI champion Dave Ball earned the top seed and entered the tournament with a medical wildcard giving an extra week of time to heal a nagging injury. In somewhat of a anomaly, Ball hasn’t faced any of the next five lower seeds this season although he has other outstanding wins on his resume. The 2 and 3-seeded wrestlers have met once this season, resulting in a late second period pin in the Class B final for returning sectional finalist Kirsch. The top six seeds are all returning sectional place winners making this weight another exciting one to keep an eye on. Besides Schiffhauer, Kirsch has only seen Huntington and Burchanowski while the Iroquois Chief has seen Huntington and Chase, the latter whom he was a winner by a 6-1 decision over. Huntington and Burchanowski have not wrestled this year, however a quarterfinal between them should definitely stir some interest, as should a Schiffhauer/Chase quarterfinal rematch.

Semifinal predictions: Ball d. Huntington, 9-2; Kirsch dec. Schiffhauer, 4-2

Championship prediction: Dave Ball dec. Dan Kirsch, 6-1

120:

Top seeds:

1. Donovan Bukaczeski – Iroquois – 11th

2. Carson Alberti – Alden/Depew – 10th

3. Hunter Harris – Chautauqua Lake – 11th

4. Nate Gabler – Olean – 11th

5. Nick Szotryka – Tonawanda – 12th

6. Michael Carnes – Southwestern – 12th

Last Saturday’s nail-biting Class B final between defending Section VI champion Alberti and returning sectional finalist and state tournament wildcard Bukaczeski could have been the match of the weekend, perhaps the season (so far). Bukaczeski earned four points in the last twenty-five seconds to win by two in a state tournament quality bout. Alberti-Bukaczeski have split in head to head matches this season with Alberti winning 6-1 in the ECIC final before the Iroquois junior’s win last Saturday. Should both wrestlers make the Division II 120-pound final in Southwestern, Section VI is essentially guaranteed to be sending two athletes to Albany from this weight. Besides Alberti and Bukaczeski, Harris and Szortyka are the only returning sectional place winners. Harris captured the Class C/D title last weekend with a decision over Carnes in the final, while Gabler fell in the Class B quarterfinal but wrestled all the way back to 3rd in the bracket, pinning Szortyka in the consolation semifinal. Fireworks could ensue in this bracket’s quarters but Bukaczeski and Alberti have to be the clear favorites.

Semifinal predictions: Bukaczeski p. Gabler; Alberti p. Harris

Championship prediction: Carson Alberti dec. Donovan Bukaczeski, 4-2

126:

Top seeds:

1. Jake Jozwiak – Iroquois – 12th

2. Alex Skowronski – East Aurora – 12th

3. Garrett Swan – Southwestern – 11th

4. Joey Pillittieri – Falconer – 11th

5. Mike Alberti – Alden/Depew – 12th

6. Blake Colantino – Eden – 12th

Jozwiak/Skowronski has turned into a nice rivalry over the course of the last month. Jake was a 1-0 winner over EA’s defending Section VI champion on 1/18 in the ECIC semis before earning a quality 8-3 decision win over Skowronski in the Class B final. Jozwiak, Swan, Alberti, and Colantino are all returning sectional place winners as well. Jozwiak has two close head to head decisions over Class C/D champion Swan while Skowronski edged Swan 9-7 on December 28th. Skowronski also edged Alberti, 9-7 in OT at Class B. Falconer’s Pillittieri hasn’t wrestled Alberti this season so a 4vs.5 quarterfinal between them is another interesting prospect. Pillittieri does however have a head to head win over the top seed, 3-2, from the Section VI Duals. Colantino has certainly been battle tested this season since falling to Swan by a third period pin on December 14th, however another meeting in the sectional quarterfinal could be a great match to watch. Division II 126-pounds is another weight class to keep your eyes glued to.

Semifinal predictions: Jozwiak dec. Alberti, 5-2; Skowronski dec. Swan, 5-3 OT

Championship prediction: Jake Jozwiak dec. Alex Skowronski, 6-3

132: 

Top seeds:

1. Ryan Sweeney – Iroquois – 1oth

2. Luke Tomlinson – Maple Grove – 10th

3. Shane Walczyk – Eden – 1oth

4. Hunter Teboe – Falconer – 4th

5. Nolan Palmatier – Franklinville – 12th

6. Donald Bennett – Pioneer – 1oth

7. Julian Martin – Lake Shore – 11th

Two of WNY’s best sophomore wrestlers earned the top seeds at 132-pounds for Saturday. Sweeney returns as a Section VI Division II runner-up but barely missed out on a state wildcard in 2019. Tomlinson, a returning 3rd place finisher, has put together an outstanding season for the Red Dragons and has already eclipsed 160 career wins with two years to go in high school. Sweeney and Tomlinson both dominated their competition at their respective class tournaments setting up a highly anticipated collision course for the sectional final in Southwestern. Eden’s Walczyk earned the 3-seed as he has a win over Teboe and three over Palmatier. Teboe has wins over Palmatier and Bennett, which didn’t help the case for returning Section VI champion Julian Martin who fell to Bennett at Class B on Saturday in a late overtime pin.

Semifinal predictions: Sweeney p. Teboe; Tomlinson p. Walczyk

Championship prediction: Ryan Sweeney dec. Luke Tomlinson, 3-2

138:

Top seeds:

1. Brendon Ramsey – Chautauqua Lake – 11th

2. Alex Miley – Pioneer – 11th

3. Nik Voelker – Newfane – 12th

4. Tristan DeGrace – Iroquois – 11th

5. Ciaran Edwards – Lewiston-Porter – 11th

6. Brendon Rowe – Chautauqua Lake – 12th

The redemption tour continues for the Thunderbirds’ Ramsey, who after winning a sectional title in 2017-2018 had to settle for 3rd in 2019 and missing a state tournament wildcard. Ramsey is looking to retake the sectional crown and will have a chance to do so as the top seeded wrestler at 138-pounds. Ramsey captured the C/D title with a 4-0 win over Voelker in the final. Besides Voelker, the only other top seeded wrestler Ramsey has seen this year is teammate Rowe in the class semifinal. Miley edged Edwards 3-2 on January 25th and earned the Class B title by way of tiebreaker win over Edwards, 4-3, in the semi and a 6-0 decision over DeGrace in the championship bout. Miley has split decision wins at one apiece with both Voelker and DeGrace this season.  Edwards also has only a 4-3 decision loss to Voelker from December 21st in a meeting between the only two other returning sectional place winners besides Ramsey in the bracket. Expect 138 to have some of the closest scores in the quarters, semis, consolation finals, and championship finals in any of the thirty brackets this weekend.

Semifinal predictions: Ramsey dec. DeGrace, 4-3; Miley dec. Voelker, 4-2 OT

Championship prediction: Brendon Ramsey dec. Alex Miley, 6-5

145: 

Top seeds:

1. Ryan Nugent – Newfane 11th

2. Kameron Riordan – Pioneer – 11th

3. Dagon Bryant – Southwestern – 12th

4. Hunter Larson – Fredonia – 10th

5. Nick Brown – Springville – 10th

Nugent-Riordan-Larson finished second, fourth, and fifth, respectively, at 145-pounds in the 2018-2019 Section VI Division II state qualifier, and coincidentally are all back at weight this season. Bryant is also a returning sectional place winner. Nugent is a returning sectional finalist and state tournament qualifier and claimed the Class C/D title with a 5-0 decision over Bryant last Saturday. Nugent has wrestled three different Pioneer Panthers this season, none of whom are named Riordan. Riordan has only wrestled Larson and Brown this year, winning close two-point decision matches over each. Larson and Brown met at the Class B tournament with the Silver Creek athlete winning 13-6. A lot of uncertainty surrounds the top seeds in this bracket as any head to head matches have been close out of the few that have actually occurred over the course of the season.

Semifinal predictions: Nugent md. Larson, 8-0; Riordan dec. Bryant, 5-2

Championship prediction: Ryan Nugent dec. Kameron Riordan, 6-2

152:

Top seeds:

1. Dakota Mascho – Portville – 10th

2. Bryce Baglia – Falconer – 12th

3. Cole Golembieski – Fredonia – 12th

4. Ethan Fort – Gowanda – 12th

5. Devin Jeffery – Lake Shore – 11th

6. Joplin Hess – East Aurora – 11th

Portville’s young star captured the C/D title in somewhat of a surprising 7-1 decision margin over top seeded Bryce Baglia from Falconer. The defending sectional 3rd place winner has led the resurgent Panthers over the last two years and is looking for his first trip to the NYS tournament. Mascho has head to head wins over the next three seeded wrestlers behind him including a major decision over Golembieski and a pin over Fort. Falconer’s own returning 3rd place finisher has had an outstanding senior season and despite last weekend’s score should be considered a contender for a sectional title as well. Golembieski won the Class B title with an 11-6 win over Hess and hasn’t wrestled Baglia this season. Hess defeated Jeffery 5-4 in the class semifinal, but split with his Lake Shore rival with two wins apiece this season. The final should be an all-southern tier affair.

Semifinal predictions: Mascho p. Fort; Baglia md. Golembieski, 10-2

Championship prediction: Dakota Mascho dec. Bryce Baglia, 5-3

160: 

Top seeds:

1. Giovanni Schifano – Eden – 12th

2. Gavin Kulp – Olean – 12th

3. Tyler Barry – Iroquois – 11th

4. Everette Golden – Gowanda – 12th

5. Jeremiah Crivelli – Olean – 12th

Returning sectional finalist and state tournament wildcard Schifano cruised to the C/D title on Saturday. Olean’s Kulp has had an outstanding season and moved up from 152-pounds after having faced Baglia and Mascho this season. The move worked out at least for class tournament weekend as Kulp took down top seeded Barry 6-5 in the final between two returning state qualifier place winners. Kulp has seen Schifano as well, as the Eden senior was a major decision 9-0 winner on January 25th. Schifano/Barry has become one of the area’s big rivalries as well. Giovanni has won all three of their head to head matches this season including two, one-point wins and an 8-3 decision most recently. Besides the top three seeds in this bracket, seeds 4-10 is a pool of wrestlers who have a complicated web of head to head matches and wins against one another this season.

Semifinal predictions: Schifano p. Crivelli; Barry dec. Kulp, 5-3 OT

Championship prediction: Giovanni Schifano dec. Tyler Barry, 7-4

170:

Top seeds:

1. Jason Frazer – Tonawanda – 12th

2. Cleon Lawton – Franklinville – 12th

3. Jayden Lassiter – Portville – 11th

4. Tate Bryant – Southwestern – 12th

5. John Kozlowski – Falconer – 12th

6. Roland Thompson – Portville – 12th

Frazer is a returning Section VI champion, but down a weight from his 182-pound small school title last season. As it turns out, Frazer hasn’t seen any one of the next five seeded wrestlers this season, all of whom advanced to the state qualifier from the C/D tournament. Defending sectional finalist Lawton claimed the 170-pound class title as the 2-seed earning a major decision over Thompson in the semi before beating top seeded Lassiter, 3-2, in the championship match. Kozlowski defeated Bryant in the quarterfinal round, fell to Lassiter by one point in the semi, but the Southwestern senior got revenge in the consolation final, 3-1. Thompson fell to Bryant in the consolation semi but wrestled back to fifth. Thus, the 170-pound seeds (2-6) reflect exactly the order of finish at the C/D tournament only a week ago. Bryant and Thompson are also returning sectional place winners. With so many close matches surely to be re-created at sectionals, 170 has potential to be a sneaky exciting bracket to watch and may even feature an all-Portville battle in the quarterfinal.

Semifinal predictions: Frazer md. Kozlowski, 9-1; Lawton dec. Jassiter, 4-3 UTB

Championship prediction: Jason Frazer dec. Cleon Lawton, 5-3

182: 

Top seeds:

1. Ceric Kristan – Fredonia – 11th

2. Hudson Johnson – Falconer – 12th

3. Ryan Current – Iroquois – 11th

4. Everett Leonard – Franklinville – 11th

5. Kyle Trim – Maple Grove – 12th

Defending Section VI champion Kristan has put together another great season for the Hillbillies so far. Kristan captured the Class B title with two pins before beating Iroquois’s Current by an eye catching score of 10-3 in the final. Ceric has also faced Falconer’s Johnson and holds a 9-4 decision over him from January 22nd as well as potential semifinal opponent Leonard whom he beat on January 8th by major decision. Johnson dominated the field at the Class C/D tournament on the way to the title and also holds an 8-1 decision over Current from the Section VI Duals final. Hudson, a returning 3rd place finisher, has pins over Leonard and Trim. Current (5th in 2019) has faced his fair share of tough opponents this year so the battle tested Iroquois junior may be ready to surprise some people on Saturday. Leonard and Trim have met three times this season with Leonard winning the first two and Trim winning most recently, 8-1.

Semifinal predictions: Kristan p. Trim; Johnson dec. Current, 8-6

Championship prediction: Ceric Kristan dec. Hudson Johnson, 8-2

195:

Top seeds:

1. Dontae Hoose – Southwestern – 1oth

2. Jake Tomlinson – Maple Grove – 12th

3. Kyle Wittenrich – Franklinville – 12th

4. Brock Johnson – Falconer – 11th

The all-Class C/D top seeds all made it to the semifinals last weekend. Hoose beat very strong opponents in Johnson, 5-2 in the semi, and Wittenrich, 7-2, in the final. The young Trojans star has certainly held his own against primarily upperclassmen in typically ‘older’ weight classes, as he is a returning 3rd place finisher as a freshman back at weight. Wittenrich is a returning 4th place finisher who advanced to the final last weekend with a forfeit in the semi. Johnson wrestled back to 3rd, but received a forfeit from Tomlinson in the consolation finale. Tomlinson (sectional runner-up 2019) does have a 2-0 decision win over Wittenrich, an 8-6 win over Johnson, but a loss by pin to Hoose. Wittenrich and Johnson have not met.

Semifinal predictions: Hoose dec. Johnson, 6-3; Tomlinson dec. Wittenrich, 8-5

Championship prediction: Dontae Hoose dec. Jake Tomlinson, 8-2

220:

Top seeds:

1. Conner Walsh – Olean – 11th

2. Alex Christy – Fredonia – 12th

3. Collin Beichner – Falconer – 11th

4. Christian Miller – Lackawanna – 12th

5. Zachariah Padd – Maple Grove – 11th

Walsh has been a force this season coming off a 3rd place finish in Section VI Division I in 2019. Conner captured the Class B title with a 5-2 decision over Christy in a battle of physically imposing young men. Walsh was also a winner by pin over Christy in the second week of the season and an 8-0 major decision winner over Beichner on January 15th. Christy and Beichner have battled twice already this season, with the Fredonia senior winning by 7-1 and 5-4 scores. Both Christy and Beichner are returning sectional place winners and Beichner claimed the Class C/D title in his home gym last weekend.

Semifinal predictions: Walsh p. Miller; Christy dec. Beichner, 3-2

Championship prediction: Conner Walsh dec. Alex Christy, 4-2

285: 

Top seeds:

1. Jaden Heers – Newfane – 12th

2. Jake Skinner – Fredonia – 12th

3. Cody Wilson – Albion – 12th

4. Yaniel Acevado – Fredonia – 12th

5. AJ Addotta – Olean – 11th

6. Collin Mower – Falconer – 12th

The theme with the heavyweights all season in WNY has been football stars dominating the landscape. Finally, some of the best will all be in the same place on Saturday so if you’re at Southwestern stick around for this final, for whomever may be in it. Heers brings state experience to the bracket as a returning Section VI champion followed by Class B champion and returning finalist Skinner as well as Class C champion and returning sectional 4th place finisher Wilson. Heers was a decision winner over Mower in the Class C/D final. While Jaden hasn’t Skinner yet this season, he and Albion star Wilson have had a season long rivalry. Wilson was a 4-2 decision winner over the Panthers star on 12/28, but Heers has won the last two head to heads by only one point each time. Skinner and Wilson met for the first time this season in the Class B final with Skinner winning an ultimate tiebreaker decision, 3-2. A potential quarterfinal for Wilson could be against Mower, a solid wrestler in his own right. The bottom semifinal between whomever is in it should be as exciting as the night’s final. The Section has a real possibility for multiple state tournament entries at this weight class as well.

Semifinal predictions: Heers p. Acevado; Skinner dec. Wilson, 2-1

Championship prediction: Jaden Heers dec. Jake Skinner, 4-3