Dual meet and tournament results & notes for the week of Monday, Jan. 22nd – Sunday, Jan. 28th, 2024.
Cover photo courtesy of Jeff Pataky
Monday, Jan. 22nd
Starpoint 42 – Cheektowaga 36
Starpoint collected three forfeits to Cheektowaga’s one but the Warriors won five of nine contested bouts, all by pin, compared to four wins & pins for the Spartans.
#7 Gowanda 63 – Frewsburg 12
Williamsville South 40 – Lake Shore 10
Sweet Home 33 – Lake Shore 24
Tuesday, Jan. 23rd
#6 Niagara Falls 34 – Kenmore 31
The Wolverines held off the visiting DevilDogs in a down to the last match NFL thriller to remain unbeaten in the league going into Wednesday’s Niagara Cup showdown. Falls jumped out to a 21-0 lead after the first four matches, but Sawyer Dickinson earned a crucial major decision at 145-pounds for Kenmore who would win six of the last nine weights in the dual. Jadyn Robinson earned a critical decision win for Niagara Falls at 170 to break a three match win streak for Kenmore. Hezekiah Mercado and Aidan Fitzgibbon earned pins at 285 and 101 for a 31-30 DevilDogs lead with one match left, but Cameron Crumpler earned the walk off major decision victory for the Wolverines in the very last bout at 108.
#7 Hamburg 34 – Frontier 28
The ‘Hamburg Hammer’ remains with the Bulldogs after the team’s second consecutive win in the new ‘Hammer’ phase of the Frontier-Hamburg rivalry. The Bulldogs won seven bouts in the dual including the night’s only forfeit and picked up three pins in the six head to head wins. Frontier took the first lead of the dual, but two pins and a decision gave Hamburg a 15-3 lead after four weights. Frontier won four of the next five weights to take a 24-21 lead after falling behind 21-9 after six weights. Sam Berti earned a major decision at 131 backed up by a Rob Schaeffer pin at 138 before sophomore Alfred Arnold sealed the comeback win for Hamburg with a decision at 145 with one match to go in the dual. Not only do the Bulldogs maintain possession of the Hammer but they also reached the ten win mark on the season, the 15th WNY team to reach double digit wins in 2023-2024.
Lewiston-Porter 33 – HM Grand Island 31
A Lancers program that has struggled with participation in recent seasons, and, at times this season, fielded eleven wrestlers against the Vikings on Tuesday while conceding forfeits at two weights. In those eleven contested bouts, L-P won seven matches with four pins and three decisions including a critical ultimate OT 6-5 decision from Matthew Salis at 145-pounds. Lewiston got off to a blazing hot start with three straight pins at 116, 124, and 131 to take an 18-0 lead right out of the gate. Grand Island won six of the next eight weights thereafter to take a 31-30 lead into the final bout out of match. At 108 with the dual hanging in the balance, Jaron Barrientos earned a 6-1 decision to seal the Lancers’ first win over the Vikings since December 2013.
#7 Gowanda 54 – Dunkirk 18
Franklinville 60 – Gow School 0
Wednesday, Jan. 24th
Chautauqua Lake Repeats as CCAA Division I Wrestling Champion
The Eagles captured a second straight CCAA I title and 6-0 unbeaten league record with a road win over the always tough Golden Falcons to complete the regular season. CL won eight weights in the match and collected six pins, jumping ahead by as much as 35-10 with five bouts left in the dual. Jordin Eddy sealed the win with a pin at 131-pounds to give the Eagles a 41-19 lead with two matches to go. Falconer completes the 2023-2024 league slate with a 4-2 record in CCAA I duals.
For more on Chautauqua Lake’s league championship please follow the below link:
NO FORFEITS! The Spartans picked up a crucial ECIC I road win over a tricky Legends team on Wednesday to take sole possession of first place in the league at 5-0 with one match remaining. Keeping in mind a heartbreaker of a loss to Lancaster last year, WNE got right to work on Wednesday winning the first match at 101-pounds and keeping the lead throughout the dual. After four weights Williamsville led 17-6 with two pins and a technical fall, however Lancaster’s Wyatt Griffith did earn a huge pin early in the dual at 116. Wins at 131 and 138 brought Lancaster two within four points of the visitors, but three pins in the next four weights capped off by a Cam Catrabone pin at 160 sealed the victory with three matches remaining. The Spartans host a quality Jamestown squad on Jan. 30th looking to finish off the regular season undefeated in league duals.
The Falcons retained the Niagara Cup for a second year in a row with a convincing road win over the Wolverines and now sit alone atop the NFL standings at 6-0 with one league match remaining. Wheatfield pinned in the first three weights of the night to take an 18-0 lead right off the bat. A high quality major decision over a returning state qualifier by Kayden Feagin at 131 put four points on the board for Falls, but NW won the next three weights for a 33-3 lead after seven weights. NW won nine weights with four pins however the young Falls team won four of their own and held a few of Wheatfield’s stars to decisions in three matches. The Falcons could wrap up another unbeaten Niagara Frontier League season and outright title next week when they host HM North Tonawanda.
Springville 46 – #6 Iroquois 28
The Griffins collected four forfeits and won four of nine contested bouts to take down the #6 Chiefs at home on Wednesday improving to 4-1 in ECIC III. Springville’s Wyatt Morris (108), Aiden Morris (131), and Adam Brown (170) earned pins while ECIC runner-up Preston Bond earned an extra team point with a major at 285. Iroquois picked up four pins and a major, but a limited roster didn’t help as the Chiefs took their first league loss of the season.
#4 Clarence 37 – HM Jamestown 36 (criteria)
In the first night of brutal back to back league duals the Red Devils escape Jamestown by a razor thin margin on tiebreaker criteria. Jamestown did win more weights, seven to six, but all six of Clarence’s wins accounted for six team points (five pins, one forfeit) while the Red Raiders tallied four pins, a major, and a decision for their results. Down 36-30 in the final bout, returning state qualifier AJ Didas got the pin at 138 to tie the team score and hand Clarence the victory on tiebreaker criteria a.
#5 Pioneer 42 – Williamsville South 29
Pioneer reaches 70 consecutive ECIC wins milestone
The Panthers have wrestled some quality, close duals as of late and an ECIC II road dual in Williamsville was another of those close ones as the Panthers escaped with the team’s 70th consecutive league victory to remain unbeaten at 6-0 in league matches with one dual left. The Billies handed Pioneer a trio of forfeits in the match but actually won more head to head bouts than the Panthers with six contested wins and four pins with especially big pins from Treyden Saxer at 160 and Travis Rohloff at 170. At 190-pounds, Austin Knab was an impressive 3-2 decision winner over Pioneer’s Takota Smith to get revenge on a 6-3 loss to Smith in the ECIC finals on Jan. 20th. Pioneer hosts WNY #5 large school Amherst for the ECIC II finale for both teams on Jan. 30th. The continued improvement of the Williamsville South wrestling team under TJ Scamurra cannot go unnoticed. Despite the loss, the Billies again posted impressive results and did so for the second time in five days coming off a top-10 team finish at the ECIC Championships.
#9 Orchard Park 60 – Frontier 9
Orchard Park/Frontier has turned into a solid local rivalry in recent seasons, but the Quakers dismissed the recent past on Wednesday storming to a huge league victory over the visiting Falcons for their first ECIC I win of the season. OP won eleven of thirteen weights including the only forfeit of the match at 101 and nine pins in the contest. At 124-pounds, Blake Papke earned a huge pin over an ECIC champion while state place winner Jack MacDonald returned to the lineup and bumped up to 285 from 215, pinning one of the top heavyweights in the area in the final bout of the dual.
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Fredonia 46 – Olean/Allegany-Limestone 25
The Hillbillies accept the only forfeit of the night as the CCAA I foes combined for twelve contested matches in Olean on Wednesday. Fredonia won seven head to head matches with six pins to Olean’s five victories to achieve the team’s first league win of the season. Both teams have shown signs of improvement this season and hopefully both programs are able to carry momentum earned in 2023-2024 into next season.
HM North Tonawanda 48 – Lewiston-Porter 30
The Lumberjacks improve to 4-2 in the NFL with a home win over the Lancers winning eight total weights. L-P conceded three forfeits but the teams tied with five head to head wins apiece, all of which resulted in pins.
Kenmore 53 – CSAT 24
The teams combined for twelve contested matches, eleven of which resulted in pins. With the win, Kenmore finishes the season at 3-4 in a very strong Niagara Frontier League field where they were on the wrong side of two nail biting league losses just within the last two weeks alone. Assuming Coach Wilcox fields another team next year with the incredible participation the program enjoyed this season (80 certified wresters!) who knows what the DevilDogs could be capable of as a dual meet unit in the future.
Eden 40 – East Aurora 36
Despite losing the forfeit battle (three to two), Eden emerged with the team’s third ECIC III win of the season, winning five of eight contested matches. Eden sophomore Trevor DellaPenta collected his 100th career victory and on his 16th birthday no less!
Eden 36 – Lackawanna 15
The first season back as an independent team, the Raiders finish 4-2 in ECIC III duals despite forfeiting 2-3 weights on any given night. Coaches Page, Weber, the wrestlers, families, and athletic department need to be recognized for a job well done this season…an effort like this is simply no easy task.
Maple Grove 52 – Salamanca 15
The Red Dragons complete the regular season with a 3-2 record in CCAA II duals for the team’s fourth top-3 finish in the league in the last five full seasons.
#7 Hamburg 62 – Sweet Home 9
#8 Portville 42 – Dunkirk 15
#10 St. Joe’s 62 – Spencerport (V) 8
HM Grand Island 46 – Lockport 15
Wilson 38 – St. Mary’s 21
Barker/Royalton-Hartland 45 – Holley/Kendall (V) 24
Tonawanda 48 – Maryvale 16
East Aurora 39 – Lackawanna 32 @ Eden
Canisius @ Gow School
Thursday, Jan. 25th
Springville 52 – Tonawanda 18
Griffins earn share of ECIC III title with road win over Warriors
ECIC III squads combined for twelve contested bouts on Thursday with SGI accepting the lone forfeit in the dual. Coach Vogel’s squad has quietly put together a really nice season and they put the finishing touches on it with league wins in back to back nights, one over a ranked Iroquois team on Wednesday and then a commanding win over the Warriors Thursday to earn at least a share of the league title, the first in thirty years for the program. Against Tonawanda, Springville won nine contested bouts, six by pin, including a stretch run of seven straight wins from 138 to 285-pounds. While Springville finishes 5-1 in the league and 8-3 overall, give credit to Coach Balling and the staff at Tonawanda for a really nice season of their own.
Photo shared by Springville Griffins Varsity Wrestling on Facebook
In the second leg of grueling, ranked league duals on consecutive nights, the Red Devils get their second one point win in as many evenings and against arch rival Lancaster in the annual Border Brawl nonetheless. And, for the second night in a row, Clarence won less matches and still found a way to win. The Devils conceded the night's only forfeit at 108-pounds but the teams split with six head to head wins apiece. The Devils picked up five pins and a critical decision from Zach Didas at 101-pounds. Just as important, despite a loss, sophomore Josh Randolph held a Lancaster junior to a major decision at 124 which turned out to be a difference maker in the match. Only two weights later, the Devils’ Michael Torrey played a crucial role – even in a loss – falling by major decision to another Legends’ senior, conserving two critical team points. Finally, down 32-27 in the team score, AJ Didas again, for the second night in a row, saved the day for the Devils earning a pin in the final bout to secure a one point victory and Clarence’s first Border Brawl victory since January 2019. Both Clarence and Lancaster complete the 2023-2024 regular season at 4-2 in ECIC I league duals.
The Red (hot) Raiders are heating up at the right time as a Thursday night 39-point non-league win over a fellow top-5 ranked WNY large school team, right before the CHSAA Duals, should make that point clear. St. Francis conceded forfeits at two weights to the experienced Tigers team but won ten of eleven contested bouts to cruise to the team’s 17th win of the season and on senior night in Athol Springs. Seven Raiders pinned in the dual while Rory White (145) and Gage LaPlante (170) added team bonus points with a major decision and technical fall, respectively. St. Francis travels to Staten Island for the Catholic Duals over the weekend while the Tigers have a difficult road test at #5 small school Pioneer on Tuesday.
#7 Gowanda 47 – Olean/A-L 30
The Panthers pulled up to an even 12-12 on the season with a CCAA crossover win at home against the Huskies. Gowanda won eight weights in the dual and collected a pair of forfeits. Out of the ten contested bouts, Gowanda won six, five by pin. Starting at 131-pounds, the Panthers immediately jumped out to a 29-0 lead via three pins, a tech fall, and a forfeit. However, Olean put up a solid fight thereafter winning six of the remaining eight weights in the dual.
Williamsville South 52 – Cheektowaga 12
South completes the 2023-2024 season with a 4-3 record in ECIC II duals with a road win over the Warriors. Billies won nine of eleven contested bouts including every weight from 160-pounds (starting weight) to 131 (minus a double forfeit at 101). Overall, South finishes 12-10 in duals this year for the teams’ first full season winning record since the 2019-2020 campaign.
Lackawanna 37 – West Seneca/Depew 36 (criteria)
A number of forfeits left only seven contested bouts in this ECIC crossover, where only I-90 separates the districts from one another. In those seven bouts, the Steelers won six, three by pin, three by major and ended up with the win on tiebreaker criteria d. – most matches won.
Akron 46 – CSAT 30
The Tigers entered a wrestler at all but one weight against the full strength Eagles and won eight of eleven head to head matches in Akron on Thursday, six of which came by way of pin for the team’s sixth dual win of the season.
Lafayette/Buffalo Public Schools 63 – Alden 12
Western New York wrestling fans: please take the time to notice and appreciate that two area schools have worked hard this season and leading up to this season establish wrestling within their respective districts. For Buffalo, this season has been about raising a team from the ground up. For Alden, reviving a dormant program is a step in the right direction. Job well done by both teams, coaches, and schools!!!
Salamanca 47 – Albion 6
Friday, Jan. 26th
#5 Amherst 49 – Cheektowaga 8
The Tigers improved to 6-0 in ECIC II taking down the Warriors at home while honoring the largest senior class on a WNY wrestling roster this season on senior night. Amherst visits unbeaten Pioneer on Tuesday for the outright league title.
Akron 36 – Wilson 33
The Tigers take down Niagara-Orleans rival Wilson on Friday to finish 2-3 in the league this season for the first time since 2019-2020. Also, a 7-6 overall record lands Akron Wrestling its first overall winning season since the 2017-2018 campaign. After falling behind to start the season, Akron won four straight duals going back to Jan. 11th suggesting this team may be on the verge of really turning things around, especially given the team will take minimal losses at graduation (two seniors) and the robust participation right now in the Akron area’s youth wrestling organization.
Olean/A-L 48 – East Aurora 30
Two schools on opposite ends of Route 16 met on Friday for a non-league clash of teams that have and continue to show improvement this season. The Huskies won six of nine contested bouts, all of which came by pin to secure the road win over the Blue Devils. After a forfeit and a pin for each team after the first four weights, Olean broke an 12-12 tie with a forfeit and three straight pins by Jonathan Tidd, Owen Tingley, and Domonick Hirliman to jump out to a 42-18 lead with only four weights to go. EA won three of the last four bouts to end the dual
2nd Annual NYSPHSAA Girls’ Wrestling Invitational @ SRC Arena, Syracuse
Pataky
Niagara Wheatfield 8th grader Gabriella Barone overcame a 4-0 deficit in the 100-pound title match on Friday, pinning Bethpage’s (VIII) Gabrielle Severin in the third period to win her second consecutive Invitational title. Through two state invitationals, Barone is 8-0 with eight pins and two individual titles.
Barone was one of nine top-6 place winners out of thirty one entered Section VI wrestlers in the tournament. Newfane 8th grader Alexa Doxey and Iroquois sophomore Michaela Thomas each reached their respective weight class’s championship match but settled for runner-up finishes.
2nd NYSPHSAA Girls' Wrestling Invitational Section VI place winners:
Champion, 100-pounds: Gabriella Barone, Niagara Wheatfield
2nd, 132: Alexa Doxey, Newfane
2nd, 165: Michaela Thomas, Iroquois
3rd, 165: Ava Bragg, Lockport
4th, 126: Noli Paddock, Chautauqua Lake
4th, 145: Christina Evans, West Seneca West
5th, 138: Avery White, Frontier
6th, Alexiya Thuman, Lake Shore
6th, 185: Yaletsy Tamayo, Sweet Home
For more on the 2nd NYSPHSAA Girls’ Wrestling Invitational please visit the below link:
West Seneca West's Evans - 2x NYSPHSAA Invitational place winner // Pataky
Friday, Jan. 26th – Saturday, Jan. 27th
2024 Fred Bell Wrestling Tournament @ Grove City HS, PA
Southwestern wrestlers made the two hour trip south to Grove City for the annual Fred Bell Tournament, taking 14th out of 41 teams with nine Trojans competing against an all Pennsylvania field.
Top seeded sophomore Tavio Hoose earned three pins and gutted out 3-1 and 2-1 decisions in the semifinal and championship matches, respectively, to capture the Fred Bell 189-pound title. With only one blemish on his record this season, Tavio is right near forty wins for the year as the postseason approaches. Hoose earned an ultimate overtime escape for a 2-1 victory over General McLane’s (PA) Magnus Lloyd, a returning Pennsylvania Class AA state 6th place winner, in the title match on Saturday.
Adrian Torres posted a 4-1 record in Grove City, reaching the final of the 107-pound bracket but falling in the title match to Titusville’s (PA) Issac Roberts. Torres earned two pins and two decisions on the way to the final including a late third period pin over Cranberry’s (PA) Aiden Thompson in the semifinal.
Carmine Calimeri landed a sixth place finish at 133-pounds gutting out a 4-3 record over the two day event to round out the Trojans’ place winners in Grove City.
Saturday, Jan. 27th
6th Annual NYSPHSAA Dual Meet Wrestling Championships @ SRC Arena, Syracuse
Top seeded Division I team Niagara Wheatfield and 5-seeded Division II team Chautauqua Lake each went 1-1 in pool duals on Saturday at the state dual meet championships representing Section VI.
For more on the 6th NYSPHSAA Dual Meet Wrestling Championships please visit the below link:
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Pataky
38th Annual Ken-Ton Invitational Wrestling Tournament @ Kenmore West HS
WNY #3 big school Williamsville North/East crowned three champions and placed seven wrestlers overall to capture the Ken-Ton team title in the final week of the regular season before the postseason class championship weekend. The Spartans accumulated 154-points to outpace league rival Jamestown’s 125 team points and five place winners.
Tanner (101) and Cam (160) Catrabone and Brayden Kellison-Neglia (116) all claimed individual titles for North/East at Kenmore West HS on Saturday. Cam and Kellison-Neglia each went 3-0 on the day with three pins while Tanner went 3-0 with an impressive pin over Niagara Falls’ Cam Crumpler in the final to set up a very possible rivalry between the pair in the coming postseason weeks.
Zaid El Nassar (3rd, 285), Parker Brenon (4th, 101), Asil Rasool (4th, 138) and Amari Libertone-Robinson (4th, 190) all placed top-4 for Williamsville to help in the team effort.
Jamestown was led by 152-pound champion Cole Bloomquist who posted a 4-0 record on the day including two technical falls and a finals major decision. Tyler Zwald wrestled to a runner-up finish for the Red Raiders at 131-pounds.
Section V’s Alexander placed third in the team standings with 99-points led by individual champion Brody Heckman at 131 while Portville and Lewiston-Porter rounded out the top-5 teams.
Portville was led by 145-pound champion Ethan Coleman who was named tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler and three more place winners. Coleman earned three pins in a combined time of one minute and five seconds leading up to the final where he was a 9-2 decision winner over the host team’s Sawyer Dickinson.
Jaron (108) and Caden (124) Barrientos claimed individual titles for Lewiston-Porter while Dominic Srouji landed a 3rd place for the Lancers. Jaron went 3-0 with three technical falls on the way to the Ken-Ton title. Caden reached the title match and earned an important 7-4 decision over Eden’s returning NYS 8th place winner Trevor DellaPenta, which may be a rivalry to keep an eye on as the postseason approaches.
Sweet Home’s Abduali Mukumov (138), Lockport’s Liam Whalen (190, 3 pins), Lafayette/Buffalo Public School’s Kahmari Cook (215, 3 pins), and Wilson’s Hamza Merrick (285) all earned Ken-Ton titles in their respective weight classes.
8th Annual Gary Gross Memorial Wrestling Tournament @ Medina HS
Section V small school power Attica/Batavia cruised to the team title while the host Mustangs wrestled to a 2nd place finish with 111 team points to A/B’s 146. Grand Island (5th, 98-points) rounded out the top-5 teams followed by Pioneer, Randolph, Barker/Royalton-Hartland, Fredonia, Starpoint, and Albion all competed in Medina representing the WNY area.
8th Gary Gross Memorial champions:
101: Deni Daghestani (Grand Island)
108: Reece Senske (Medina)
124: Dylan Castiglia (Grand Island)
138: Wyatt Opferbeck (Pioneer)
145: Dalton Wolcott (Fredonia)
215: Sawyer Kingsbury (Medina)
55th Annual Franklinville Invitational Wrestling Tournament @ Franklinville HS
Olean/Allegany-Limestone captured the team title behind six finalists and four champions at Saturday’s rescheduled Franklinville Invitational. Camren Driscoll (101), Jonathan Tidd (108), Jack Aderman (116), and Dominick Hirilman (131) all won individual titles for the Huskies.
The host Panthers’ Evan Leonard was named tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler winning the 170-pound Invitational title.
Olean/A-L champions // Photo shared by Allen Dusty on Facebook
Saturday, Jan. 27th – Sunday, Jan. 28th
2024 CHSAA Wrestling Dual Meet Championships @ Msgr. Farrell HS, Staten Island
St. Francis captured the NYS Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) dual meet title on Sunday with a 42-27 victory in the title match over Iona Prep. The Red Raiders posted an 8-0 record over the two day event led by six wrestlers with unbeaten tournament records.
For more on St. Francis’s CHSAA Dual Meet championship please visit the below link:
St. Joe’s landed a 7th place finish going 4-4 overall at the Duals while St. Mary’s picked up a pair of wins over Fordham Prep to go 2-6 in the tournament.
The Marauders earned two victories over St. Joseph’s by the Sea, Fordham Prep, and two wins over St. Anthony’s over the weekend. Senior Austin Zimmerman led St. Joe's going 8-0 for the tournament.
9th WNY wrestling dual team power ranking
(following results from Monday, 1/22 – Sunday, 1/28):
Large schools
1. St. Francis Red Raiders
2. Niagara Wheatfield Falcons
3. Williamsville North/East Spartans
4. Clarence Red Devils
5. Amherst Tigers
6. Niagara Falls Wolverines
7. Hamburg Bulldogs
8. Lancaster Legends
9. Orchard Park Quakers
10. St. Joe’s Marauders
HM Jamestown Red Raiders
HM North Tonawanda Lumberjacks
Small schools
1. Chautauqua Lake Eagles
2. Southwestern Trojans
3. Falconer/Cassadaga Valley Cougars
4. Newfane Panthers
5. Pioneer Panthers
6. Gowanda Panthers
7. Portville Panthers
8. Springville Griffins
9. Iroquois Chiefs
10. Randolph Cardinals
HM Medina Mustangs