Cover photo courtesy of Cal Phillips | CWPhotography
Dual meet results and notes for the week of Tuesday, January 7th – Friday, January 10th.
Tuesday, January 7th
HM Orchard Park 41 – #8 Starpoint 39
NO FORFEITS. Not only were all fifteen bouts contested, ten exhibitions followed the varsity dual as well. The Quakers won a very intriguing inter-division matchup on the road between two teams that were on the bubble for the Section VI Duals. After the Spartans took a 12-0 lead following the first two bouts, Orchard Park collected eight straight wins to take a commanding 41-12 lead going into 99-pounds. Pins by Gage LaPlante, CJ Uptegrove, Dylan Lyness, and Gavin Lyness cut the deficit to 41-36. However, Brody Banks was able to hold on for his team in the final bout at 126 as Starpoint’s Jacob Eckler looked for a home run to win the dual outright. The Quakers improved to 10-8 overall, becoming the fifth team in ECIC I with double digit victories this season. OP’s Mike Pataky captured his 100th career victory in the contest as well.
St. Francis 64 – Canisius 21
The Red Raiders cruised to an impressive win in both team’s Msgr. Martin opener at home. Entering a full lineup, the Raiders collected six pins, four forfeits, and a major decision in the contest to improve to 1-0 in league and 6-7 overall this season. The Crusaders fell to 6-6 overall.
#8 Lake Shore 48 – Sweet Home 39
The Eagles captured their second ECIC II win of the season visiting a Panthers team that always tends to keep things interesting with Lake Shore. Julian Martin collected his 100th career win in the dual.
#9 Southwestern 72 – Dunkirk 18
After facing the top three teams in the division in the first half of the season, the Trojans started 2020 with a well deserved CCAA I win.
Randolph 54 – Cattaraugus-Little Valley 12
Wednesday, January 8th
NO FORFEITS. The Falcons and Spartans each fielded full lineups again in an ECIC I clash in Blasdell. The Falcons, coming off a 4th place finish at the Section VI Division I Duals, won by an impressive margin over an up and coming Spartans team, collecting eleven wins, including seven straight from 152 to 285-pounds. Six Falcons earned pins in the contest including a quality win for Frontier’s Adam Hodge at 285 over returning Class AA champion Ryan Venohr. The Falcons are now 4-0 in league action and 17-9 overall. A critical league showdown is on the horizon between Frontier and Clarence. Keep in mind the Falcons downed the Red Devils 40-38 at the Duals.
#6 Clarence 55 – HM Orchard Park 24
NO FORFEITS. A night after the Quakers took down the #8 big school in the area on the road, they hosted a Red Devils team looking to rebound after not placing at the Duals. Clarence improved to 4-0 in the league and 15-4 overall to stay right in the ECIC I race, collecting ten wins and eight pins against Orchard Park. Jon Palozzi, Dylan Carnes, Aiden Rabideau, and Jake Slowinski pinned in four straight weights from 132 to 152 right in the middle of the lineup to boost the Devils. Marquis Carns earned a quality win at 220 with a 10-3 decision over OP’s Matt Wagner. A rematch with Frontier looms on the schedule.
#4 Pioneer 45 – HM Amherst 24
The Panthers collected their third ECIC II win taking down a quality Amherst team. The squads combined for fourteen out of fifteen head to head matches as Pioneer accepted the only forfeit of the night at 113. Pioneer won nine matches to the Tigers’ six, collecting five pins in the process and winning all six bouts between 99 and 132-pounds. Amherst however took five of the six bouts between 160 and 285-pounds where their lineup has been strongest this season. Freshman Brady Heckathorn continues to impress for Pioneer, as he held Amherst senior Hassan Dobbins to a 5-1 decision at 138-pounds. The Panthers are 3-0 in the division and 18-6 overall.
The Golden Falcons improved to 4-0 in CCAA I and 24-1 overall with another impressive win over a league rival. The box score indicates a total contrast in both team’s strengths, whereas the Thunderbirds have been very strong in the lightweights, Falconer has been unstoppable in the upperweights. The T-Birds won five of the seven bouts from 99 to 138-pounds while the Golden Falcons won every match from 145 to 285 (including three forfeits). The dual wasn’t without some exciting bouts, as Brayden Newman, who has been especially strong as of late, earned a fast pin over a CL star at 106 while Trent Burchanowski escaped with an 8-6 win over Falconer’s Austin Chase at 113. CL’s Brendon Rowe wrestled Hunter Teboe to a 9-5 decision while Mack Mikula halted CL’s Zachary Wolcott, who has been wrestling well lately, with an impressive 17-5 major decision. After the Patrick Morales Memorial Tournament at Falconer this weekend, CL travels to Fredonia for an important CCAA I dual while Falconer visits league rival Olean.
#2 Iroquois 64 – Lackawanna 22
The Chiefs took sole possession of first place in ECIC III with a dominant win over the previously league unbeaten Steelers. Iroquois won eleven straight matches from 106 to 182-pounds capturing six pins and four forfeits in them. Jake Jozwiak earned an impressive pin over Mohamed Alshawi at 126-pounds. Lackawanna swept 195, 220, and 285-pounds. The Chiefs are 3-0 in the league and 21-3 overall. Three more division wins results in a return of the league title to Elma for the first time since 2017-2018.
NO FORFEITS. It is always impressive when two small schools can combine for fifteen contested weights with six exhibitions added on. The Panthers captured their 34th consecutive Niagara-Orleans win to improve to 4-0 in the league and 18-4 overall this season in a battle of unbeaten N-O squads. Newfane is one win away from capturing the program’s seventh straight division title. The Panthers won thirteen of the fifteen matches, ten of which were by pin. The highlight of the night was of course the 285-pound rivalry match in which defending Section VI champion Jaden Heers defeated Albion’s Cody Wilson, 4-3, taking revenge for a loss in the Akron Holiday Tournament final. The Heers/Wilson rivalry could last all the way up to Section VI Division II state qualifier final in February.
#1 Niagara Wheatfield 75 – Lockport 12
The Falcons earned an NFL win to improve to 3-1 in the league and 13-4 overall. Wheatfield needs a win over Grand Island and a GI win over Niagara Falls to have any shot at sharing the division title.
#4 Niagara Falls 76 – Charter School for Applied Technologies 9
Falls improved to 4-o in the NFL and 12-7 overall. Should the Wolverines win out, the league title is theirs outright.
#10 Grand Island 52 – Kenmore 30
The Vikings captured their fourth NFL win of the season, improving to 4-0 and 11-8 overall with a road win over the scrappy ‘Devil Dogs.’ Like Niagara Falls, winning out could give Grand Island their second league title in three years.
#5 Fredonia 50 – Franklinville 25
According to a Silver Creek athletics Twitter account (@bkpcoach) the school hosted a dual for the first time in a decade as the Fredonia/Silver Creek/Brocton/Pine Valley/Forestville team squared off in a CCAA I dual with Franklinville/Cuba-Rushford. Even in a loss, the Panthers’ result was admirable, as eighteen of the Hillbillies’ 50 points came by way of forfeit. The teams split as each captured wins in six of the twelve contested matches. Fredonia won the pin battle though, three to one. Cleon Lawton and Ceric Kristan did not meet up for a rematch of the 2018-2019 Section VI Division II 170-pound final, but perhaps will in the postseason again. Fredonia improved to 4-0 in the division and 20-5 overall. In all likelihood, the showdown at Falconer on the 22nd will determine the CCAA I champion. However, the Hillbillies must get past Chautauqua Lake first.
#6 Portville 57 – Gowanda 19
Gowanda wrestlers put up a solid effort against the CCAA II leader but were ultimately overpowered, conceding five forfeits as well. Portville won five of the nine contested matches, four of which came by way of pin. Gowanda captured two pins in the loss and saw Dominik Rodriguez defeat Kirkland Hall, 5-2, in the match of the dual. Portville improved to 5-0 in the league and 18-1 overall, needing one more CCAA II win to capture their second straight league title.
#1 Lancaster 74 – Jamestown 6
The Legends improved to 4-0 in the division and 14-1 overall this season with a road win over the Raiders. Next up for Lancaster is a home date with the Marauders of St. Joe’s, then Hamburg, Frontier, and Clarence in a row.
#3 Hamburg 70 – West Seneca 9
The Bulldogs are 2-0 in ECIC I and 16-3 overall. January 15th – 29th will be a gauntlet for Hamburg, as they will see Lancaster, Clarence, Orchard Park, and Frontier all within a two week span. The road to the league title will be a bumpy one for whoever comes out on top.
Southwestern 48 – Olean 29
The Trojans earned their second CCAA I win in two nights and their first over the Huskies in thirteen years against an Olean team that has steadily improved this season. SW captured seven pins in all seven wins in the twelve contested matches. However, Nate Gabler and Conner Walsh were impressive in wins at 120 and 220-pounds, respectively. Walsh was a 7-2 winner over SW’s Dontae Hoose in a battle between both Section VI returning 195-pound 3rd place finishers. Depending on where they weigh in, this could be a postseason rivalry preview.
Williamsville South 37 – #8 Lake Shore 36 (tiebreaker)
The Billies kept it close in another league dual, this time coming out on the winning end over the Eagles who were tested the night before at Sweet Home. South conceded forfeits at 220 and 285 while 99 was uncontested as a double forfeit. The Billies won seven of the twelve contested bouts, earning five pins and close decision wins by Stephen Knab and Haydar Esaleh. South is 1-2 in ECIC II action with a league & Main Street showdown with Amherst on the horizon. Lake Shore is an even 2-2 in league duals.
#8 Starpoint 66 – Alden/Depew
The Spartans improved to 4-0 and 12-5 overall to sit atop the ECIC II standings while Pioneer follows with a 3-0 league record. Starpoint earned eight pins in the dual. Carson Alberti wrestled at 120-pounds for the first time this season for A/D while Michael cooled Starpoint’s Jacob Eckler who has been wrestling well this season at 126. Starpoint will compete at Falconer’s Morales Tournament this weekend then visit Lake Shore for a critical league dual on the 15th.
#9 St. Joe’s 61 – St. Mary’s 15
The Marauders earned a Msgr. Martin win in their first league dual of the season. ‘Joe’s captured ten wins in the twelve contested weights, pinning in eight of them, and collected a forfeit at 99-pounds. St. Mary’s Matt Ash earned a quality win with a pin over Dalas Jackson at 132. The squads matched up for five exhibitions as well. St. Joe’s visits Lancaster and hosts Canisius on Friday, January 17th in a Msgr. Martin showdown that will be live broadcast on the school’s network.
HM East Aurora 64 – Sweet Home 21
East Aurora earned wins in eleven of the fifteen weight classes (two by forfeit) to improve to 2-1 in ECIC II and 12-10 overall this season. The Panthers have done a good job to improve the numbers, as they conceded only two forfeits in the contest. The Blue Devils collected eight pins in their nine head to head wins while Sweet Home captured three straight wins between 132 and 145 all of which were by pin. Axel Andrews was a 2-1 winner over Joplin Hess at 160-pounds in a match between two of the more experienced wrestlers for either team.
North Tonawanda 57 – Lewiston-Porter 23
The ‘Jack’s captured their first NFL win and 10th of the year for the second straight season under second year head coach Wally Maziarz. Also, 1995 program alumnus Scott Klepp was welcomed back to the NT gym as he walked in under his own power, guided by retired NT coach Dan Fire, for the first time after suffering a stroke in June of 2019. Lewiston’s Ciaran Edwards was impressive in a technical fall over NT’s Anthony Swan in a match between two returning sectional place winners.
Springville 42 – Eden 26
Springville entered a wrestler in all but one weight class and collected too many forfeits for the Raiders to overcome, as Eden won five of the seven contested matches, all by pin. Regardless, SGI is 2-1 in ECIC III and 6-6 overall this season with three more league matches coming up.
Barker/Royalton-Hartland 48 – Akron 36
The Rams captured their second N-O win of the season.
Maryvale 45 – Cheektowaga 25
The Flyers earned their first ECIC III win with a victory over their Union Road rivals.
Maple Grove 53 – Randolph 26
Maple Grove is 3-1 in CCAA II.
Wilson 48 – Medina 30
The Lakemen moved into the win column with a victory over an N-O rival.
Thursday, January 9th
#3 Newfane 72 – Canisius 11
The Panthers notched their 19th victory of the season.
Salamanca 78 – Cattaraugus-Little Valley 6
The Warriors earned their first CCAA II win of the season.
Friday, January 10th
#4 Pioneer 66 – Alden/Depew 15
The Panthers met the the Bulldogs for the second time in six days, this time counting for an ECIC II dual. Pioneer improved to 4-0 in the league and 19-6 overall, tying Starpoint atop the division standings at the end of week seven.
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