Falconer wins Class C, CLCS takes second
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FALCONER -- The Section VI Division II State Qualifier at the Allegany Community Center in Salamanca next weekend will certainly have a Falconer flavor to it.
Four Golden Falcons won four individual championships, 10 wrestlers finished inside the top four of their respective weight classes to punch a ticket to the state qualifier, and Falconer cruised to the team title with 269.5 points Saturday at the Section VI Class C Championships at Falconer Central School.
Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama was behind Falconer in the team standings in second place with 176.5 points, Newfane was third with 176 points, Fredonia was fourth with 149.5 points and Akron rounded out the top five with 144.5 points.
It was an all-around impressive bounce-back performance for the Golden Falcons, who were edged by Pioneer, 33-32, last weekend in the Section VI Dual Meet Championships.
Leading the way for Falconer was Dylan Ingrao (145 pounds), Dan Torres (152 pounds), Cameron Page (160 pounds) and Corey Keefe (182 pounds), who all claimed the top spot in their weight classes.
Ingrao was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler while Page set the school record for takedowns and Keefe set a school mark for wins in a season (49).
In addition, Dillon Huck (220 pounds), Collin Mower (285 pounds), Jimmy Kramer (120 pounds) and Robbie Penhollow (170 pounds) all recorded second-place finishes.
Nick Saeger (132 pounds) came through with a third-place finish; and Dexter Ormond, who picked up his 100th career win, wound up fourth at 138 pounds.
Keefe, Ormond, Ingrao and Torres all came away with three pinfall victories throughout the tournament as well.
"We've been talking about next weekend (at the state qualifier) since the start of the season," Falconer head coach Drew Wilcox said. "We have a chance to do some really special things next weekend. I think we're motivated by that, we've been training for that. … I expect us to wrestle the best we have all year."
It was a superb day for Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama, which will send nine wrestlers to state qualifier.
Ben Szymanowski was the winner at 220 pounds for the Thunderbirds after he downed Falconer's Huck via a 2-0 decision. Also, Brendan Ramsey took down Newfane's Ryan Nugent via a 6-1 decision to capture the 106-pound final.
"They're both young," Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama head coach Brad Rowe said. "I think getting this experience and competing at a high level … it's just showing what their potential is."
Along with the championship wins from Szymanowski and Ramsey, Brendon Rowe (106 pounds) came in third, Austin Bourgeois placed third, Bryce Rowe (145 pounds) ended up third, Jim Wolfe (138 pounds) was fourth, Tommie Adolph (160 pounds) was fourth, Armando Arce (170 pounds) was fourth and Nate Wilson (195 pounds) also wound up fourth.
"I'm very happy with today," Coach Rowe emphasized. "It's great. We've moved around classes a lot the last few years with all of the combining of the programs. …(Class C) always seems to be a very solid class, so coming here and getting second place is great. Falconer is an amazing team this year. (It is) one of those teams that only comes around once in awhile so to take second them I can smile (about that)."
Fredonia made its way toward the top of the team standings thanks, in part, to wins in the finals from Dalton Gardner (113 pounds) and Hector Colom (132 pounds). Giovani Russo, who won his 100th career match, came up just short and came in second at 126 pounds. Brandon Wallace (138 pounds) finished fourth, Dakota Planty (132 pounds) came in fourth and Jake Skinner walked away with a third-place finish at 220 pounds.
"For us to finish there (in the team standings) is satisfying in a sense," Fredonia coach Joe Santilli explained. "We're a young team and we're growing together. …You get to championship time and you're preparing to move on. People get a little tight and if you can keep loose and get your arm raised, that's the goal. This is all part of the journey right here."
Other individual winners included Newfane's Andrew Lucinski (99 pounds), Tonawanda's Zach Braddell (120 pounds), Royalton-Hartland's Brent Bachman (126 pounds), Eden's Jacob Page (138 pounds), Akron's Jacob Sarow (170 pounds), Akron's Reed Greiner (195 pounds) and Newfane's Ty Casinelli (285 pounds).
NOTES: Saturday's Section VI Division II State Qualifier at the Allegany Communtiy Center is slated to begin at 10 a.m. Weigh-in will be at 8 a.m. and finals will begin around 6 p.m.