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T’Birds Ramsey, Golden Cougars Johnson win Sectional Championship

LAKEWOOD — Thirty names of state qualifiers line the Southwestern wrestling mat.

Now the Trojans will have to make room for one more.

Dontae Hoose beat Franklinville/Cuba-Rushford’s Kyle Wittenrich, 10-1, in the 195-pound final at the Section VI Division II wrestling state qualifier Saturday evening in front of a home crowd at Southwestern.

“Being here with all of my family supporting me … it was amazing,” Hoose said of wrestling at home. “I’m going to be right there with all my brothers on that mat. It’s going to be amazing.”

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Hudson Johnson and Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer’s Brendon Ramsey will join Hoose at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, Feb. 29 at the Times Union Center in Albany after winning their respective weight classes Saturday as well.

“I’ve worked really hard for this. I knew I could do it,” Hoose said. “It feels really good, and now I have to go do well at states.”

Johnson was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the qualifier after he pinned Fredonia/Silver Creek/Pine Valley/Forestville/Brocton’s Ceric Kristan 1:37 into the 182-pound final.

“It’s a big individual accomplishment,” Johnson said of the victory. “He’s a great wrestler, but I went out and just attacked.”

“Before the matches I always remind Ceric to wrestle with a purpose and be in good position,” Fredonia/Silver Creek/Pine Valley/Forestville/Brocton head coach Joe Santilli said. ” … The last thing that came out of my mouth when he had an underhook was ‘Don’t let him be there.’ … That’s what you get for being out of position.”

Ramsey kicked off the night with a 9-3 decision over Newfane’s Nik Voelker in the 138-pound final.

“I finished strong last year, put a lot of work in over the summer and grinded all year,” Ramsey said. ” … Coming into this season, I knew there were going to be a lot of people out for me. I worked my butt off in the wrestling room and look where it got me.”

The other 12 weight classes were by no means lacking drama.

Although three bouts weren’t decided until overtime, the 99-pound final between Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer’s Martin Ohlsson and Newfane’s Aiden Gillings was the most memorable.

Ohlsson took Gillings to the mat within the first 10 seconds of the bout and worked on top of Gillings for the entirety of the first period, picking up three points for a near-fall, but never able to earn the pin. Gillings opened the second period with a reversal, but Ohlsson returned the favor in the final 10 seconds of the period to take a comfortable 7-2 lead.

“A couple of times I wasn’t really sure if I was going to hold on,” Gillings said. “In the second period, he got that last-second reversal and I needed a pin in the third.”

The pair swapped reversals again in the third period and Ohlsson seemed to be on his way to victory, but Gillings remarkably turned the Thunderbirds’ freshman and finished off a pin with one second left for the state berth.

“I ended up hitting the chin-whip,” Gillings said. “I saw the referee blow the whistle with two seconds left and hit the mat with one second left.”

Fredonia/Silver Creek/Pine Valley/Forestville/Brocton’s Alex Christy lost a 6-4 decision in overtime at 220 pounds. Olean’Allegany-Limestone’s Connor Walsh led 4-2 late in the third period before Christy earned a takedown in the final 10 seconds. But Walsh righted his wrong in the extra session with a takedown of his own.

“He almost had one there in overtime, but almost doesn’t do it,” Santilli said. “Alex wrestled a tough, solid, disciplined match.”

Christy’s teammate David Ball lost a hard-fought 1-0 decision to Pioneer’s Daniel Kirsch at 113 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Kirsch chose down and picked up an escape to start the second period. Ball started on the bottom in the third period, but was never unable to escape Kirsch’s grasp.

“You can’t count on an escape when David didn’t appear to really be looking for it,” Santilli said. “If he was looking for one to tie it up, I have to believe he could’ve cleared his hips, cleared a leg and created some space, but I think he was looking for two and a win.”

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Bryce Baglia lost a 7-0 decision to Portville’a Dakota Mascho at 152 pounds.

“I thought he wrestled really smart,” Falconer/Cassadaga Valley head coach Drew Wilcox said, “but Mascho found other ways to score points.”

At 106 pounds, Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Brayden Newman lost an 8-3 decision to Newfane’s Andy Lucinski.

“Brayden just has to keep working,” Wilcox said, “and if he does that maybe he can start beating kids like Lucinski.”

In the final bout of the night, Maple Grove’s Luke Tomlinson lost a 12-6 decision to Iroquois’ Ryan Sweeney.

“They knew they didn’t want to wrestle Luke on the mat so they kept taking him on his feet,” Maple Grove head coach Mark Hetrick said. “That was a good game plan because Luke’s so dangerous that he can pin anybody at any time.”

NOTES: Alden/Depew’s Carson Alberti beat Iroquois’ Donovan Bukaczeski, 6-4, in overtime at 120 pounds; East Aurora/Holland’s Alex Skowronski beat Iroquois’ Jake Jozwiak, 7-5, in overtime at 126 pounds; Newfane’s Ryan Nugent beat Pioneer’s Kameron Riordan, 6-0, at 145 pounds; Eden’s Giovanni Schifano beat Olean/Allegany-Limestone’s Gavin Kulp, 6-2, at 160 pounds; Newfane’s Jaden Heers beat Albion’s Cody Wilson, 6-4, at 285 pounds; and Tonawanda’s Jason Frazer won via forfeit over Portville’s Jayden Lassiter at 170 pounds after Lassiter was injured during his semifinal match. … Hoose and Bukaczeski were named the Intense Milk/Cross Training Athletics Character Athletes of the Game. … Wild cards to fill the state brackets are likely to be announced on Wednesday of this week.

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