CENTRAL NEW YORK – Rich in mat tradition, the Baldwinsville wrestling team was glad to make its way to another traditional venue, Phoenix, on Dec. 11 for the Firebirds’ annual round-robin tournament.
And the Bees nearly won the event, amassing 141.5 points, edging Palmyra-Macedon (140 points) for the runner-up spot in a field of 20. No Section III team did better, and only Section V’s Rush-Henrietta (160.5 points) fared better overall.
Fred Pickard won at 215 pounds, earning his title by pinning New Hartford’s Chris Belmonte in 2:17. Only one other B’ville wrestler reached the finals – Max Naples, at 152 pounds.
During his semifinal bout, Naples put away Liverpool’s Paul Marquis 5-2, yet he could not last past the opening period in his finals defeat to Mexico’s Joey Reed.
Aaron Fredenburg, securing third place at 152, beat Marquis 7-3 in the consolation bracket final as Korben Haney, at 285 pounds, beat another Liverpool wrestler, Cade Leombrone, with a third-period pin.
Aidan Cali got fourth place at 118 pounds after dropping a close 4-2 match to Union-Endicott’s Dylan Mollo in the third-place bout, as did Keagan Hayes at 132 pounds.
Having so many head-to-head bouts with Liverpool served as a tasty prelude to a Bees-Warriors showdown Wednesday night in Liverpool’s brand-new gym.
They started at 118, and B’ville got the jump with four wins in the first six bouts. Cali, up at 126 pounds, pinned Marek Sokolowski right before Hayes routed Lucas Smith 16-2.
Brandon Levin wrestled at 145 pounds and pinned Tyler Vivacqua, while Fredenburg won when Marquis had to take an injury default in their rematch from the Phoenix meet.
But Liverpool roared back by going 4-1 in the next five bouts, which proved decisive since the last two contests were forfeited, one to each side, leaving it 39-34 in Liverpool’s favor despite Pickard’s pin of Joe Piscitelli.
