For at least a few moments, the Chittenango wrestling team could take some pride in the fact that it held a lead over Phoenix, the reigning Section III Dual Meet champions. And though that lead did not last, the Bears’ stellar effort in last Wednesday night’s 50-18 home loss to the Firebirds left plenty to be happy about. In the first match of the night, at 189 pounds, Kyle Schiedo stepped up and earned a pin over Phoenix’s Jon Rhodes in 3:29, giving Chittenango that 6-0 lead. Quickly, the Firebirds caught up when Aaron Webster (215 pounds) pinned Josh Wright, and wins in the next two matches secured Phoenix’s lead for good. Still, the Bears would win three more matches during the night. Cole Farsaci engaged in a great 119-pound bout with Rowdy Prior, emerging with an 11-7 decision. Two matches later, at 130 pounds, Wes Blanding took just 1:04 to pin Tyler Libbey, while Karl Chappell (145 pounds) earned the final Chittenango points in 4-3 decision 0ver Brandon Colling. This came on the heels of the Bears’ third-place finish in a 12-team field at the Jan. 10 Leo J. Sammon Dual Meet Tournament in Ilion. Chittenango had 145 points as Holland Patent (197 points) edged past Sherburne-Earlville (196.5 points) for the title. Twice, Chittenango earned titles, as Farsaci beat Keith Hacker (Ilion) 11-8 in the 112-pound division and Anthony Galli (140 pounds) edged Lowville’s Shane Houppert 3-2. Wright reached the 215-pound final, but fell to Holland Patent’s Matt Rees in a second-period pin. Blanding blanked Joe Delconte (Frankfort-Schuyler) 7-0 for third place at 130 pounds as Ryan Schiedo (171 pounds) held off Beaver River’s Cody Keefer 1-0 to finish third and Kyle Schiedo (189 pounds) earned that same spot by edging Matt Leggett (Rome Free Academy) 2-1. John Regan, at 119 pounds, finished fourth, while Cody Carbery (96 pounds) pinned Shane Briggs (Frankfort-Schuyler) in the third period for a fifth-place spot. Nic Bacon (135 pounds) and Jacob Jayson (160 pounds) each had sixth-place efforts. Right after the Phoenix meet, the Bears are going to Canastota on the weekend for the two-day Richard New Memorial Touranment.