A new season began for the Baldwinsville wrestling team without a central figure from recent years – but it still found a way to finish in front. The Bees, coached by Ken Brown and Anthony Smith, took to the mat Thursday night in the Baker High School gym and worked all the way to the wire to earn a 45-37 victory over Rome Free Academy to gain a key early edge in the CNY Counties League National division. Not until Joe Nasoni, in the 171-pound finale, pinned the Black Knights’ Robert Fragapane did the Bees get clear, as it fended off a late RFA rally and stepped into a new era with some much-needed confidence. The off-season saw Anthony Finocchiaro, a two-time reigning Section III Division I champion and three-time state tournament qualifier, transfer to Canastota, depriving the Bees of one of the top winners in the program’s history. Undaunted, B’ville began practice for the 2010-11 season on Nov. 15, and got in three solid weeks of work before the massive winter snowstorm caused a three-day break, just before the Bees took the mat against RFA. The first four matches were split, B’ville getting on the board when Pat Nasoni, at 215 pounds, pinned Derek Bruce in 36 seconds, but when Kevin Paul earned a victory at 96 pounds by pinning DeAndre Norman midway through the second period, it kicked off a streak of four straight pins for the Bees. Tim Sposato (103 pounds) finished off Dillon Stasio in 2:32, while Chad McArdell, at 112 pounds, needed just 1:32 to pin Collin Newman. Joey Shaheen topped them both, though, in his 119-pound match with a 30-second fall over James Repath. RFA would get back in it by winning five of the next seven matches. Still, the Bees stayed ahead with Ryan McArdell needing just 49 seconds for a 135-pound victory over Nick Argenzia and Antonio Peck, fresh off his work with B’ville’s Section III Class AA championship football team (he started at defensive back), beating James Yates 16-8. The Black Knights’ late surge pulled them within two, 39-37, so any victory by Fragapane in the last match could help RFA steal it. But Nasoni refused to let that happen, taking charge early and pinning Fragapane 45 seconds into the second period to seal it. B’ville wrestled again Saturday at Dexter in the General Brown Dual Meet. Overall, the Bees went 3-2, beating Ogdensburg Free Academy 60-25, Homer 53-24 and Clifton Fine 60-30, but losing a narrow 43-38 decision to Beaver River and also falling to the hosts from General Brown by a score of 52-24. A busy week awaits the Bees as it would meet Liverpool on Tuesday and Fayetteville-Manlius on Thursday night.