Two big names – Zach Zupan and Tyler Sirota – sat out for the Canastota wrestling team as it went to Lowville for Saturday’s Section III Class C championship meet.
However, the Raiders still had enough firepower to rise to fifth place in the 12-team field, earning 152.5 points. General Brown (213 points) fought past Adirondack (197 points) for the top spot.
Zupan, 29-1 on the season, still had not recovered from an illness that had kept him out of the Center State Conference championships on Jan. 29 – the same meet where Sirota injured his arm, forcing him out of the Class C meet.
As they watched, Anthony Finocchiaro emerged as the meet’s Most Outstanding Wrestler at 130 pounds. Finocchiaro blazed his way to the 130-pound final, then dominated Adiorndack’s Tyler Spann in a 15-2 decision.
Finocchiaro was the only Raider in the top spot. Sam Farfaglia nearly won the 160-pound title, only to lose in the finals to Tyler Silverthorn (General Brown) by a 4-3 margin.
Just the same, Fred Sherman, in the 215-pound title match, stayed close to Ilion’s Zach Smith, but still took an 11-9 defeat. Sophomore Jesse Puchales emerged to reach the 171-pound championship match before Adirondack’s Cody Buhler pinned him in the third period.
Billy Rinauto, at 135 pounds, and Travis Conklin, at 285 pounds, both won third-place matches by equal 3-1 decisions – Rinauto over Mohawk’s Dan Gardner, Conklin over Adirondack’s Alex Prashaw.
Joe Tiller (125 pounds) lost a narrow 4-2 match to Lowville’s Tyler Hill and settled for fourth place as Wyatt Albanese (152 pounds) claimed the same spot, just missing third in a 4-3 defeat to General Brown’s Colton Earb. Nate Walker, at 96 pounds, beat Garrett Fields (General Brown) 7-4 for fifth place as Steve Fallon claimed sixth place at 189 pounds.
Both Zupan and Sirota are expected, through medical exemptions, to return this Saturday to compete in the Section III Division II championships at Utica Memorial Auditorium.
