Just two weeks into the season, the Cazenovia wrestling team has already beaten two quality opponents and taken control of the OHSL Liberty division title race.
Cazenovia hosted Skaneateles Tuesday night at Buckley Gym, and having a full roster paid full dividends in a 51-29 victory over that other group of Lakers.
In fact, Skaneateles won the first two matches before Dylan Evans (120 pounds), Nick Petroff (126 pounds) and Paul McLaughlin (132 pounds) all prevailed without having to take the mat.
Skaneateles responded with wins in the next three matches, all of them one-sided, to reclaim the lead. Starting at 160 pounds, though, Cazenovia would win six of the remaining seven contests, five of them on the mat.
Mike Nourse began the late surge, pinning Russ Burkhardt in 1:45, after which John Nannery (170 pounds) worked his way past Connor Gray 6-2 and Dan Phillips (182 pounds) claimed a forfeit.
At 195 pounds, Hayden Polhamus posted the quickest pin of his career, finishing off Dan Kerrigan in just 22 seconds, not even half the time it took 285-pound wrestler Matt Staiger to dispose of Jacob Kipp, which took only 49 seconds.
Then Zach Maxwell (99 pounds) closed out the meet with a second-period pin over Nevan Rourke, finishing off a night that started when Will Shephard, at 106 pounds, had to take an injury default against Joey Brillo.
Cazenovia steps out of the league for a while, starting on Wednesday when it meets Rome Free Academy before a Saturday trip to the Groton Holiday Duals, where CNY Counties League American division leader Central Square will also participate.
