A week before hosting its own tournament, the Cazenovia wrestling team nearly grabbed the top spot in last Saturday’s Port Byron Invitational, amassing 195 points to beat everyone in the 15-team field except the host Panthers, who prevailed with 202.5 points.
Dan Phillips, wrestling at 182 pounds, earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors. He pinned Nick Buehler (Port Byron) in 56 seconds, finished off Josh LaRock (APW) in 1:02 and, in the championship match, got a third consecutive pin over North Rose-Wolcott’s Brennan LaBounty in 1:24.
Dylan Evans emerged with the 120-pound championship. After pinning Kyle Cooper (Hannibal) in 1:19, Evans won a close semifinal over Josh Brillo (Skaneateles) 4-3 before pinning Port Byron’s Austin Parker midway through the second period of the championship match.
Three other Lakers made it to the finals, but none of them won. Brad Lucas (285 pounds) fell, 7-4, to North Rose-Wolcott’s Greg LaValley, while Mike Nourse (152 pounds) could not get on the board in a 4-0 defeat to Ithaca’s Ian VanValen. Carter Biviano reached the 113-pound title match, but lost to Port Byron’s Andrew Taber in a third-period pin.
Nick Petroff, at 126 pounds, beat Ryan Norsen (Mynderse) 12-3 for third place, with John Nannery (170 pounds) holding off Connor Gray (Skaneaetles) 5-3 to also finish third.
Matt Staiger, at 285 pounds, got his own third-place finish as he pinned Hannibal’s Dakota Carswell (Hannibal) in 2:02 in the consolation bracket final. Sam Langan got fifth place at 138 pounds, with Hayden Polhamus fifth at 195 pounds after pinning Sandy Creek’s Dan Lukas.
