Competition in the Onondaga High School League Liberty division was keen for the Skaneateles wrestling team right from the outset of its 2013-14 season.
And the Lakers were ready for it, especially on Saturday, when it swept five different opponents to win the Rebel Duals at Altmar-Parish-Williamstown High School.
Skaneateles beat the host APW/Pulaski squad 78-6 for its most lopsided victory. It also beat Fulton’s B squad (the A squad won the Andersen Tournament at Cicero-North Syracuse) 44-22, topped Red Creek 63-15, stopped Syracuse’s Institute of Technology Central 72-12 and routed Marathon 73-3.
Each of the Lakers’ wrestlers had a winning record by day’s end. And seven of them were undefeated as Nevan Rourke (106 pounds), Max Collier (113 pounds), Joey Brillo (120 pounds), Josh Brillo (132 pounds), Maverick Janes (138 pounds), Connor Gray (195 pounds) and Cooper Pitman (220 pounds) had perfect runs.
Not far behind them, Christian Daley (99 pounds), Drew Newton (145 pounds), Francis Lombardi (160 pounds), Lucas Sherman (170 pounds) and Pat Greenfield (182 pounds) had 4-1 records. Both Matt Goetzmann (126 pounds) and brother Mike Goetzmann (152 pounds) finished 3-2 on the day.
Joey McIntyre won his first and only varsity match with a pin at 182 pounds. Gray and Pitman were given plaques as the Most Outstanding Wrestlers for Skaneateles.
Before that, the Lakers hosted Hannibal in last Wednesday night’s season opener, and were in front with four matches to go, only to see the Warriors storm back and claim all of those remaining matches to prevail 45-36.
They started at 120 pounds, with Dan O’Connell pinned by Dennis Spaulding. But at 126, Joey Brillo put Skaneateles on the board, taking 3:15 to pin Hannibal’s Brandon Wolfe before Josh Brillo (132) and Maverick Janes (138) claimed forfeits.
When matches resumed at 145, Newton lost a tight 5-3 decision to Tyler Wyman and Mike Goetzmann (152 pounds) got pinned. Again, the Lakers rebounded, Lombardi pinning Billy Loomis 22 seconds into the third period.
After Sherman (170) and Greenfield (182) took pins and Skaneateles fell behind 26-24, Gray, at 195, put the Lakers back in front, taking just 1:05 to finish off Logan Scott before Pitman (220) pinned Zach Hartranft in 3:05.
But those would be the Lakers’ last points of the night. Up 36-26, Skaneateles had to take a forfeit at 285 pounds and saw Daley (99) fall to Zach Williams as Hannibal went back in front 38-36.
And even when Rourke (106) lost, the fact that he made Evan Salmonsen go all six minutes for a three-point, 5-2 decision meant that Collier could win the match for the Lakers if he pinned Dustin Ouellette. But Oullette prevailed 6-2 to clinch Hannibal’s victory.
