Not too long ago, the notion of the Liverpool wrestling team even getting on close terms with Baldwinsville, much less beating them, was a fanciful notion.
But it’s no longer a fantasy. Instead, it’s a glorious reality that the Warriors created for itself by rallying from behind and stunning the Bees 34-31 Saturday to move into first place in the CNY Counties League.
Both sides entered the match with unbeaten league marks – Liverpool at 3-0, B’ville at 4-0. Since both were already entered in the Bees’ dual meet, they chose to make this their league match, since the original one on Jan. 7 was postponed due to winter weather.
Right from the start, it would prove close and exciting. At 126 pounds, Anthony Ianno lost a 7-6 decision to David Rush, and Mike Mills (132 pounds) answered by pinning Spencer Woods in 1:38.
B’ville appeared to take control by winning the next four bouts. At 138 pounds, Kevin Paul pinned Zach Curcie in 2:54. Connor Ross (145 pounds), who passed 100 career wins at this meet, took 1:15 to finish off Will Ronan, while Steve Petrelli (152 pounds) held off Brian Carr 4-3 and Chad McArdell (160 pounds) pinned Zach Kahtib 48 seconds into the third period.
Now down 24-6, Liverpool needed something good to happen, and it came in manners both expected and unexpected. Darren Breen (170 pounds) handled Devon Buyck 14-3, but what followed was stunning as Nate Knox, called up from the JV ranks, gave the Warriors three valuable points when he beat Alex Bowen 4-1.
When Gunnar Sutphen, at 195 pounds, blanked Mark Williamson 8-0 and Joe Nasoni (195 pounds) beat Ron Wilson 8-3 to make it 31-13 with five bouts left, Liverpool looked done, but then caught a break when the Bees did not have a wrestler at 285 pounds, leading to a forfeit to Alan Cary.
Heading to its strong spot in the lower weight classes, Liverpool claimed the next three bouts. Jerry Nash (99 pounds) blanked Kevin Lewis 5-0 and Sean Nadeau, at 106 pounds, was within inches of a defeat against B’ville’s Tyler Patrick, but used a reversal in the final seconds to win 12-11 beore Audey Ashkar (113 pounds) pinned Josh Peck in 4:48.
Ashkar’s fall tied it up, 31-31, and set up the finale at 120 pounds between the Warriors’ Peter Nash and the Bees’ Jeremy Pond. Nash controlled the match, though, and never allowed Pond to get on the board as Nash won 5-0 to help Liverpool, 4-26 a few seasons ago, move to 14-3 for this season.
Overall, the Warriors went 4-1 at the meet, moving on from the B’ville conquest to defeat CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt 46-25 and edge Batavia 36-32, clinching it with late pins from Nash and Ianno.
A 40-34 win over Holland Patent put the Warriors in the final against Central Valley Academy, but here the magic ran out as the Thunder beat Liverpool 56-14, with only Breen, Nash and Ianno able to win bouts.
Before all this, the Warriors wrestled last Wednesday night, but had a much better time of it, going to Camillus and putting together a 48-30 victory over the West Genesee Wildcats.
That winning margin came from the Warriors winning all four of the bouts in the lightest weight classes. Nadeau (99) and Jerrry Nash (106) claimed forfeits, but Peter Nash pinned Mike Linton in 1:42 and Ashkar (113) got a pin over Travis Robbins near the end of the second period.
Elsewhere, Carr (145) used the exact same time as Ashkar – 3:54 – for his fall over Zach Winterton, with Breen pinning Shayne Middleton in 2:49.
Wilson did not have to wrestle, claiming a forfeit, but Mills held on for a tough 9-7 decision over Odae Badwan after Ianno lost 4-3 to Tyler Heggelke. Williamson fought hard, too, in his 3-1 decision over Keisean Canery.
Aiming for an unbeaten league mark, Liverpool will be favored Wednesday against Auburn before competing Saturday in the Section III Dual Meet at Cicero-North Syracuse. As the no. 13 seed, the Warriors meet no. 4 seed South Jefferson in the opening round, starting at 10 a.m.
