For the first time this winter, the Baldwinsville wrestling team got to perform in front of a home crowd at the Baker High School gymnasium – and thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.
Victories in six of the last seven bouts helped the Bees overcome Central Square’s strong start Wednesday night and prevail over the Redhawks by a 52-28 margin.
The meet began at 126 pounds, and after Tyler Patrick lost, 13-2, to Jacob Garrow, Jeremy Pond (132 pounds) put B’ville on the board, dominating Dylan Wallace and falling just one point short of a technical fall in a 19-5 romp.
David Rush, at 138 pounds, pinned Caden Rupracht with 41 seconds left in their bout, and Brian Rush (145 pounds) claimed a forfeit before Central Square won the next four matches – three of them by pin. Only Dan Fawwaz (160 pounds) went the full six minutes for the Bees, falling to Phoenix Webb 7-6.
But it was 195 pounds that B’ville started to take charge, doing so when Alex Bowen pinned Nate Rogers midway through the third period. Nick Stanton (220 pounds) didn’t wait that long, taking 3:27 to finish off Mack West, while Mike Spicer, at 285 pounds, got his fall over Jake Eldred in just 73 seconds.
A close 99-pound bout followed, Jacob Cavallo taking a 2-1 defeat to Peyton Rupracht, but that was the Bees’ last blemish.
Zach Hahan didn’t have to wrestle at 106 pounds, claiming a forfeit, but Kevin Lewis did hit the mat at 113 pounds and pinned Central Square’s Cody White in 3:33 before Josh Peck (120 pounds) closed the meet with a fall over the Redhawks’ Mike Monica seven seconds before the end of the first period.
B’ville would go from there to compete in Saturday’s Phoenix Round Robin, where the likes of Liverpool and Cortland would join the host Firebirds as competition for the Bees.
Picking up 123.5 points, the Bees finished third, trailing only Mattituck, a visitor from Long Island who won with 193 points, and Liverpool, who slid into second place with 147 points.
Three times, B’ville wrestlers made it to the championship round, and twice it prevailed, including Rush’s victory at 138. Rush met Phoenix’s Seth Gilbert and, despite Gilbert competing on his home mat, Rush controlled the bout and prevailed 8-2.
Bowen had a closer call in his 195-pound final. Meeting up against Liverpool’s Nathaniel Knox, Bowen found that every point was important, and he did just enough to edge Knox 2-1.
Connor Ross worked his way to the 152-pound championship bout against Fayetteville-Manlius star Tristan Broddus, but could not quite keep up with Broddus, taking a 5-3 defeat.
Thor Sutphen pinned East Syracuse-Minoa’s Medo Pugonja midway through the third period to finish third at 170 pounds. Kevin Lewis was fourth at 113 pounds after a narrow 3-2 defeat to Cortland’s Dane George in the third-place bout.
Sam Candee, going for third place at 145 pounds, ran into Liverpool’s Mike Mills and took a 12-5 defeat. He finished fourth, as did Pond (132), who saw Phoenix’s Brad Dietz beat him 13-2 for the third spot.
Spicer secured fifth place at 220 by pinning Liverpool’s Alan Cary in 3:17. Peck (120) needed less than 90 seconds to pin Greene’s Harrison Stone for fifth place, while Jake Naples’ third-period fall over Greene’s Noah Kennedy meant fifth place at 113 pounds. Tyler Patrick had a sixth-place finish at 126 pounds.