With a chance to prove itself against some of the strongest squads in Central New York, the Skaneateles wrestling team did so, rising to a fourth-place finish in Saturday’s Section III Class C championship meet at Adirondack High School in Boonville.
The Lakers finished with 127.5 points, just behind third-place Canastota (137.5 points) in a 12-team field. Host Adirondack won with 271 points, holding off General Brown (252.5 points) for that top spot.
At 99 pounds, J.W. Simmons prevailed, improving to 28-2 on the season. Simmons pinned General Brown’s Cory O’Connor in the second period to set up a final against Onondaga’s Dylan Price, a close battle that saw Simmons, with a single escape, edge Price 1-0.’
Mike Goetzmann took the title at 145 pounds and is now 28-4 this winter. Goetzmann did not allow a point in either of his first two bouts, blanking Lowville’s Caleb Mayer 10-0 in the semifinals to set up a championship showdown with Adirondack’s Harry Roberts. Like Simmons, Goetzmann earned a decision over the top seed, beating Roberts 6-2.
Joey Brillo, at 126 pounds, ran into three-time state runner-up Derek Spann in the semifinals and lost, but rebounded to beat General Brown’s Connor Schissler in a 10-7 thriller in the consolation bracket final to take third place and improve his season mark to 30-4.
Christian Daley (113 pounds) and Joey McIntyre (182 pounds) both had fourth-place finishes. At 152 pounds, James Leubner beat Canastota’s Dakota Diable with a pin in 2:03 to get fifth place.
Pat Greenfield beat Jordan-Elbridge’s Anthony Ortiz 6-2 to finish fifth at 182 pounds. T.J. Greenfield also was fifth, at 220 pounds, pinning Adirondack’s Travis Hastwell in just 24 seconds for that spot as Lucas Sherman got sixth place at 160 pounds.
Most of these Lakers will make their way to Onondaga Community College’s SRC Arena this Saturday for the sectional Division II (Small School) championships. Only the winners in 15 weight classes are guaranteed berths in the Feb. 26-27 state meet at Albany.
