While the Liverpool wrestling team had to wait until Wednesday night to get its head-to-head shot at Baldwinsville with first place in the CNY Counties League at stake, it already has a victory over the Bees on the ledger.
Four days prior to the Liverpool-B’ville clash, the two sides gathered as part of last Saturday’s Phoenix Round Robin, and it was close to a dead heat.
But with 153.5 points, the Warriors edged the Bees (153 points) by half a point and Petrides (152.5 points) by one point. In fact, it proved close throughout the top five as host Phoenix was fourth with 142.5 points and West Genesee was fifth with 132.5 points.
All of this followed the Warriors prevailing 49-21 over Fayetteville-Manlius last Wednesday night, a match where Liverpool claimed the first four bouts and was never caught.
In the 132-pound opener, Jerry Nash pinned the Hornets’ Ben Christopher in 90 seconds. Dylan Wallace (138 pounds) followed with a long battle against Ali Salem that he won 3-1, while Zach Curcie (145 pounds) held off James Ferro 7-4 and Nick Paganelli (152 pounds) pinned Alex Dauksza late in the second period.
Even when the Warriors lost a bout at 160 pounds, Anthony Piscatelli fought hard in a 4-3 defeat to Dylan Fort, but two bouts later things picked up again when Will Ronan (182 pounds) pinned Sam French eight seconds into the second period.
At 195 pounds, John Sturtz beat Charlie Josephson 7-3, followed by Zach Eason’s pin of 220-pound opponent Luke Ovadias at the end of the first period. Forfeits went to Hayley Delia (99 pounds) and Jacob Ianno (113 pounds), And Aiden Connor (126 pounds) lost, 8-4, to Josh Scalzetti, but Steve Pascarella offered a final flourish at 120 pounds when he shut out Sam Abreham 10-0.
Eleven days after opening in the Andersen Tournament, it was time for Cicero-North Syracuse to head into league matches, And the first part went well as the Northstars went to Syracuse’s Institute of Technology Central last Wednesday night and, aided by seven consecutive victories to open the match, cruised to a 60-15 victory over the Eagles.
Jeremiah Butler opened the night wrestling at 220 pounds and defeating Louis Ferrer 12-2 before Christian Anoceto (285 pounds) and Dario Ciciarelli (99 pounds) took forfeits. Dan Sweeney did wrestle at 106 pounds and got a 15-0 technical fall over Jose Montalvo.
Eric Salenski’s forfeit at 113 pounds was followed by back-to-back pins. Nathan Osborne (120) needed just 37 seconds to finish off Nyzair Smith, while Zach Sweeney worked at 126 pounds and pinned Jose Orocho in 3:23.
ITC finally got on the board at 132 pounds when Keyshawn Howard beat Shane McDonald 10-4, but then the Northstars claimed the next four bouts, starting with a forfeit to Vito Melfi at 138 pounds.
In just 51 seconds, Jacob Hall (145 pounds) pinned the Eagles’ Mario Melendez, with Anthony Desimone prevailing at 152 pounds with a pin over T.J. Kamanda midway through the second period. Nick Gazzillo (160 pounds) had a 10-6 victory over Ali Salah.
Even when it was defeated, C-NS kept things close. Robert Salvett, at 170 pounds, lost, 7-3, to Abendigo Johnson, while a close 195-pound finale saw Jack McDonald take a 5-4 defeat to Nahjir Dean.
From there, C-NS went to Indian River on Friday and Saturday for the North Country Invitational, where it finished 12th in an 18-team field with 92.50 points. Camden, with 210.5 points, took the top spot.
No Northstars wrestler could reach the finals, but Osborne finished third at 120 when he beat Joe Cummings (Gouverneur) 10-4 in the consolation bracket final and Butler matched that finish at 220 when he pinned Robert Gordon (Canton) early in the second period to get third place.
Elsewhere, Ciciarrelli worked to two overtimes before beating Indian River’s Carter Ashley 2-0 for fifth place at 99. Jacob Montminy was sixth at 120 as C-NS looked ahead to Wednesday’s meet at West Genesee and Friday’s trip to Cazenovia.
