Though it had its week of practices and matches curtailed by winter weather, the Cicero-North Syracuse wrestling team still concluded that week with a strong showing in the ‘Battle at the Valley’ meet at Cobleskill-Richmondville.
All told, the Northstars went 4-1, starting out with a 66-18 rout of Fonda-Fultonville that included consecutive pins from Dario Cicarelli (113 pounds), Nathan Osborne (120 pounds) and Jacob Montminy (126 pounds).
Five more pins followed as Josh Brighton (138 pounds), Isiah Wahdan (145 pounds), Robert Salvett (170 pounds), Julian Zavaglia (182 pounds) and Harrison Portorsnok (99 pounds) each got the maximum six points.
When C-NS topped Coxsackie-Athens 53-25, it again started with Cicarelli, Osborne and Montiminy getting consecutive falls. Wahdan and Zavaglia added pins as Jeff St. Denny (152 pounds) beat Colin Riley 8-2 and Dan Sweeney (106 pounds) beat John Sitcer 8-2.
Against host Cobleskill-Richmondville, C-NS won 43-36 and didn’t clinch it until Cicarelli won the final bout with a last-second pin of Gus Spohn, completing a comeback from a 36-25 deficit.
Portorsnok pinned Adam Burton and Sweeney pinned Ryan Oldorff in 28 seconds right before Cicarelli’s winning finale. Osborne and Salvett also had pins as Wahdaon won a tough 8-5 match over Shane Oldorff.
Finally, C-NS took a loss when Warrensburg handled them 60-18, with just three mat wins from Montminy, Osborne and Jack McDonald (195 pounds), who stopped Chris Wilson 5-1. Montminy edged Zach Shambo 6-4.
But the meet concluded with the Northstars topping Mohonasen 60-23as Salvett, Portosnok, Cicarelli and Montiminy earned pins. Osborne survived an 11-10 battle with Jacob DeGuire.
Liverpool entered league competition following a seventh-place finish in the Dec. 9 Batavia Christmas Tournament, right in the middle of a 13-team field with 56.5 points as Brockport won with 172.5 points and Mexico (132 points) finished second.
By far, the Warriors’ big highlight came at 152 pounds, when Anthony Piscatelli made his way to the finals, and then earned a 7-2 decision over Byron-Bergen’s Jared Fregoe. Piscatelli was the only Liverpool wrestler to reach the finals.
A week later, at the Phoenix Round Robin, Liverpool only managed 35 points, tying for 17th place. Steve Pascarella finished fourth at 126, while Kenny Haugabook was sixth at 138.
And now Liverpool would have to face Baldwinsville Wednesday night as C-NS took on West Genesee.
