The Cazenovia wrestling team would get to rest and recuperate for more than a week following its 50-30 victory over its neighbors from Chittenango on Jan. 17.
Then the Lakers would compete in last Saturday’s Onondaga High School League Class C/D tournament at Cato-Meridian, where with 164 points Cazenovia took sixth place in an 11-team field. Phoenix claimed the top spot with 256 points.
Four Lakers reached the championship round, and two of them won. Jacob Wells prevailed at 113 pounds, pulling away from APW/Pulaski’s Alex Currie to win the title bout in an 8-2 decision.
Meanwhile, at 126 pounds, Cazenovia’s Matt McLaughlin pulled out a 4-3 decision over Onondaga’s Dylan Price to win that weight class. At 152 pounds, Zach Deleon lost the final to Zach Williams (Hannibal) 10-1 as John Frega, in the 182-pound title bout, took a defeat to Onondaga’s Jack Bailey in a second-period pin.
Earlier in the week, Chittenango hosted Skaneateles, and lost four of the seven bouts that were contested, but did enough so that the forfeits at the end made the difference and the Bears beat those other Lakers 45-42.
It came down to the bout at 160 pounds. Three bouts remained on the card, but Chittenango knew that Skaneateles would have to forfeit them to the trio of Robert Shepard (170 pounds), Connor Fredericks (182 pounds) and Isaiah Prado (195 pounds).
Thus, it was up to Devin Myers to win at 160 against the Lakers’ Yorvin Solis. It proved a close, exciting bout with plenty of activity, but Myers won it, 12-8, and thus the Bears had clinched the team win.
Blayde DeBlieux had prevailed at 99 pounds over Mason Michel with a second-period pin, while Joey Mariani (113 pounds) pinned Boaz Arold early in the third period. Also, Mark Young (106 pounds) and Peyton Denney (113 pounds) claimed forfeits.
Chittenango then went to Saturday’s Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Duals, where it went 1-4, defeating Syracuse 30-27, but taking defeats to West Genesee (63-18), Chenango Forks (64-24), Odessa Montour (40-24) and Canajoharie-Fort Plain (42-36).
Cazenovia and Chittenango will both travel Saturday in the Section III Class B championships at Central Valley Academy, with berths in the overall sectional meet Feb. 10 at SRC Arena on the line.
