In the most satisfying way possible, the Cicero-North Syracuse wrestling team locked up the Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division regular-season title.
The Northstars did so by toppling its neighbor and rival, Liverpool, 47-30Thursday night in a first-place showdown at the C-NS gymnasium.
Both the Northstars and Warriors had 3-0 league records going into the match, and what made C-NS’s task more difficult was that it would have to forfeit two bouts at 285 pounds (to Lochlan Fegley) and 138 pounds) (to Steve Pascarella).
Early on, it went back and forth. The Warriors’ Hamier Williams-Borges opened at 195 pounds by handling Adam Rush 9-1 before Troyan Jones (220 pounds) got C-NS on the board with a 19-second pin over Jake Ronan.
A pair of close decisions in the lighter weight classes went in the Northstars’ favor. Dan Livesay, at 99 pounds, needed an overtime takedown to beat Matt Spoto 7-5 as Dan Sweeney (106 pounds) worked past Rocco DeGiormo 5-1.
Liverpool briefly retook the lead with back-to-back wins from Jeremy Ianno and Jacob Ianno. At 113 pounds, Jeremy Ianno pinned Harrison Portorsnok in 93 seconds as Jacob Ianno earned a 12-4 decision over Brian Besanson.
Even when C-NS’s Nate Osborne, at 126 pounds, pinned Tim Young in 2:36 and Jacob Montminy (132 pounds) took seven fewer seconds to pin Jonah Gellar, the Warriors still led 26-24 with five bouts left following Pascarella’s forfeit.
Three straight pins would put the Northstars in front for good, though, and Adam Brown got it going at 145 pounds by earning his fall over Dom Ianno in the waning seconds of the first period.
It took 92 seconds for Anthony Desimone to pin his 152-pound opponent, Chris Ianno, and at 160 pounds Alex Nobles clinched the team win and the league title with his pin over Shane Hazelmyer in 1:52.
The Warriors did get one more win at 170 pounds from Anthony Piscatelli, who handled Robert Salvett 10-2, but Julian Zavaglia (182 pounds) ended the night for the Northstars by pinning Ron Cyr with 22 seconds left in their bout.
Both C-NS and Liverpool will make their way to West Genesee next Saturday for the Section III Class AA championships after the Northstars have a tune-up meet with Oswego earlier in the week.
Liverpool then competed Friday and beat Red Creek 69-12, with Fegley, Ronan, Jeremy Ianno and Dom Ianno each earning pins as Piscatelli beat Michael Stanley 9-3 and Jonah Gellar, at 126, topped Justin Kush 5-1.
Both C-NS and Liverpool will make their way to West Genesee this Saturday for the Section III Class AA championships after the Northstars have a tune-up meet with Oswego earlier in the week.
