SYRACUSE – Given the chance to compete under the banner of the Jordan-Elbridge wrestling team, Cato-Meridian junior Jack Lamson has put together an historic season.
And it will conclude this weekend when Lamson travels to Albany’s MVP Arena to take part in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Division II championships.
Already a league and Section III Class B champion, Lamson added one more crown during the Feb. 11 sectional Division II tournament at SRC Arena, prevailing at 138 pounds.
Going into the tournament at 37-1 on the season, Lamson was the top seed and 138 and got a first-round bye before a 9-3 quarterfinal win over APW/Pulaski’s Ethan Purdy.
A third-period pin of Central Valley Academy’s Aden Mead got Lamson into the finals against Mead’s teammate, Cooper Reed. This one was tight most of the way, but Lamson gained enough points and prevailed 9-5.
Marcellus standout Colin Scherer nearly joined Lamson at the top of the podium after a spirited run at 126 pounds.
With the top seed, Scherer took 92 seconds to pin Logan Sheriff (Southern Hills) in the quarterfinals and then, against J-E’s Colin Nolan in the semifinals, rolled to a 10-1 victory as Nolan went on to finish sixth.
Camden’s Kolton Kelley awaited in the final. Scherer fell behind 4-1 and 6-3, got takedowns to twice pull within one, but saw Kelley make a late escape and then prevent a tying takedown to pull out a 7-5 decision.
It was just Scherer’s second loss of the season, but he still gained an at-large bid to the state meet as the Mustangs, overall, were 14th in Division II and J-E ninth, well back of CVA’s winning total of 176 points.
Aside from Lamson,
Liam Mantell (110 pounds) went 2-2, losing in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion, South Jefferson/Sandy Creek’s Brock Frederick.
Logan Merriam lost his opening-round bout at 118 pounds, as did Lucas Smith at 145 pounds.
Marcellus got a fine finish from Chris Doshna at 152 pounds. Doshna lost his quarterfinal to Sean Seymore (Camden) before a 2-1 run in the consolation bracket ended with a pin of Morrisville-Eaton’s Tyler Scholtzhauer with a second-period pin.
Trevor Rankin got to the 132-pound semifinals with pins of Ronnie DuPont (APW/Pulaski) and J-E’s Micah Muhlnickel, but was pinned in the semifinals by Canastota’s top-seeded Culley Belino. Eventually, Rankin took fifth when Camden’s Trey Kimball had to default.
Elliott Barbosa (160 pounds) lost in the opening round, as did Jayden Abbott at 172 pounds and Caleb Poseczick at 189 pounds as J-E’s Angelo Turo also took a first-round defeat there.
Meanwhile, in the Division I (large school) sectional tournament, West Genesee wrestler Maxx Fesinger was victorious and earned his own trip to the state meet as the 145-pound champion.
From his top seed, Fesinger beat Michael Ashley (Indian River) in a technical fall, blanked Porter 8-0 in a semifinal rematch and, in the title bout, pinned Fulton’s Bailey Grubb late in the second period.
As for Austin Fesinger, he lost in the semifinals at 110 but rebounded to finish third by beating Cicero-North Syracuse’s Kevin Mossow 5-1. Logan Willis fell in the semifinals at 126 but got fifth place by beating New Hartford’s Michael Caruso, while Jacob Severson, at 160, lost a close quarterfinal 7-6 to Liverpool’s Dante Mallozzi.
