CENTRAL NEW YORK – Not until the last bout was the Cazenovia wrestling team’s 2023-24 season opener against Canastota decided. And it went against the Lakers, who led thanks to a trio of mat victories, yet could not hang on in a 29-27 defeat.
They opened at 285 pounds, with three forfeits, two in Cazenovia’s favor. In the first contested bout at 124 pounds, Cullen Arnold managed to pin Anuaki Showalter late in the second period.
Later in the match, Broden Enders got a third-period fall over 152-pound opponent Mason Morris and Bryce Enders, at 160 pounds, edged Luken Gaiser in a tight 5-3 decision.
At this point, Cazenovia led 27-11, but Canastota, needing to win the remaining three bouts with falls, did so, with Finn Tobin (170 pounds) and Jake Winchell (190 pounds) both pinned in the first period and Luther Dannon, in the 215-pound finale, pinned in 23 seconds by Canastota’s Kieran Timmerman.
Chittenango made its season debut Saturday in Cicero-North Syracuse’s Andersen Tournament, where it earned 42 points to finish 18th in a 23-team field.
Edward Geer had the Bears’ best finish, at 152 pounds, pinning Falconer’s Patrick Braley in 96 seconds in the consolation bracket final for third place. He was the only Chittenango wrestler in the top six.
After going to Saturday’s Morrisville-Eaton Duals (where it lost 51-24 to M-E and 54-17 to Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), Cazenovia goes to Fabius-Pompey to face the combined Southern Hills team before wrestling this weekend in the Phoenix Round Robin up in Oswego County.
