CENTRAL NEW YORK – Before 2023 concluded, the Baldwinsville wrestling team had another strong showing in tournament competition during the Dec. 28 Mountain Duals at Johnstown High School.
Having gone 4-1 at its own Dec. 23 dual meet, the Bees started out by topping Shoreham-Wading River 42-30, a match sealed in the finale at 101 pounds when Brennan Kline pinned Shane Cowan late in the first period.
A tighter 33-29 decision over Unatego-Unadilla Valley followed, B’ville trailing until it notched 27 points in five consecutive late bouts, including pins by Kline, Nathan Cali (160 pounds), Judson Ferris (195 pounds) and Don’Sincere Allen (285 pounds), plus Aaron Fredenburg (170 pounds) edging Wyatt Meade 6-3.
After a 54-22 win over host Fonda-Johnstown, B’ville took on perennial power Central Valley Academy and almost knocked off the Thunder, but settled for a 37-36 defeat.
CVA dominated the higher weight classes, claiming six of eight bouts despite pins by Fredenburg and Ferris. Kline led a late push that included Cael Bruce (109 pounds), Levi Schanzenbach (117 pounds) and Carter Holland (124 pounds) earning pins.
Then the Bees fell 35-30 to Ballston Spa, who won the last three bouts to overcome a 30-19 deficit. Prior to that, Fredenburg and Ferris earned pins, with forfeits to Kline and Bruce and Cali prevailing 5-3 over Anthony Gentiluomo.
B’ville then got wins over Saranac (51-24) and Hudson Falls (44-28) before closing with a 39-30 loss to Averill Park. Still, Ferris, through eight first-period pins, improved his record to 23-3, while Fredenburg, in going 7-1, also landed on a 23-3 season mark. Kline won six times on the mat, all of them pins, to move to 19-2 this winter and Cali went 6-1.
Following all of this, the Bees began its 2024 schedule with a terrific non-league match against Jordan-Elbridge Wednesday night, which was in doubt until the final bout, where the Eagles pulled it out 35-31 when Scottie Warner lost the 131-pound finale to Lucas Witter.
McLeod got the Bees on the board by pinning Adam DelCostello in 39 seconds. Fredenburg followed by beating Henry Smith 11-1, with Ferris pinning Ethan Youngs in 31 seconds and Allen taking 68 seconds to pin Noah White.
A forfeit to Zach Bourdeau at 101 pounds and Kline edging Ben Lamson 4-2 extended the Bees’ lead to 31-21, but a chance to clinch it was denied when Bruce lost a tense 5-4 bout to Liam Mantell at 116 pounds. J-E then won the last two bouts.
In girls wrestling, B’ville earned 20 points in the Dec. 30 Kenneth Haines Memorial at SUNY-Oswego, finishing 18th in a large field of 24 teams as Fulton, with 251 points, claimed the team title.
