Spanning the Empire #3: Weekend Recap (Jan. 13th-15th, 2023)

WHILE ATTENTION IS MONOPOLIZED BY ESC, OTHER STARS EMERGE AT THE KOHL, SCHENECTADY, CAZENOVIA, SOUTHERN TIER, BRADSHAW, AND LOCKPORT EVENTS!

SECTION 1: KOHL INVITATIONAL

1) Harris Ghaffari (152; Manhasset)---Seeded 3rd, but unranked by LIWA in Section 8, the Indian junior had a career day, as he punched his ticket to the finale when he stuck current #1 in S9/2022 Sectional 5th, Brandon Carcaterra (Monroe Woodbury), at the 4:22 mark of their semifinal contest....As the cherry on top, he later doubled-up DI #14, James Miller (Sayville), 6-3, to cap off his path to glory!
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2) Joe Ponesse (172; Newburgh Free Academy)---Prevailing in one of the deeper brackets of the tournament was the Goldback senior, who posted a 3-0 resume with all of his victories coming at the expense of Long Islanders....Himself a returning 2x S9 medalist (3rd in 2022), Ponesse commenced his trek to Titletown when he posted a 6-2 decision over 2022 S11 6th, Cody Lopresti (Sayville)...After registering bonus points in the semis (9-1 major) against second-seeded Christian St. John of Huntington, Ponesse made it two straight arm raises versus Blue Devil oppositions when he squeaked out a dub by the slimmest of margins, 6-5, over another returning Suffolk 6th/present-day DI #15-ranked Zachary Zboray!
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3) Dan Holahan (138; Sayville)---Perhaps the most unlikely of any of the individual titlists on the Suffern campus last weekend, the Golden Flashes 11th grader went all the way from an unseeded position to pin his way to 138-pound gold....Unranked in his own section (Suffolk), he recorded back-to-back falls in respective times of 5:52 and 3:35 over the fifth-ranked wrestlers in both Nassau (Harry Tzavelis of Manhasset) and Section 1 (Justin Riello of North Rockland) in the semifinal and title rounds....Earlier in the day, he needed just 36 seconds to deck second-seeded Sam Nicotra (Huntington) in their quarterfinal showdown!

Finals Box Score:
102: Will Russell (Manhasset) TF Kelly Sullivan (Monroe Woodbury) 3:22 (17-1)
110: Elijah Brown (Monroe Woodbury) Maj Dec. Robert Walker (Say) 9-1
118: Aidan Bebber (Manhasset) dec. Jonathan Granito (Huntington) 10-5
126: Ben Marmor (Syosset) pinned Adam Armendariz (Manhasset) 3:06
132: Leo Mongiello (Sayville) pinned Liam Hayes (Monroe Woodbury) 1:52
138: Dan Holahan (Sayville) pinned Justin Riello (North Rockland) 3:35
145: Jacob Brockey (Syosset) Maj Dec. Mike Rosenblulm (Monroe Woodbury) 11-2
152: Harris Ghaffari (Manhasset) dec. James Miller (Sayville) 6-3
160: Kenneth Lopresti (Sayville) pinned Aaron Bernard (Monroe Woodbury) 3:06
172: Joseph Ponesse (Newburgh Free Academy) dec. Zach Zboray (Huntington) 6-5
189: Eric Carlson (Manhasset) dec. Will Henry (Syosset) 6-1
215: David Christiansen (Sayville) pinned Carter White (Sayville) 1:19
285: Nacer Villalobos (Manhasset) dec. Dimitri Pierre (East Ramapo) 5-3

BRACKETS

SECTION 2: SCHENECTADY INVITATIONAL

1) Gordon Murray (Saratoga Springs)---The returning S2 Bronze medalist from a season ago earned the brass ring in his bracket when a two takedown, two reversal, one turn (for 2NF) exhibition allowed him to pick up an 11-5 decision versus 2x sectional placer, DI #7 (NYWN State) Kyber Henry (Cobleskill-Richmondville) in a collision of the S2 #2 ranked standouts in the DI and DII divisions....The dub against Henry was one of a trifecta of sectional ranked wins for Murray.  He previously had pins in times of 2:49 and 4:40 against the #5 and #4 guys in the section, Drew Loucks (Christian Brothers Academy) & Howard Bearce Burnt Hills)!
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2) Chase Matter (110; Saratoga Springs)---The Blue Streaks 9th grader, ranked 2nd in the S2 DI polls, ascended to the top of the podium when he bested three fellow sectional top-5 ranked foes...Squaring off with the man in the #4 spot, Xavier Vargas, of the host school in the finals, Matter broke a 4-4 tie in the 2nd with an escape; he then added a TD (to go up 7-4) before eventually securing a fall in 3:35!....In the semis, it was takedown in the final 20 seconds of regulation that enabled him survive via a 5-3 decision against the man just below him in the charts, Jahiem Harris (also of Schenectady)...His easiest victory occurred in the quarters, as it took him just :48 before forcing S2 DII #5, Michael Rose (Corinth-Hadley Luzerne) to succumb to the pin!
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3) Drew Schiavo (102; Niskayuna)---In a clash of the #2 and #3 ranked wrestlers in Section 2, it was the 2022 sectional 6th place finisher [Schiavo] scoring a TD and then adding NF in the 3rd period to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 5-2 victory over 2022 sectional 5th, Vincent Mastrianni (Colonie)!...In the semifinals, the Silver Warrior freshman recorded 5 of his 7 points on the mat (E1 in the 1st, reversal in the 2nd, 2NF in the 3rd) to upend the small school S2 #3 ranked Aiden Schurr (Corinth-Hadley Luzerne)!
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4) Tabriz Khetab (145; Albany)---Ranked 3rd at 138 pounds in S2, the Falcon senior bumped up to 145 pounds and came away with three victories over his fellow top-5 peers....Pitted against returning 2x sectional medalist, Kaden Potter (Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk), in the finals, Khetab put on a clinic from his feet, stockpiling 10 takedowns on his way to a 20-8 major decision....Not much was different one bout earlier, as a five-TD, 1 set of swipes demonstration propelled him to a 13-5 major over 2022 S2 5th, Davin Leavey (Shenendehowa)... Four takedowns and a trio of exposures (9 total near-fall points) did the trick in the quarterfinals over sectional 5th ranked James Capasso (Ballston Spa).
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5) Will Hotaling (285; Colonie)---In a steel on steel crash to close out the tourney, it was current NYWN DI State 4th ranked/defending Section 2 gold medalist, Hotaling, pinning (all sub.-1:00 times) his way through the "big boy" field when he flattened 2022 S2 3rd/currently ranked 4th in the section, Duavon Allen (Niskayuna) in 54 ticks!

Finals Box Score:
102: Drew Schiavo (Niskayuna) dec. Vincent Mastrianni (Colonie) 5-2
110: Chase Matter (Saratoga Springs) pinned Xavier Vargas (Schenectady) 3:39
118: Greg Green (Shenendehowa) Maj Dec. Dominic Witko (Schenectady) 16-6
126: Taylor Beaury (Saratoga Springs) dec. Frank Broadhurst (RCS) 8-1
132: Dylan Devine (Schalmont) pinned Joey Losee (Shenendehowa) 2:39
138: Gabriel Goss (Burnt Hills) pinned Cayden Bouvia (Saranac) 3:14
145:Tabriz Khetab (Albany) Maj Dec. Kaden Potter (RCS) 20-8
152: Gordon Murray (Saratoga Springs) dec. Kyber Henry (Cobleskill-Richmondville) 11-5
160: Gianni Delgado (Saratoga Springs) pinned Hamidullaha Faqeer (Albany) 2:54
172: Malachi Moore (Shaker) dec. Vito Spatafora (Saratoga Springs) 3-1 SV-1
189: Michael Cavanaugh (Schalmont) pinned Lorenzo Paleschi (Saratoga Springs) 1:19
215: Jaydon Aquirre-Hamlin (Colonie) dec. Patrick Mckinley (Saratoga Springs) 3-1
285: Will Hotaling (Colonie) pinned Duavon Allen (Niskayuna) :54

BRACKETS

SECTION III: CAZENOVIA INVITATIONAL

1) Andrew Bailey (189; Chittenango)---Currently sitting in the #1 spot of the DII polls, the 2022 NYS Qualifier refused to be knocked off his perch, as he posted two commanding victories over fellow top-15 foes to remain undefeated during his senior campaign...In the crossover semifinals, he built a 7-0 lead before sticking DI #7/2022 Section III runner-up, Trey Darmody-Latham (Syracuse) in a time of 5:40....As a follow-up, he struck for three takedowns and added a full set of swipes en route to a 12-2 major decision in the finals over DII #9/2022 NYS DII 8th, Hunter Page (Oxford-Greene)
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2) Aiden Shufelt (110; Groton)---The returning NYS DII 5th/present-day #9 ranked Indian 11th grader should be moving a few rungs up the ladder following a 3-1 decision in the title contest over DII #7/2022 NYS Qualifier, Brock Frederick (South Jefferson-Sandy Creek)....His outing in the semifinals proved to be even more decisive, as two takedowns in the 1st period, coupled with a reversal and two sets of NF propelled him to a 12-5 victory over DII #13/2022 NYS Qualifier, Evan Rutecki (Cazenovia)!
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3) Donavan Mitchell (215; Groton)----In a clash of top-10 215-pounders, it was DII #9 Mitchell securing the slap of the mat 54 ticks into the 2nd period to upend fellow 2022 NYS Qualifier, DI #10 Jackson Schwab (Fayetteville-Manlius)....In his cross-over semi, 8 of his 14 points came courtesy of NF, as earned a count on three separate occasions and tacked on a pair of 3rd period TDs to record bonus in the form of a 14-1 major decision over 2x S3 medalist, Davin Dewaine (Indian River)!

Finals Box Score
102: Kade Mustin (Oxford-Greene)---Won a 6-person Round-Robin
110: Aidan Shufelt (Groton) dec. Brock Frederick (SJSC) 3-1
118: Talan Hubbard (Homer) TF Zenon Derocha (Hannibal) 19-3
126: Hunter Lines (Homer) dec. Kane Lynch (Indian River) 7-2
132: Culley Bellino (Canastota) pinned Jeffrey Stauber (Homer) :45
138 : Chase Lawton (SJSC) dec. Keagan Hayes (Baldwinsville) 6-0
145: Ryley Monica (SJSC) pinned Tyler Vivacqua (Liverpool) 3:28
152: Wyatt Tinker (Cortland) dec. Connor Kral (Liverpool) 3-2
160: Travis Montone (SJSC) dec. Dante Mallozzi (Liverpool) 7-5
172: Isaac Allen (Groton) dec. Ryan Brown (Syracuse) 4-3 SV-1
189: Andrew Bailey (Chittenango) MD Hunter Page (Oxford-Greene) 12-2
215: Donovan Mitchell (Groton) pinned Jackson Schwab (Fayetteville-Manlius) 2:54
285: Sean Hunt (Syracuse) pinned Andrew Dabulewicz (Fayetteville-Manlius) :31

BRACKETS

SECTION 4: SOUTHERN TIER MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT

1) Ousmane Duncanson (160; Tioga)---The first of the Evil Empire's three individual titlists, the defending NYS DII State Champion/current DII #1 ranked Tiger bested opponents from three different states on his journey to the "yellow medal"....After a scoreless opening 2:00 in his finals match with blue chip Florida freshman, Marrion Nelson, Duncanson broke the ice with a TD midway through the 2nd period to gain a 2-0 lead.  During the final chapter, he'd add an escape and two additional takedowns to emerge with a 7-4 decision...Before he could worry about a title match, the section 4 stud first withstood a tension-packed semifinal, as he found himself deadlocked at 1-1 (exchange of escapes) at the end of regulation versus 2022 PIAA Regional Qualifier, Alex Hoffman (Milton Area)...In the final :05 of sudden victory, Duncanson locked up a cradle and rolled it over for 2+2 to earn the dramatic 5-1 dub!...4-0 overall between Friday and Saturday, on day #1, he recorded a fall 1:00 into the 2nd period over 2022 Section 4 4th, Brody Wolfe (Corning)!
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2) William Francois (215; Longwood)---Sitting in the #2 slot of the LIWA Section 11 polls, the Lions' senior won his third tournament of 2022-2023 (previously claimed titles at The Colt Classic & The Mid-Hudson) when he blitzed his way through the 215-pound bracket by going 4-for-4 in logging pins....Beating the buzzer in the finals when he stuck Keystone State visitor, George Valentine (North Penn-Liberty) with :02 remaining in the 2nd period, Francois, who NYWN ranks 12th in our DI charts, banked his best in-state triumph in the semis via a fall in 1:50 over DII #14/2022 NYS DII Qualifier, Ty Beeman (Waverly)!
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3) Kam Hills (285; Waverly)---Giving the S4 faithful a reason to cheer in the final title match of the weekend was the Wolverine super sophomore [Hills]...Engaged in a battle of 2022 section 4 finalist and/or current top-10-ranked personnel, it was defending DII Champion/#5 Hills needing just 69 seconds to stick returning DI S4 runner-up/DI #6 ranked Qymani Viera-Powell (Union-Endicott)...Already leading 2-1 at the time, Hills defended a headlock attempt for his second TD of the opening period and then immediately began cranking a power-half to turn his Tiger nemesis to his back as a prelude to the inevitable conclusion!!!!...The last of his four pins during the two-day affair, Hills only went the distance once (3-1 decision in the quarters versus 2022 S4 4th, Alex Mckerrow, of Elmira) as part of a 5-0 body of work!...In the semis, he registered a pin at the 56-second mark against 2022 S4 bronze medalist, Ean Conti (Vestal)!

Finals Box Score:
102: Liam Davis (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Anthony Lagala-Ryan (Longwood) 10-3
110: Charlie Desena (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Darren Florance (BGAH) 7-5 SV-1
118: Ethan Rivera (Lake Highland Prep) Maj Dec. Chase Nevills (Copenhagen) 10-2
126: Colin Kacena (Lake Highland Prep) pinned Gianni Silvestri (Tioga) 5:35
132: Zeno Moore (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Tyler Roe (Tioga) 11-5
138: Eligh Rivera (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Jaden Pepe (Wyoming Area, PA) 3-1
145: Ethan Mojena (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Caleb Sweet (South Seneca) 8-1
152: Claudio Torres (Lake Highland Prep) dec. Anthony Evanitsky (Wyoming Area, PA) 3-1
160: Ousmane Duncanson (Tioga) dec. Marrion Nelson (Lake Highland Prep) 7-4
172: Omer Barak (Lake Highland Prep) pinned Nick Matos (St Anthonys) 1:07
189: Daniel Williams (Lake Highland Prep) TF Matthias Welles (Waverly) 16-1
215: William Francois (Longwood) pinned George Valentine (North Penn Liberty, PA) 3:58
285: Kam Hills (Waverly) pinned Qymani Viera-Powell (Union-Endicott) 1:09

BRACKETS

SECTION V: 48TH ROBERT BRADSHAW INVITATIONAL

1)  Ben Merrill (138; Alexander)---In a DII top-10 collision, it was the Red Raider 12th grader (#9) registering one TD apiece in the 1st and 2nd periods and then riding out the entire 2:00 of the 3rd to come away with a 4-2 decision over the person directly above him in the polls, DII #8 Jack Lamson (JE/PB/US/CM) to seize the crown at 138...The win over Lamson was the only time all day that the two-time S5 medalist was forced to go the full 6:00, as he notched falls in his three previous appearances!!
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2) Gage Wagner (152; Alexander)---The lowest seed (#3) to win a crown this past weekend at the event, the 12th grader entered the festivities unranked, but that his status could change following 5-0 display that saw him amass bonus points every chance he got...Pitching a 12-0 major decision shutout versus 2022 S5 6th, Max Meagher (Hilton), in the finals, it was Wagner's semifinal bout that likely will carry the most weight in terms of rankings...Squaring off with DII 10th/2022 S5 5th, Gage Burgess (Palmyra Macedon), he secured the fall (while leading 8-0) with :11 remaining in duration to punch his ticket to the 'ship!...

Finals Box Score
102: Conner Guffey (Webster Thomas)  dec. Adam Gerby (Pittsford), 2-1
110: Kiernan Magee (Penfield) pinned Braiden Salter (Wayne) 2:51
118: Trey LeChase (Fairport) pinned Jacob Eaves (Penn Yan Academy) 3:17
126: Zachary Rooks (Palmyra Macedon) pinned Cael Lawson (Wayne) 4:42
132: Tyler Ferrara (Chenango Forks) pinned Alex Pabon (Webster Thomas) 1:08
138: Benjamin Merrill (Alexander) dec. Jordan-Elbridge-PB-US), 4-2
145: Jacob Mendola (Webster Thomas) pinned Mateo Sloan (Palmyra Macedon) 3:22
152: Gage Wagner (Alexander) Maj Dec. Max Meagher (Hilton), 12-0
160: Deakyn Hughes (Waterloo) Maj Dec. Avery Bustamante (Wayne), 12-3
172: Brady Unger (Fairport) pinned Antonio Pesante (Geneva) 0:37
189: Mason Depew (Canandaigua Academy) dec. Grady McElveney (Fairport), 5-1
215: Nate Kasper (Hilton) dec. Jared Haers (Palmyra Macedon), 9-2
285: Jeffrey Craddock (Fairport) dec. Dominic Lockwood (Hornell), 7-0

BRACKETS

SECTION VI: LOCKPORT TOURNAMENT

1) Te'Shaun Mathews (138; Niagara Wheatfield)---Entering the weekend ranked 11th in the Large School polls, the Falcon junior was nothing short of outstanding, as he knocked fellow top-15s/returning 2022 NYSPHSAA Qualifiers in both the semi and finals rounds en route to hoisting 138-pound hardware....In the semifinals, he made quick work of 14th-ranked Dino Battisti (Brockport), needing just 18 seconds to stick the returning S5 runner-up....His finals match proved to be much more competitive as he rallied from a 4-2 deficit (end of the 2nd period) to strike for a TD and swipes late in the 3rd to steal a 6-5 decision over DI #6/2x S5 titlist, Cal Arthur Russo (Spencerport)!...
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2) Jackson Burns (215; Spencerport)---Pinning and/or teching his way into the finals (including a 94-second fall in the semis against 2022 S6 6th, Dan Moore, of Royalton Hartland-Barker), DI #6 Burns turned in a statement-making effort when he secured TDs in the 1st and 3rd periods, coupled with a reversal + exposure in the 2nd to cruise to a 9-0 major decision in a battle of respective 2022 sectional runners-up/NYS Qualifiers versus 15th-ranked Casey Robinson (Niagara Wheatfield)!
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3) Sean McDonald (102; Starpoint)---Perhaps overshadowed on a roster that is saturated with hammers from top to bottom, the freshman 102-pounder earned a share of the spotlight this past weekend when his takedown conversion in the last :10 of sudden victory enabled him to emerge with a 4-2 decision over hot-shot  younger/DI #9, Tanner Catrabone (Williamsville North-East)...The owner of a 3-0 resume, McDonald also had a close one in the semifinals, as takedowns in the 1st and 3rd periods were enough to allow him to advance to the 'ship via a 4-2 decision over 2022 S6 5th, Ryan Senske (Medina)!
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4) Kaleb Rang (145; Grand Island)---Seeded 5th in his bracket, the 2022 sectional 6th claimed crown when he bested a trio of fellow S6 medalists...In the quarters, he jumped out to an 8-0 advantage before pinning fellow S6 6th, Rory White (formerly of Frontier; now at St. Francis) in 2:57...His closest bout occurred one round later, as came on strong during the final 2:00 to upend multiple-time placer, Garrett Chase (Niagara Wheatfield), 8-6, to secure the berth into the championship match...He notched his third fall of the day in the finals, sticking Amherst's Zak Saeed with 18 ticks remaining in the 2nd period!!

Finals Box Score
102: Sean McDonald (Starpoint) dec. Tanner Catrabone (Williamsville North-East), 4-2 sv
110: Ryan Cieslinski (Spencerport) TF Dylan Castiglia (Grand Island), 16-1
118: Richard Wood (Brockport) Maj Dec. William Wood (Brockport), 8-0
126: Joseph Trieste (Spencerport) pinned Paul Rose (Brockport) 3:21
132: Tremell Mathews (Niagara Wheatfield) pinned Jacob Phillips (Brockport) 2:00
138: Te`Shaun Mathews (Niagara Wheatfield) dec. Cal Arthur Russo (Spencerport), 6-5
145: Kaleb Rang (Grand Island) pinned Zak Saeed (Amherst) 3:42
152: Dylan Gagnon (North Ton) dec.  Quinn Brown (Royalton-Hartland-Barker), 6-3
160: Joseph Cicco (Niagara Wheatfield) dec. Dante DiFiglia (Niagara Wheatfield), 3-0
172: Payton Grabowski (Lyndonville) pinned Phil Pirineli (Starpoint) 4:30
189: John Fike (Niagara Wheatfield) dec. Conor Crandall (Medina), 3-2
215: Jackson Burns (Spencerport) Maj Dec. Casey Robinson (Niagara Wheatfield), 9-0
285: Bryce Hawes (Clarence) pinned Zaid El Nasser (Williamsville North-East) 1:38

BRACKETS

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