Cover photo courtesy of Jeff Pataky
The top seeded Eagles defended their Section VI Division II dual meet title on Saturday at Niagara County Community College. Chautauqua Lake took down Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association (CCAA) Div. I league rival 2-seed Southwestern in the title match, 42-19, to earn back to back Duals titles and automatic qualification to the state dual meet championships on Saturday, Jan. 27th at SRC Arena in Syracuse.
Chautauqua Lake (14-2 overall) took down 4-seed Gowanda in the semifinal, 73-0, to advance to the title match for the second straight season. The Eagles appeared in the first Section VI Duals in 2017 placing 4th in the small school bracket but didn’t compete again until 2023 where as the top seed they defeated returning champion Newfane, 40-31, to earn the program's first Section VI dual meet team title.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Pataky // all photos contained in article are courtesy of Jeff Pataky
“I give a ton of credit to our young guys and girl…they showed up. Our young team has been awesome this year,” said Chautauqua Lake head coach Ken Rowe after the title match. “Falconer got us last week and that was a kick in the gut. I hope that that was a positive lesson for us. Southwestern is an excellent team with excellent kids. To have the score turn out that way, it was very positive.”
In the title match, Southwestern got out to a 9-0 lead courtesy of a major decision from returning state qualifier Kenji Walters at 124-pounds and a technical fall from two-time state place winner Carmine Calimeri at 131. However, CL responded with twenty four straight points earning pins at 138, 145, and 160 with a forfeit received by state champion Jordan Joslyn at 152.
Decisions from Colton Hamilton and Jayden Malecki at 170 and 190-pounds, respectively, extended the Eagles lead to 30-9 with only five weights remaining.
A decision from Southwestern’s state champion sophomore Tavio Hoose broke the stretch run of six straight wins for Chautauqua Lake with a decision win at 215-pounds. However, Walter Lukasiak earned a pin at 285-pounds for a 36-12 Eagles lead putting the match officially out of reach for Southwestern with three weights left in the dual.
Southwestern picked up seven additional points in two of the last three weights from brothers Adrian (101) and Miles (116) Torres while Gavin Burchanowski put the Eagles score over forty points with a pin at 108 for an eventual final score of Chautauqua Lake 42, Southwestern 19.
The Eagles will compete in the 6th NYSPHSAA Duals on Jan. 27th in Syracuse. Chautauqua earned the 8-seed in last year’s tournament and drew top seeded defending team champion Tioga (IV) in their pool but fell 33-24, giving the eventual repeat champs their closest match of the tournament. CL defeated Section II’s Cobleskill-Richmondville 49-18 in their pool in Syracuse last January.
“I’m confident we can go up to the state duals and make some good things happen,” said Coach Rowe looking ahead to Syracuse. “I think the future is pretty bright for this group.”
The Trojans’ appearance in the Saturday final was the first in program history. Southwestern competed in the 2023 edition of the sectional duals for the first time, reaching the semifinal and ultimately landing a 4th place finish.
1-Chautauqua Lake 42 – 2-Southwestern 19
Championship box score
124: Kenji Walters (S) md. Thandon Bensink (CL), 11-2
131: Carmine Calimeri (S) tf. Noli Paddock (CL), 15-0
138: Jordin Eddy (CL) p. Noah Melquist (SW), 1:24
145: Toby Watson (CL) p. Korbinn Sinischo (SW), 0:48
152: Jordan Joslyn (CL) forfeit
160: John Watson (CL) p. Bohdan Wendel (SW), 3:53
170: Colton Hamilton (CL) dec. Peter Conley (SW), 11-7
190: Jayden Malecki (CL) dec. Neves Hoose (SW), 2-1
215: Tavio Hoose (SW) dec. Mason Maring (CL), 10-4
285: Walter Lukasiak p. Brayden Potter (SW), 4:35
101: Adrian Torres (SW) md. Alex Bourgeois (CL), 16-6
108: Gavin Burchanowski (CL) p. Xayvion Troutman (SW), 0:46
116: Miles Torres (SW) dec. Chris Bowen (CL), 11-10
On the way to the final, Southwestern met 3-seed Newfane in the semifinal for a matchup of last year’s 2 vs. 3 semifinal showdown where the 2-seed Panthers were a 33-30 winner to advance to the small school dual meet final for the second straight year.
On Saturday, Newfane jumped out to a 30-15 score on Southwestern after nine weights with two pins and two forfeits included. However, the Trojans scored the last twenty four points of the dual with four straight pins from 190 to 101-pounds to take down the Panthers, 39-30, to advance to the dual meet final.
Newfane went 2-1 overall on the day defeating Niagara-Orleans league rival Wilson, 60-18, before earning a forfeit-less, hard fought, come from behind win over a quality Gowanda squad, 37-29, for 3rd place.
Against Gowanda, Newfane led 18-7 after five weights. However, a stretch run of four straight wins for the Panthers including a major decision and three consecutive pins from 170-215 gave Gowanda a 29-18 lead with only four bouts left. Newfane returned the favor with four consecutive wins to end the dual including pins by Khalal Golden at 285 and JJ Lucinski at 108.
Going into the last bout Newfane held a 33-29 lead. Freshman Rian Czaja earned a critical dual sealing win at 116-pounds with a 9-1 major decision to ensure a fourth consecutive top-3 Section VI Duals place finish for Newfane. Returning NYS 4th place winner Lucinski also recorded his 100th career win on Saturday.
3-Newfane 37 – 4-Gowanda 29
3rd place box score
124: Owen Pfaffenbach (G) d. Ryley Mahoney (N), 4-0
131: Greg Reid (G) md. Alexa Doxey (N), 11-3
138: Sean Milczarski (N) p. Faolon Quinn (G), 2:24
145: Aidan Gillings (N) p. Jayden Fish (G), 0:59
152: Ayden Buttery (N) p. Nathan Warrior (G), 1:56
160: Maddox Hudson (G) md. Cam Perry (N), 11-1
170: Michael Horth (G) p. Richard Doxey (N), 0:30
190: Brody Mescall (G) p. Dylan Eliseo-Baker (N), 0:11
215: Jayden John (G) p. Ty Mangione (N), 1:15
285: Khalal Golden (N) p. Alanson Stafford (G), 0:37
101: Jaxson Tocco (N) d. Zach Stark (G), 10-3
108: JJ Lucinski (N) p. Cayden Redford (G), 0:54
116: Rian Czaja (N) md. Nakotah Jackson (G), 9-1
Newfane is the only small school team to have been invited to all seven Section VI Duals and competed in all six of the contested events so far. Gowanda’s 4th place finish is the program’s first placement at the Duals in the team’s second ever appearance; the Panthers competed in the first sectional duals in 2017.
Wilson competed for the second straight year at the sectional duals and was led by junior Jacob Stephenson who went 2-0 and recorded his 100th career win, becoming the 5th wrestler in program history to reach the century mark. Henry and Willie Wortkoetter also went 2-0 on the day for the Lakemen.
Wilson's Jacob Stephenson
2024 Section VI Division II Dual Meet Championships scores:
Championship
1-Chautauqua Lake 42 – 2-Southwestern 19
Consolation final
3-Newfane 37 – 4-Gowanda 29
Semifinals
1-Chautauqua Lake 73 – 4-Gowanda 0
2-Southwestern 39 – 3-Newfane 30
Quarterfinal
4-Gowanda 59 – 6-Wilson 18
Consolation semifinal
3-Newfane 60 – 6-Wilson 18