Newfane Wrestling extended WNY’s longest active league victory and title streak on Thursday with a 49-17 road win over WNY #8 small school Barker/Royalton-Hartland in Barker. The win secured for the #2 Panthers an 11th straight Niagara-Orleans League title while extending the program’s win streak to 57 straight wins in N-O duals. Newfane has not lost to a league opponent since January 9th, 2013.
The 2024-2025 Panthers are the first team to secure an outright league championship this season, ending the division slate at another perfect 5-0 with a current dual record of 12-4. Also this season, Newfane competed in an 8th straight Section VI Dual Meet Championships reaching the final for a third time in the last four tournaments.
Outgoing with the Class of 2025 are five senior wrestlers including multiple time NYS place winners Aidan Gillings and Ayden Buttery who will go down as two of the best in the long tradition of Newfane Wrestling. Also graduating are Richard Doxey, Khalil Golden, and Brad Bork.
“They are the last two of our vision for something special,” said head coach Matt Lingle reflecting on the latest ‘generation’ of Panthers that has centered on Gillings and Buttery. “I remember when these two were six years old and we went to several youth team duals around the area and placed as a team or scored top three in individual tournaments as a team and I would stand up at our youth banquet and say, ‘we have something special here if we can all stay together.’ A team state run, several top team sectional placements, eight individuals placing at States, a state champ, three finalists…these two being the end of it has truly been something special.”
Gillings // Photo courtesy of Jeff Pataky
Buttery // Pataky
2024-2025 Newfane wrestling league dual meet scores
Dec. 11, 2024 #2 Newfane 54 –
Medina 24
Dec. 18, 2024 #2 Newfane 38 –
#7 Wilson 23
Jan. 8, 2025 #2 Newfane 43 – Albion 26
Jan. 15, 2025 #2 Newfane 58 – Akron 10
Jan. 16, 2025 #2 Newfane 49 –
#8 Barker/Royalton-Hartland 17
2024-2025 Niagara-Orleans final standings
#2 Newfane 5-0
#7 Wilson 4-1
#8 Barker/Royalton-Hartland 3-2
Akron 2-3
Albion 1-4
Medina 0-5