Cover photo courtesy of Jeff Pataky // All photos courtesy of Jeff Pataky
Photos contained within this article may not be used for republication unless authorized by WNY Athletics with prior written consent.
Eight first time Section VI champions, five repeat champions, and thirteen runners-up earned qualification to the NYSPHSAA federation wrestling championships on Sunday night at SUNY Fredonia’s Steele Hall at the 2025 Section VI Division II Wrestling Championships.
Ten returning NYS tournament place winners accounted for five individual Section VI titles by Sunday night while fourteen wrestlers who competed at the state tournament in Albany in 2024 requalified to return for the 2025 championships on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1 at MVP Arena in downtown Albany.
Section VI will send only twelve wrestlers who have not experienced the state tournament yet to Albany for the 61st state championships. Out of the twenty-six athletes, eleven are seniors including eight of the ten returning NYS placers suggesting that Section VI could be primed to improve on 2024’s 3rd place finish which was the section’s highest team placement in Albany since taking 2nd in 2018.
Now three-time Section VI champion and returning state finalist Jacob Stephenson from Wilson and defending NYS finalist Mason Maring from Westfield (as part of the Chautauqua Lake team) are the highest returning Section VI place winners from the 2024 championships. Four wrestlers with at least two state tournament place finishes will compete in Albany again including four time NYS place winner Aidan Gillings from Newfane and three time placer Carmine Calimeri from Southwestern.
Five of the six schools that make up the Niagara-Orleans wrestling league accounted for nine of the small school state qualifiers while four of the seven schools in CCAA I advanced a combined eight athletes to the state championships. Six wrestlers representing ECIC Division III teams will wrestle in Albany as well.
Eight teams accounted for nineteen state qualifiers by the end of wrestling on Sunday night led by Eden, Newfane, and Southwestern with three wrestlers each. Five more teams will take two wrestlers to Albany including Chautauqua Lake who captured the team title amongst the field of both Class B and Class C/D categorized teams with 200.5 team points and eight top-6 place winners.
Section VI Division II Wrestling Championships top-10 team scores:
1. Chautauqua Lake 200.5
2. Falconer 159
3. Pioneer 140
4. Lackawanna 131.5
5. Newfane 112
6. Southwestern 109
7. Randolph 98.5
8. Eden 95
Wilson 95
10. Portville 86.5
The Section VI Division I and II Wrestling Championships and state qualifier will return to SUNY Fredonia in 2026.
101
Eden’s outstanding sophomore lightweight and returning NYS 7th place winner Mason DellaPenta came back at weight this season and earned the top seed in the bracket. A pin and two technical falls in the championship rounds landed Mason a spot in the sectional final for the second year in a row. Southwestern junior Adrian Torres, also back at weight after 3rd at 101 last season dominated on the way to the final as the two seed with two technical falls and pins. In the final, Torres earned the first points with an early takedown, eventually taking a 3-2 lead into the third period where an escape and a takedown with less than thirty seconds remaining all but sealed the win for the sectional title and his first trip to Albany.
Place winners:
1. Adrian Torres – Southwestern
2. Mason DellaPenta – Eden
3. Chase Shirley – Chautauqua Lake
4. Kamren Anderson – Ranoldph
5. Owen Bliss – Pioneer
6. Justin Mengs – Albion
108
Southwestern would go back to back with champions in the lightest two weights on Sunday night when top seeded sophomore Miles Torres cruised into the final at 108. Torres was an impressive technical fall winner in the semifinal in a head to head matchup of two returning sectional place winners over Lackawanna’s Hani Nashir. On the bottom side of the bracket, Fredonia freshman Rocco Muscarella was a 5-3 decision winner over Olean’s Camren Driscoll to advance to an all CCAA I title match. A wild first period saw Torres build up an 8-3 lead earning two takedowns in the frame. He added two more takedowns in the second period to build a 14-5 lead going into the final two minutes. Approaching the mid-way point in the third, Muscarella earned a takedown and put Torres into dangerous near fall criteria where he fought to not get pinned. Ultimately, Miles escaped and held on to win the 108-pound title with a 21-14 finals decision.
In the wrestle backs, Albion 8th grader Styker Sanders, who fell to Nashir by tech in the quarters, earned revenge with a 6-3 sudden OT victory win for 3rd place and in doing so set up a true second place match with Muscarella. A four point opening period of the match proved to be all the points he needed to punch through to states as he held on to win, 4-3, to become the first Purple Eagle since 2020 to qualify for states.
Place winners:
1. Miles Torres – Southwestern
2. Stryker Sanders – Albion
3. Rocco Muscarella – Fredonia
4. Hani Nashir – Lackawanna
5. Zander Lombardo – Chaut. Lake
6. Camren Driscoll – Olean
116
Defending Section VI champion and NYS 4th place winner senior Jaron Barrientos from Lewiston-Porter had yet another impressive performance over the weekend on the way to his second straight Section VI title. Barrientos was a first period winner by pin in the semifinal over the 4-seed to reach the final. On the bottom side of the bracket, fellow returning NYS place winner in Medina senior Reece Senske, 8th in Albany a year ago at 108, reached the final with three straight pins. In the title match, Barrientos accumulated twenty points in a quick three minutes and thirty-eight seconds to claim the sectional title by technical fall and advance back to Albany in search of a NYS title.
1. Jaron Barrientos – Lewiston- Porter
2. Reece Senske – Medina
3. Raydon Abdallah – Lackawanna
4. Josh Pfeiffer – Iroquois
5. Mayson Simmons – Fredonia
6. Gioni Stampone – Pioneer
124
A deep weight class with five returning sectional placers – all from CCAA I schools – and two returning Section VI champions set up 124 as key bracket at the sectional championships. Top seeded returning 116-pound champion Dylan Newman from Falconer earned three pins to reach the finals for the second straight season. Two seeded returning 131-pound champion and NYS 3rd place winner Carmine Calimeri earned three pins before an 8-3 decision win over 3-seed and returning sectional 3rd place winner Gavin Burchanowski in the semifinal. In the title match, Newman built up an impressive 12-6 lead after two periods after having earned four near fall points from top mid-way through the second frame. With a six point lead and choice in the third, Falconer head coach Drew Wilcox elected to have Newman choose top to start the period. Calimeri earned a reversal, but Newman eventually got that back and then some with another four point near fall, eventually holding on to win by an eye catching 18-8 major decision final for the 124-pound title and advancement back to states.
Place winners:
1. Dylan Newman – Falconer
2. Carmine Calimeri – Southwestern
3. Gavin Burchanowski – Chautauqua Lake
4. Gabe Lundmark – Falconer
5. Trey Pfeiffer – Iroquois
6. Dominic Srouji – Lewiston-Porter
131
Two time defending state tournament qualifier Trevor DellaPenta had yet to achieve a Section VI individual title going into Sunday, however the Eden junior would not be denied this time as he went five for five with technical falls including the final on the way to his first title. DellaPenta, who placed 8th in NYS two years ago, was also awarded tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler honors for his performance at SUNY Fredonia as well. In the title bout, Trevor met returning state qualifier in Chautauqua Lake sophomore Thandon Bensink who reached the title match with two pins and two technical falls in the championship rounds. After the final, Bensink would have to defend his runner-up position as Maryvale’s Cody Freyburger had fallen to DellaPenta in the semifinal. Bensink built up a 10-2 lead after two periods ultimately going on to win 18-6 to ensure a spot at the state championships for the second consecutive season.
Place winners:
1. Trevor DellaPenta – Eden
2. Thandon Bensink – Chaut. Lake
3. Cody Freyburger – Maryvale
4. Mekhi Muhyee – Portville
5. Luke Duffina – Medina
6. Jonathan Tidd – Olean
138
One of only four weights in the tournament to not feature at least one wrestler with state tournament experience, both the winner and runner-up on Sunday night were guaranteed to be first time state qualifiers. Top seeded Abdulhamid Albaneh from Lackawanna reached the final after an 8-3 decision over teammate Adam Algawani in the semifinal. Meanwhile on the bottom side of the bracket, 2-seeded Randolph senior Domanik Clark wrestled three straight six minute bouts including a 12-4 semifinal major over Gowanda’s Nathan Warrior in a battle of two returning sectional place winners. In the title match, Albaneh earned the first point of the match with a second period escape but Clark took the lead with a takedown halfway through the period. A reversal in the third period extended the lead 5-2 and after ending up back in neutral, Clark was able to hold off Albaneh for the 5-3 decision win. Without a contested true second place match, Albaneh qualified for the state tournament, the first Steeler to do so since the 2018 season.
Place winners:
1. Domanik Clark – Randolph
2. Abdulhamid Albaneh – Lackawanna
3. Adam Algawani – Lackawanna
4. Luke Fay – Barker/Royalton-Hartland
5. Nathan Warrior – Gowanda
6. Jordin Eddy – Chautauqua Lake
145
Highly decorated Newfane seniors Ayden Buttery and Aidan Gillings elected to both go 145 for their final high school postseason runs and landed as the 1 and 2-seeds, respectively, in the bracket. Buttery, a defending Section VI champion and two-time NYS place winner (7th in 2024) and Gillings, a four time NYS place winner (8th in 2024) each pinned their way to the 145-pound finals on Sunday. Buttery earned the go ahead takedown in the first period followed by a quick escape by ‘Gilly.’ The only other point scored in the match was a third period escape by Gillings, but Buttery would hold on to win 3-2 to advance back to the state tournament. Gillings will make his fifth appearance in Albany. The only time Gillings has not wrestled at the state tournament through his six year varsity career was when the tournament cancelled in 2021. In the rest of the bracket, the 2-6th place winners are all underclassmen and all placed at sectionals for the first time in their careers.
Place winners:
1. Ayden Buttery – Newfane
2. Aidan Gillings – Newfane
3. Jaxon Kraft – Maple Grove
4. Bostyn Hackett – Pioneer
5. Noah Brandt – Falconer
6. Jaxon Lynch – Albion
152
Defending Section VI champion and NYS 5th place winner Caden Inkley from Randolph dominated the bracket as the top seed in a particularly deep 152-pound small school field. Three pins including a second period pin over Iroquois’s returning Section VI 3rd place winner Brady Wilkinson sent Inkley back to the title match. On the bottom side of the bracket, 6-seeded Cheektowaga junior Mohammad Noor upset the 3-seed Vic Cusatis by decision, 15-8, in the quarterfinal, before taking down 2-seeded Wyatt Opferbeck from Pioneer, 9-7, in the semifinal. However, the final would be all Inkley as he accumulated twenty-one points for an early third period technical fall to earn back to back Section VI titles and qualification to states. The true second place match had to be contested, as Eden junior 3-seed Bryce DellaPenta, who lost to Wilkinson in by major in the quarters, won three straight decision matches in the consolations to earn 3rd place. The 2022 110-pound Section VI champion earned an impressive 10-0 major decision over Noor to earn his third career trip back to Albany for the state championships.
Place winners:
1. Caden Inkley – Randolph
2. Bryce DellaPenta – Eden
3. Mohammad Noor – Cheektowaga
4. Vic Cusatis – Wilson
5. Brady Wilkinson – Iroquois
6. Wyatt Opferbeck – Pioneer
160
Wilson senior and now three time Section VI champion Jacob Stephenson cruised through the 160-pound field on Saturday and Sunday earning three pins and a semifinal technical fall to continue his season journey toward a NYS title. The returning state finalist at weight met Lackawanna’s 3-seeded Abdelraheem Alajji in the title bout, earning a quick pin in the first minute to secure a third sectional individual title. Meanwhile in the consolations, Newfane sophomore 5-seed Jake Morello forced a 3rd place rematch with Falconer’s Charlie Reichenbach after falling to him by major decision, 9-0, in the quarterfinals. In the consolation final, Morello would earn revenge by a high scoring 16-11 decision to force a true second place bout. Ultimately, Morello would earn a second period pin over Alajji to earn an improbable auto-qualification to the state championships.
Place winners:
1. Jacob Stephenson – Wilson
2. Jake Morello – Newfane
3. Abdelraheem Alajji – Lackawanna
4. Charlie Reichenbach – Falconer
5. Will Vandenbosch – Akron
6. Abdallah Alroumi – Tonawanda
170
Returning state tournament qualifier Ronan Klug from Barker/Royalton-Hartland earned the 2-seed in the bracket and reached the title match with an opening round technical fall and two pins including a semifinal pin over Gowanda’s Maddox Hudson who upset Iroquois’s 3-seed Alex Schiffhauer in the quarterfinal. On the top side of the bracket, chaos reigned as neither the 1 or 4-seeds reached the semifinal. 5-seeded Portville junior Jake Zeigler earned an 8-4 decision over Newfane’s 4-seed Colin Doxey in the quarters before an 11-0 major over Lake Shore’s Brennan Rice in the semifinal. In the 170-pound final, Klug would use a big third period scoring nine points to break open what was a 1-1 score at the start of period, ultimately going on to win by a 10-2 major decision to return to the state championships. The true second place match saw Zeigler defend his runner-up spot with a first period pin over Hudson to qualify for states for the first time.
Place winners:
1. Ronan Klug – Barker/Royalton-Hartland
2. Jake Zeigler – Portville
3. Maddox Hudson – Gowanda
4. Alex Schiffhauer – Iroquois
5. Colin Doxey – Newfane
6. Brennen Rice – Lake Shore
190
Opportunity awaited two wrestlers looking to reach the state championships for the first time at 190-pounds as the bracket did not feature a wrestler with past state tournament experience. Top seeded Medina senior Brody Fry pinned his way to the final with three falls in the championship rounds. Meanwhile, 2-seed Falconer sophomore Patrick Braley did likewise, including a critical overtime pin against Springville’s 3-seeded senior Preston Bond in the semifinal, setting up a third meeting this season with Fry in the sectional final. After splitting the season series 1-1, Braley earned the most dominant win of all three bouts with a technical fall completed less than forty seconds into the third period to claim his first Section VI title and trip to states. After Bond wrestled back to a 3rd place finish, Fry was forced to defend his placement in the true second place match, which he did so successfully gutting out a 10-8 decision to advance to the state tournament.
Place winners:
1. Patrick Braley – Falconer
2. Brody Fry – Medina
3. Preston Bond – Springville
4. Colton Hamilton – Chaut. Lake
5. Javonte Hackett – Falconer
6. Ezekiel Padd – Maple Grove
215
Pioneer doubled up at 215-pounds and it paid off as both Panthers qualified for the state tournament by the conclusion of wrestling on Sunday. Top seeded junior Takota Smith earned two pins in the championship rounds to reach the semifinal. 5-seeded Southwestern junior Brayden Potter met Smith in the semifinal for a razor close match that had to be decided in the ultimate tie breaker. Smith was able to escape to take a 2-1 lead in the first UTB and was able to maintain control over Potter in the second 30-second UTB period to advance to the title match. On the bottom side of the bracket, senior Chris Howatt reached the final with a 7-0 decision over Portville’s 3-seed Josh Kriger in the semifinal. In the championship bout, Howatt would earn the matches’ only point with an escape early into the second period to claim the 215-pound small school title and reach the state championships for the first time. Smith would ensure two Panthers would qualify for Albany when he earned a late second period over Kriger in the true second place match after the final.
Place winners:
1. Chris Howatt – Pioneer
2. Takota Smith – Pioneer
3. Josh Kriger – Portville
4. Brayden Potter – Southwestern
5. Billy Slavinski – Franklinville
6. Brandon Francis – Frewsburg
285
The heavyweight finale featured two of Section VI’s highly decorated upper weight wrestlers. Top seeded two time defending sectional runner-up and 2024 state finalist Mason Maring picked up his first Section VI title in his third attempt earning two pins before edging out 4-seeded sophomore and teammate Walter Lukasiak in the semifinal. 2-seeded returning two time state place winner Hamza Merrick from Wilson earned three pins and a major decision to reach the title bout for the third straight year as well. In the final, Maring built an 11-0 lead in the first period and continued to build on that lead in the second with 13-3 score. A four point near fall late in the third sealed the win for Maring, 18-5, to end his career in Section VI with an individual title for his resume. In the meantime, Lukasiak wrestled back to a third place finish setting up a true second place showdown with Merrick. However, Hamza was able to ensure a third and final trip to Albany with a 9-0 major decision to bring the 2025 Section VI Championships to a close.
Place winners:
1. Mason Maring – Chautauqua Lake
2. Hamza Merrick – Wilson
3. Walter Lukasiak – Chautauqua Lake
4. James Crooks – Akron
5. Kasen Hardy – Salamanca
6. Ashton Marion – Iroquois
2025 Section VI Division II Champions and state tournament qualifiers
Comments