Unsung Heroes Bring Border Brawl Trophy Back To Clarence

Dan Beil came from behind to beat an opponent that beat him a week earlier. Andy Burden pinned a foe that once beat him by technical fall. Nathen Prelewicz and Matt Gawron dominated matches that were viewed as toss-ups entering the meet.

It was that kind of night for the Clarence High School wrestling team.

In a match-up of the top two ranked teams in Western New York, the depth of the second-ranked Red Devils outshined the star power of the top-seeded Legends and Clarence regained the Border Brawl trophy with a surprisingly-lopsided 46-16 win on Tuesday night.

“I certainly didn’t expect that score, not this year,” Clarence coach Jason Chase said. “Everything that needed to go our way went our way and our guys stepped up and wrestled awesome.” lot of our big guys lost matches tonight but it was everybody else that stepped up and got it done.”

The meet started at 195 pounds and five matches in, Lancaster held a 10-9 lead and had beaten three of four Red Devils ranked in the latest Wrestling Review of Western New York report.

And some new names stepped to the forefront and Clarence seized command by winning six straight matches, three by pin and another by major decision.

The one marquee match that went Clarence’s way came at 99 pounds as Antoine Walker, the third-ranked lightweight in Western New York, earned an 11-5 win over Jacob Harry, an honorable mention at 99.

The rest was all about the unsung heroes on the Red Devils roster.

Anthony Corigliano (113 pounds) and Burden (120) answered the early Lancaster spurt with pins for the Red Devils and then Gawron “put on a takedown clinic,” Chase said, and won by a 20-9 major decision at 126. Prelewicz (138) and Jonathan White (145) extended the Clarence streak with two more victories.

Ryan Kist (132), Joe Mannarino (170), Beil (182) and Kyle Brown (220) also won for Clarence.

“It’s an honor to win this,” Beil said. “Last year, I had a rough experience in this match. Coming out of this with a victory and more importantly the team trophy, it feels great.” Biel was a part of the Border Brawl last season. He lost by major decision and the Red Devils dropped a 39-30 verdict, ending a five-year winning streak in the rivalry meet. Clarence, which moved top 5-0 in ECIC I competition, got it back this season and hopes to ride the success in the postseason.

“I’m happy for these guys,” Chase said. “They work hard and they earn it. This is a step. We’ll enjoy it now, but tomorrow it’s back to work.”

In perhaps the most exciting match of the night at 106 pounds, Lancaster junior Parker Rozler, the top-ranked wrestler at 106, scored a takedown with 15 seconds left in the third period for a 4-2 win over Clarence’s Aiden Rabideau, the top-ranked 99-pounder.

A heavyweight rivalry was renewed as well as Lancaster’s Mason Mastrangelo, honorable mention at 220 pounds, outlasted Clarence’s Sean Kloss by a 2-0 count. Kloss is an honorable mention at 285. The first match of the night was an impressive showing for Lancaster’s Joe Andreessen, third-ranked at 182, who won a 9-1 major decision over Christian Rider, an honorable mention 195-pounder.

Ryan Stencel (152) and Codie Scotland (160) also won by decision for the Legends (3-1 ECIC I).