VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: ATHENS' BRADLEY EARNS 'WRESTLER OF YEAR' HONORS; TIOGA'S ROE, AGAN, ATHENS' BRADLEY ALSO EARN TOP HONORS (2021-08-06)
Valley Sports ReportTHE VALLEY -
Athens junior Gavin Bradley just keeps getting better.
Bradley reeled off a 40-2 season, and finished second at the PIAA, Class AA Championships to earn the 2020-21
Valley Sports Report "Wrestler of the Year" honors.
Tioga freshman Tyler Roe is the "Newcomer of the Year," while
Tioga senior Ethan Agan was the "Most Improved Wrestler," and
Athens coach Shawn Bradley was "Coach of the Year."
Bradley was 34-12 and finished sixth in the State as a freshman, then posted a 39-4 record and finished seventh as a sophomore.
On his way to a state silver medal this season, Bradley won the North Section, District 4, and Northeast Regional titles. He was runner-up at the PIAA East Super Regional.
Bradley beat eventual state champ Jaden Pepe, 5-3, in the Northeast Regional finals, but lost 9-6 to Pepe in the finals of the Super Regionals, and 3-2 in the state finals.
Bradley now has a 113-18 career record.
In his first varsity season, Roe reeled off a 17-0 record, with 13 pins - including five first-period falls.
Roe picked up wins over both returning Section IV third-place finishers. He pinned Owego's Matt Laubach, who had finished third in Division II in 2020, in 61 seconds, and forged a 10-0 major decision over Elmira's Mason Cardinale, who was third in Division I.
Agan switched from basketball to wrestling prior to his junior year, then recorded a 1-6 record.
This season, Agan posted an 8-2 record, with all eight wins coming by fall - including six first-period pins.
Only one of Agan's 17 career matches went into the third period, and none lasted the full six minutes.
Shawn Bradley advanced six wrestlers to Districts this season, and two - Gavin Bradley and junior Kaden Setzer - to the Northeast Regionals. Gavin Bradley went on to finished second in the state at 113 pounds.
The Wildcats finished 15-9 in dual meets this season, against some very tough non-league competition. In the NTL, Athens finished 7-1, and beat Wyalusing for the first time in 12 years.
2021 All-Valley Super 7 Wrestling Teams:Gavin Bradley, junior, Athens: See above.
Kaden Setzer, junior, Athens: Setzer put together a 26-9 on the season, finishing second at the North Section Tournament, and fifth at Districts to qualify for Northeast Regionals.
Setzer was 21-10 as a sophomore, and now has a 66-33 career record.
Karter Rude, junior, Athens: Rude forged a 24-9 record this season, finishing third at the North Section Tournament to qualify for Districts.
Rude was 19-11 as a sophomore, and has a 63-33 career mark.
Tyler Roe, freshman, Tioga: See above.
Caden Bellis, freshman, Tioga: Bellis finished the truncated season with a 12-0 record, including pins of Laubach and Waverly's Connor Stotler, a 4-2 win over SVEC standout (and now Tioga teammate) Osumane Duncanson (third-place finisher at Section IV Championships), and a 4-3 win over Corning standout Charles Loucks, who was a Section IV, Division I runner-up in 2020.
Bellis, who finished fourth in the State as an 8th-grader, has a 78-14 career record.
Gianni Silvestri, freshman, Tioga: Silvestri was 12-0 this season, including 11 falls - nine in the first period, and a technical fall.
Silvestri, who won a state title as an 8th-grader, has a career record of 80-17.
Donovan Smith, sophomore, Tioga: Smith, a state qualifier as a
freshman, was 9-0 on the season, with five falls. He recorded wins over
Loucks, Dunccanson, and Elmira's Lucas Riley, who was a third-place
finisher in Division I in 2020.
Smith earned his 100th career win during the truncated season.
"The Second 7"Emmett Wood, junior, Tioga: Wood posted an 9-0 record on the season, and is 124-55 for his career.
Connor Stotler, sophomore, Waverly: One of the most improved wrestlers in the area, Stotler forged a 16-3 record, improving on last year's 23-21 mark. He has a 49-44 career record.
Ty Beeman, sophomore, Waverly: One of the top newcomers this season, Beeman posted a 10-4 record. All four of his losses were to returning Section IV place-winners, and one of his wins came against Newark Valley's Joey Woodmansee, who finished fourth at the Division 2 championships.
Zach Stafursky, senior, Athens: 21-12. Stafursky capped his career with a 21-12 season. He finished second at North Sections to qualify for Districts. He wrapped up his career with a 63-55 record.
Mason Welch, junior, Tioga: Welch put together a 7-0 season - all by falls, including six first-period pins. Welch, who finished eighth at States last year, has a career record of 117-52.
Mason Vanderpool, freshman, Athens: Vanderpool had a 14-6 record in his first varsity season. He finished second at the North Section Championships to qualify for the District 4 Championships.
Levi Bellis, freshman, Tioga: Another of the most improved wrestlers in the area, Levi Bellis posted an 12-0 record, improving on his 16-12 mark as an 8th-grader.
Chris Bathgate, sophomore, Athens: In his first season at Athens, Bathgate posted a 25-8 record. He finished third at the North Section Tournament to qualify for Districts.
"”"”"”"”"”"”
IN PHOTO: Athens junior Gavin Bradley.
