IAC WRESTLING: TOP-RANKED TIOGA CROWNS FOUR CHAMPS, SEVEN OTHERS PLACE; TIGERS RUN AWAY WITH TEAM TITLE AT SARATOGA INVITATIONAL (January 8, 2022)

Valley Sports Report
SARATOGA — Tioga crowned four champions, and had seven other wrestlers place here Saturday as part of a runaway team championship at the Saratoga Invitational.

Sophomores Ousmane Duncanson, who beat top-seeded teammate Emmett Wood in the semifinals, Gianni Silvestri and Caden Belli, and junior Donovan Smith each claimed gold in their weight classes, while sophomores Deakon Bailey and Tyler Roe were each runners-up after knocking off top seeds in the semifinals.

Eighth-grader Logan Bellis, Wood, and senior Justin Hopkins reached the semifinals, but finished fourth, while freshman Tate Macauley, sophomore Drew Macumber, and 8th-grader Jayden Duncanson each finished fifth.

Tioga, the state's top-ranked Division 2 team, amassed 186 team points, well ahead of runner-up Spaulding (Vermont), which tallied 135.5 points, and third-place Windsor, which had 126 points.

Tioga’s "B" team, which consisted of Jayden Duncanson, Hopkins, Macumber, sophomore Zac Kotsubka, and 8th-graders Levi Bellis and Kaydin Cole finished 13th in the 19-team field with 51.5 points.

Duncanson, the fourth seed, was 4-0 on the day with three falls to claim the 152-pound title.

Duncanson opened with a 74-second pin of Shenendehowa’s Anthony Harbour, then pinned fifth-seeded Nick Tempel of Averill Park in 4:57 in the quarterfinals.

In his only match that went six minutes, Duncanson scored an escape and a takedown in the third period to edge his teammate — top-seeded senior Emmett Wood — 5-2 in the semifinals.

In the finals, Duncanson built an 8-0 lead, before pinning second-seeded Hunter Devins of Saranac in 3:46.

Wood advanced to the 152-pound semifinals with a pair of pins, decking Northern Adirondack’s Noah Gilmore in 1:51 in the opening round, and Vito Spadafora of Saratoga Springs in 4:35 in the quarterfinals.

In the third-place match, Ballston Spa’s Connor Greggory scored a five-point move late in the third period to secure an 8-6 win over Wood.

Silvestri, the top seed at 118, was 3-0 on the day to claim his weight-class title.

After a bye into the quarterfinals, Silvestri began his day with a pin of Shaker’s Alex Poisinello in 3:19. He followed that up with a pin of fourth-seeded Caleb Huntington of Spaulding (Vt.) in 3:26 in the semifinals.

In the finals, Silvestri scored a takedown midway through the third period to seal a 5-1 decision over second-seeded Michael Santoro of Shaker.

Caden Bellis, the top seed at 132 pounds, was dominant with two falls and a technical fall on his way to a title.

After a bye into the quarterfinals, Bells decked South Glens Falls’ Julien Dickens in 1:17, then flattened fourth-seeded Taylor Beaury of Saratoga Springs in 3:24 in the semifinals.

In the finals, Bellis forged a 17-1 technical fall in 5:54 over second-seeded Vincent Grembocki of Shenendehowa.

Bellis led 2-0 after the first period, the scored an escape, a takedown, and two sets of near-fall points to take a 10-0 lead into the final two minutes.

After a quick takedown made it 12-0, Grembocki escaped midway through the third period, but Bellis hit a five-point move and closed out the tech fall with 6 seconds remaining.

Smith, the second seed, was 3-0 on the day to win the 145-pound title.

After a bye into the quarterfinals, Smith needed just 3:13 to put together a 17-1 technical fall of Gianni Delgado of Saratoga Springs.

After a scoreless first period with third-seeded David Ensminger of Shenendehowa in their semi0final match, Smith scored a reversal early in the second period, and quickly turned his opponent to his back for a fall at 2:59.

In the finals, Smith took on top-seeded Collin Clancy of Saranac, and used a five-point move in the second period to take a 6-0 lead. Smith iced the win with a takedown with 30 seconds remaining in the third period for an 8-2 win.

Bailey, the fifth seed, was 2-1 on the day to finish second at 110 pounds.

Bailey opened his day with a pin of fourth-seeded Coy Lyford of Spaulding (Vt.) in 3:02, then topped top-seeded Clayton O’Connor of Mohonasen in a 5-2 decision.

In the finals, second-seeded Avi Berg of Glens Falls, who escaped the quarterfinals with a 9-7 overtime win over Tioga 8th-grader Jayden Duncanson. pinned Bailey in 3:11 to claim the 110-pound title. Berg led 5-3 when he scored a takedown, and turned it into a fall.

Jayden Duncanson, the seventh seed, finished 4-1 on the day on his way to a fifth-place finish at 110 pounds.

He opened with a 16-0 technical fall win over Luke Stoutenburg of Saratoga Springs, before dropping the overtime decision to Berg.

In the consolation bracket, Duncanson pinned eight-seeded Austin Horender of Canajohorie in 3:36. In the consolation semifinals, Duncanson forged a 5-1 decision over third-seeded Ryan Vanguilder of Queensbury.

In the fifth-place match, Duncanson decked Lyford in 4:35.

Sophomore Tyler Roe, wrestling down two weight classes, was 2-1 on the day to finish second in the 126-pound weight class.

After receiving a bye into the quarterfinals, Roe — the fifth seed — pinned fourth-seeded Cameron Hinchcliffe of Ballston Spa in 1:42, then beat top-seeded Ashton Seymour of Saranac, 8-2, in the semifinals.

In the finals, Roe led 4-2 until second-seeded Nick Pierce of Spaulding (Vt.) hit a five-point move late in the second period. Place scored another takedown early in the third period, and finished off the bout via fall at 4:35.

Eighth-grader Logan Bellis, the fourth seed at 102 pounds, opened with a 27-second fall over Saranac’s Brady Blair, then forged an 11-4 decision over Saratoga Springs’ Danny Dacey, the fifth seed, to advance to the semifinals.

Bellis lost a 10-0 decision to top-seeded Ralph Keeney of Ballston Spa in the semis, then dropped a 3-2 decision to second-seeded Vincent Graulau of Mohonasen in the third-place match.

Hopkins, the fourth seed at 145, opened with a 13-3 major decision over Ayden Grieve of Glanes Falls in the quarterfinals. After a loss via first-period fall to Clancy, Hopkins dropped a 7-2 decision Ensminger in the third-place match.

Sophomore Drew Macumber, the eighth seed, was 4-1 on the day to finish fifth at 138 pounds. He opened with a 7-0 win over Saranac;s Cayden Boulia, then lost via a first-period fall to top-seeded Jason Holmes of Shen.

Macumber began wrestlebacks with a 5-2 win over Windsor’s Ethan Dibble, the edged fourth-seeded Troy Labange of Northern Adirondack, 3-2, in the consolation semifinals.

In the fifth-place match, Macumber scored a 3-0 win over Saratoga Springs’ Kyle Griskowitz.

Freshman Tate Macauley was 2-1 on the day to finish fifth at 285 pounds. Macauley opened with a loss via third-period fall against Corinth’s Tanner Barger.

Macauley bounced back in the consolation semifinals with a pin of Glens Falls’ Jakob Pregent in 2:57, then claimed fifth place with a pin of South Glens Falls’ Zayne Hanlon in 2:28.

Sophomore Zac Kotsubka was 2-2 at 110 pounds, while sophomore Levi Bellis was 2-2 at 118 pounds, and 8th-grader Kaydin Cole was 1-2 at 102 pounds.

Junior John Woodcock was 0-2 at 138 pounds, while junior Thomas Hurd was 0-2 at 172 pounds, senior Josh Snell was 0-2 at 215 pounds.

Tioga returns to action Wednesday when it hosts Newark Valley, and Thursday when it travels to Waverly.

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IN PHOTO: Clockwise, from left: Gianni Silvestri, Caden Bellis, Ousmane Duncanson, and Donovan Smith. … VSR STOCK PHOTOS.