By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports Report
ALBANY — Tioga junior Declan McKee won his second straight state title in dominating fashion here Saturday night at the New York State Division 2 Wrestling Championships, while senior Jayden Duncanson was a runner-up — his fifth top-four finish.
McKee, who won the title at 101 pounds last year, topped Southwestern's Adrian Torres in a 10-1 major decision in a rematch of last year's 101-pound state final, which McKee won, 5-1.
"When the only acceptable outcome is a state championship, those margins are really thin, and the pressure is really great," said Tioga coach Kris Harrington of McKee.
"It's funny to hear people say, 'it must be nice to be a state champ,'" noted Harrington. "Those people don't want to do state champ work and have state champ work ethic.
"And he's just going to keep getting better because he's got that mindset," added Harrington.
After a scoreless first period, McKee escaped just four seconds into the second period to take a 1-0.
McKee was awarded a penalty midway through the second period when Torres, after being warned, was penalized for a clubbing blow to McKee's face.
McKee's lead extended to 3-0 with 1:16 remaining in the third period when Torres was penalized for stalling.
McKee put the match away with a two-point arm bar, and a transition into a four-point tilt, which turned into a five-point move after Torres signaled for injury time, to make it 10-0.
Torres avoided the shutout with an escape with 2 seconds remaining.
"The key was staying focused," said McKee. "I know he likes to wrestle really defensively, so even if I don't get to my attacks right away, just keep my head and mount a good offense."
McKee believes his flurry of offense in the third period broke Torres' will.
"I knew I broke him," said McKee. "I just had to stay on him hard, and keep scoring points."
DUNCANSON DROPS 3-2 DECISION IN 138-POUND FINALE
Top-seeded Landyn Shaffer scored a takedown with 1:14 remaining in the third period to edge Duncanson, 3-1, in the 138-pound title match.
The state finals was a stark difference from the Section IV finale, which Shaffer won via a 19-2 technical fall.
"A great, great effort, a great game plan, and great execution," said Harrington.
"One hiccup in that match, and that's the difference," said Harrington.
Duncanson graduates with 201 career wins and is the first Tioga wrestler in program history to place five times at the state championships — two seconds, two thirds, and a fourth.
"A five-time place-finisher and a two-time finalist," said Harrington. "It's a heck of a legacy.
"When they say, 'walk a mile in a someone's shoes,'" noted Harrington. "That kid has overcome so much in the last two years. He's had a hard, hard two years with some family stuff — and you wouldn't know it.
"For our program, he reminds me of that group with his brother, you know, he's just a steadying influence, real calm.
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PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
