Tuesday Roundup: Behind six forfeits, enormous win by Davidson, Wellsville nips powerhouse Wolverines to continue perfect start on mat; B-R’s Buchholz records 100th career victory

BOLIVAR — Although it has been nearly two weeks since the beginning of a brand new wrestling season, some early stakes have already reached new heights. Two teams that have begun their season on the right foot, met at one place and at one time for their only head-to-head matchup this season on a quiet Tuesday night around the area.

Wellsville and Bolivar-Richburg. The local rivalry re-imagined once again for another battle on the mat.

The bleachers inside the upper gym were filled to the brim. The noise level: Loud. There was plenty of excitement. As for the match itself? — A thrill ride right down to the wire. Through the early stages, a solid beginning was compiled by the Wolverines. One that was later plagued by numerous forfeits through the middleweight classes.

Something that Wellsville would gain tremendously to overtake their opposition at the top of the high-wire act of the evening. Both teams were separated by just three points with three matches left as the action entered its final stage — the heavyweight division. As the curtain began to descend onto the stage of local grandeur, the last chance to make the ultimate curtain call soon followed.

In the 189 pound bout, Shane Davidson would answer for the Lions.

In a scrappy tussle alongside Bolivar-Richburg’s Caden Allen, the Wellsville senior would go on to record perhaps the five biggest points of his season to date, as he took complete advantage of the team’s destiny until the end, helping score three big points on top of their sixth and final forfeit win at 215 pounds — a nine-point swing altogether that allowed the Lions to catapult ahead of the Wolverines and towards their biggest win of the season by a 39-33 count to push towards an 8-0 start.

“We’d like to win some more matches on the mat, but we know after stepping into this gym, we had to go up against a team that is more than capable of winning Sectional titles,” said Lions coach Tyler Carman. “Kudos to Bolivar for a great match, they have a great program and we were lucky to find some gaps to score some big points. We had some matches that went against us that were tough. But the guys showed up, we hung tough, their academics are excellent. Everyone was here, so we are all proud of what we accomplished tonight.”

Scattered across the match, Wellsville at some point would receive all 36 points they automatically earned off six Bolivar-Richburg forfeits. But to grab them, they would have to navigate their way through a start that saw Bolivar-Richburg net four of the matches first five wins to get the ball rolling.

Among those victories: an incredible performance from Teegan Sibble at 110 pounds for the Wolverines.

In a close battle alongside one of Wellsville’s senior leaders — Jayden Acker, Sibble would have to act swiftly and defiantly. With under 10 seconds left in the second period, she would do just that, garnering just enough room under the grasp of Acker to flip the switch on an incredible fireman’s carry reversal, laying her opposition straight down onto the mat to record the pinfall victory a short time later.

An incredible upset that Wolverines coach Andrew Taylor says will be one of many highlights, as her wrestling career continues on.

“They all wrestled well including Teegan. She was outstanding in her match with that huge upset win. That was a tight battle all the way through, but she held her own and what a change of events for the match to start things out,” he said. “She’s tough. No one should underestimate her. She’s here for the long haul.”

An 18-0 lead for the Wolverines was collected in the first three matches beginning at 102 pounds. Sandwiched in between Sibble’s win, were victories from James Gleason and Gary McDowell (118 pounds), as both grapplers recorded a bounty of points with numerous near-falls and takedowns before they each managed to record the pinfall victory. McDowell’s pin was the quickest of the night, as he pinned Adam Iantorno in 1:43 to capture the win.

After Wellsville got on the board with their first forfeit from Hayden Cunningham at 126 pounds, the Wolverines would grab a little piece of history along the way a match later at 132 pounds.

Trey Buchholz would dig into perhaps one of the most competitive battles on the mat against Wellsville’s Jack Cicirello. Multiple reversals and near-fall points were garnered, the vast majority by Buchholz, as he garnered just enough of an edge down the stretch to record a massive 9-3 decision win — a victory that would become his 100th of his career.

“Trey’s been here, and he’s put in all the hard work and dedication over the years to earn what he’s had to earn,” Taylor said. “He did what he had to do tonight to secure this big accomplishment, especially when we have one more year to go with him. He’s only a junior, and he’s still going to do some more damage. This year, it’s more about focusing on the individual aspect of things rather than the team, because of our struggle with numbers this year. But everyone we wrestle, it’s going to be a battle. Tonight was no different.”

After Buchholz’s historic triumph, the momentum began to shift from one side of the mat to the other. Four straight forfeit wins from 138 pounds to 160 pounds went in favor of the Lions, as Brayden Riley, Landon Stratton, Matt Ritter and Evan Buchholz were all credited with the forfeit wins to tilt the pendulum in favor of a 30-21 lead, after originally trailing 21-6.

With a potential tide-turning match at 172 pounds, Tavyn MacDonell would deliver a huge win for the Wolverines to get them back to within a stone’s throw of Wellsville. Through a tight 2-1 battle in the first two minute period, MacDonell clawed deep and came away with a massive reversal against Xander Outman, en route to a pinfall win at the three minute mark to close the gap.

All of a sudden, a 30-27 match with three bouts left to be decided. The stakes have never been higher than before.

At 189 pounds, one of two things was going to be the end result: The momentum re-garnered by the Wolverines would march on, or the Lions would erase it all in favor of an official match-clinching victory.

For Davidson, the latter was chosen. In his bout against Bolivar-Richburg’s Caden Allen, the Wellsville senior would go forth to record the five biggest points of the night, using a huge takedown and near fall of Allen during the first two rounds to his advantage, holding on for the 5-1 decision victory.

“He did a great job,” Carman said of Davidson. “What’s more important is the type of leader that Shane is off the mat and in the classroom. To be able to rely on him and get wins like this that we can count on every night, it’s huge. That’s what great wrestling programs feed off of. This was a big win for our program. There haven’t been a whole lot of times where we have been able to take them down either. To do it here is a bonus, but now we have to dial it back a little bit and get healthy so we can be ready for a big rush coming up after Christmas. That’s where it really counts.”

The win would also begin what would be a nine-point swing for the Lions to end the night, with additional help being collected from a 215 pound forfeit win for Blake Cranmer, officially putting the match on lock with a 12-point lead entering what would be a Trent Sibble pinfall win at 285 pounds over Gabe Black to close out the evening.

“The kids came and performed,” Taylor said. “They knew what they had to do to win. Giving up 36 points worth of forfeits is a killer. I told them they had to work for it, work for a pin and those points, and if not, win the match. 189 was a big match for Wellsville, and it was a great head-to-head matchup as far as Sectionals is concerned, seeding wise.

Both teams will resume regular season play after the upcoming weekend, next Tuesday night, as Wellsville heads back home to take on another powerhouse — Canisteo-Greenwood, beginning at 6 p.m, while Bolivar-Richburg looks to regroup on the road at Arkport/Canaseraga in a 6:15 p.m. bout of their own.

Team Scores: Wellsville 39, Bolivar-Richburg 33.

Results

*102 – James Gleason (B-R) def. Blake Geffers (WLSV) by pin, 3:21.

110 – Teegan Sibble (B-R) def. Jayden Acker (WLSV) by pin, 3:54.

118 – Gary McDowell (B-R) def. Adam Iantorno (WLSV) by pin, 1:43.

126 – Hayden Cunningham (WLSV) by for.

132 – Trey Buchholz (B-R) def. Jack Cicirello (WLSV) by dec, 9-3.

138 – Brayden Riley (WLSV) by for.

145 – Landon Stratton (WLSV) by for.

152 – Matt Ritter (WLSV) by for.

160 – Evan Buchholz (WLSV) by for.

172 – Tavyn MacDonell (B-R) def. Xander Outman (WLSV) by pin, 3:00.

189 – Shane Davidson (WLSV) def. Caden Allen (B-R) by dec, 5-1.

215 – Blake Cranmer (WLSV) by for.

285 – Trent Sibble (B-R) def. Gabe Black (WLSV) by pin, 3:45.

-* indicates starting weight -

BOYS BASKETBALL

Wellsville 58, Bath-Haverling 46

BATH — After having rattled off four straight wins that saw two tournament championships come from it, a tough three-game stretch consisting of Bath-Haverling, Allegany-Limestone and Olean now lies ahead for the Wellsville Lions.

It began on Tuesday with another road trip, beginning against the Rams in a battle that would see them overcome a slow start. Despite it, they would put together their strongest quarter of the game.

The driving force behind it: A season-high night from Aidan Riley.

Out of his game-leading 20 points, the Wellsville senior wasted no time making an early statement to jetfuel the team’s offense, scoring 10 of the team’s 19 points to account for an early lead. The momentum would be held all the way until the end, despite Bath-Haverling chipping away at their deficit each time, as the Lions built up a strong finish in the last eight minutes to record their fifth straight win, taking the 58-46 decision in their early Class B2 clash.

“We played a little sloppy to start this one, but a win is a win. I’m lucky to have kids that can really adapt,” said Lions coach Tom Muska. “Aidan Riley was huge for us tonight. He’s always one of our top defenders against the top player on the other team, but him adding in those 20 points was a huge difference for us. When he had a full head of steam going downhill, he was hard to stop.”

After an early 19-11 lead out of the gate, the Lions (5-0) saw their lead come down to as little as four through three quarters of play, as Bath-Haverling kept chipping away with big assistance from Gavin Price in the third quarter, scoring 10 of his team-leading 12 points in a 16-point third quarter for the Rams.

Now with the Rams within reach, Wellsville made sure to make the last eight minutes some of their best basketball of the night, as they used an all-balanced attack to finish strong — a 17-8 fourth quarter run that extended their lead insurmountably to pick up the big road win.

Finishing behind Riley and his 20 points was Logan Dunbar, and his 15-point effort. JJ Howard chipped in with eight points, while Ty Vogel had seven.

The Lions are back home on Thursday to partake in home opener festivities in the Den, as they welcome in the Allegany-Limestone Gators for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.

“5-0 feels good. It’s not going to get any easier,” Muska said. “A-L is a real powerhouse of a program who represented Class B from our area in States last year. We will have to play our best game of the season Thursday to beat them. They’re still a great team, but I’d like to see what we can do to keep this great start going.”

Wellsville 19 9 13 17 – 58

Bath-Haverling 11 11 16 8 – 46

WELLSVILLE: Cody Costello 2 0-1 6, Aidan Riley 9 2-3 20, Ty Vogel 3 0-0 7, Ethan Bailey 0 2-2 2, Logan Dunbar 7 0-0 15, JJ Howard 3 2-2 8. Totals: 24 6-8 58.

BATH-HAVERLING: Ezra Hoad 0 0-1 0, Austin Durand 2 2-4 7, Kobe Moore 2 0-0 4, Caden Minnich 2 0-0 5, Justin Yehl 1 4-6 6, Jacob Hagadone 4 0-0 10, Gavin Price 5 1-1 12, Cameron Seager 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 7-12 46.

3-point goals: Wellsville 4 (Costello 2, Vogel, Dunbar), B-H 5 (Hagadone 2, Durand, Minnich, Price).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 13, B-H 13. Fouled out: Durand (B-H).

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Dansville 56, Wellsville 37

DANSVILLE — The Lady Lions of Wellsville hung right alongside with host Dansville through much of the opening half on Tuesday. But some late first half momentum was built going into the break, and with it, the Lady Mustangs would unleash a massive run to open the next session to keep their lead intact permanently to coast their way towards a 56-37 win in the Corral.

“We cut it to four towards the end of the second quarter, and then they went on a run in the third,” Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord said. “It just got away from us. We got into some early foul trouble, but we were able to weather that storm for the most part. We had too many empty possessions and turnovers, but on the positive side, we did some great things and had some great looks. We just have to continue getting better every day, and it starts in practice.”

Stride for stride across the first quarter, both the Lady Lions and Lady Mustangs went to battle in a dead heat which saw the hosts come out on top with the game’s first advantage. Despite falling behind, Wellsville (2-3) would cut their deficit down to as small as four right before the half would close up, but the Lady Mustangs would remain vigilant and keep their lead intact.

Up 29-21 going into the last 16 minute session, Dansville would put everything together for a humongous third quarter run that allowed them to break away from Wellsville’s grasp — a 17-4 jaunt in all, to secure the victory for good.

Leading Wellsville was Sara Reitz and Makenna Dunbar, as both Lady Lions recorded 10 team-high points, with Dunbar grabbing five boards off the glass in the process. Averee Palmatier added in six points to go with six rebounds, while Emily Robbins helped round off the efforts with five points and five boards of her own.

In the JV contest, Caelyn Stevens and her team-high nine points propelled the Lady Lions over Dansville with a 30-23 win.

The Lady Lions are back home after five contests over the road to open their season, as they host Portville on Friday in their home opener beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Wellsville 13 8 4 12 – 37

Dansville 16 13 17 10 – 56

WELLSVILLE: Lindsay Stuck 0 0-2 0, Natalie Adams 1 0-0 3, Maddy Parks 1 0-0 3, Emily Robbins 2 0-0 5, Sara Reitz 3 1-2 10, Averee Palmatier 3 0-0 6, Makenna Dunbar 4 2-4 10. Totals: 14 3-8 37.
DANSVILLE: Aynsley Belcher 5 0-0 10, Taylor Hamsher 3 0-2 7, Megan Tyler 3 0-0 6, Chelsie Tyler 5 3-4 16, Steph Youngers 1 0-0 2, Eleni Mountzouros 1 0-0 2, Kali Meyer 1 0-0 2, Emma Allen 3 5-6 11. Totals: 22 8-12 56.
3-point goals: Wellsville 6 (Reitz 3, Adams, Parks, Robbins), Dansville 4 (C. Tyler 3, Hamsher).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 9, Dansville 12. Fouled out: None.

Andover/Whitesville 66, Jasper-Troupsburg 18

GREENWOOD — All that was needed was a strong start right out of the gate for Andover/Whitesville to work with, as they buckled down and delivered across all fronts to start their new week of basketball on Tuesday over the road, as they soared past host Jasper-Troupsburg with a 66-18 win — their third straight to open their title defense, in Greenwood.

Vanessa Hall was the fuel to Andover/Whitesville’s (3-0) game-long fire against the Lady Wildcats, as she propelled the team over the top with a game-high 27 points. She was one of three different scorers who would eclipse double digits in scoring along the way, as Zoe Baert and Kennedy Bledsoe each chipped in with 13 points to help further the team’s cause.

Andover/Whitesville would garner the start they wanted right out of the gate, providing a massive emphasis on the first eight minutes with a 16-3 run they would never look back on.

Up next: A visit to Cuba-Rushford, as Andover/Whitesville gets set to take on the host Lady Rebels on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Wighthouse.

Andover/Whitesville 16 13 19 18 – 66

Jasper-Troupsburg 3 4 6 5 – 18

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Lexy Palmatier 1 1-3 3, Vanessa Hall 11 2-2 27, Graci Lewis-Ellison 1 0-2 2, Makaila Brewster 1 0-2 2, Zoe Baert 6 1-4 13, Gabbi Hall 3 0-0 6, Kennedy Bledsoe 6 1-5 13. Totals: 29 5-18 66.
JASPER-TROUPSBURG: Madison Cady 3 3-6 9, Lauren Ross 2 0-0 5, Natalie Cornell 2 0-0 4. Totals: 7 3-6 18.

3-point goals: A/W 3 (V. Hall), J-T 1 (Ross).
Total Fouls: A/W 12, J-T 11. Fouled out: None.