Published: November 21, 2005 02:45 pm            

Grapplers Open Season

Tigers to host Mustangs; Holley preps to defend G-R title

Medina — Medina High School will open the local high school wrestling season by visiting Lyndonville for a non-league match at 6 p.m. Nov. 28.

Holley will begin tuning up for defense of its Genesee Region League title by competing in the Tonawanda Tournament on Dec. 3 and hosting the Hawks’ annual tournament on Dec. 10.

Kendall opens preparation for its G-R campaign by visiting Albion in a non league match Dec. 7.

Medina is looking to rebound from a 1-5 season in Niagara-Orleans League competition while Lyndonville is looking to keep the momentum from last year’s third place finish in the Section V Class B tournament.

Medina’s small (21 member) underclassmen dominated squad is led by a contingent of nine veterans including senior Derrick Adams, juniors Dominic Montesanti and Steve Oliver along with sophomores Eric Velez, Travis Hartway, Taylor Bashford, Richard Dawson, Brandon Jones and eighth grader Sam Montesanti.

Velez and Dominic Montesanti both placed second at the N-O All-League tournament while Sam Montesanti took a third place.

The Mustangs are also counting on sophomore Nick Joy, a transfer from Lyndonville, along with senior Dustin Hurtgam, junior Randy Johnson, sophomores Greg Dipucci and Adam Owen and freshmen Derek Geiger, Shane Harmer, Lance Hodgins and Tom Andrews.

“It’s a pretty young group,” Medina coach Eric Gross said. “It’ s going to be a challenging season team wise when you’re giving up weight classes that you can’t fill. We’re going to try to develop our young wrestlers and build on the numbers in the future.”

Lyndonville is led by a quartet of Section V Class B tournament place finishers. They include junior Tyler Lilley, who placed first, senior Chris Shingleton who took second, sophomore Tyler Palmer, who placed third, and junior Dave Ward, who took fourth.

The Tigers also return experience in seniors Len Lauricella, Troy Farley, Andrew Bresett and Jason Muck; juniors Josh Burt and Pat Shingleton and sophomores Aaron Follman and Josh Bowman.

“We’ve got good numbers and our older kids got tough with the experience last year,” Lyndonville coach Jim Shingleton said. “I think we will push the envelop in the Genesee Region League this season and challenge for the sectional class title. A lot of our guys did well at the end of last year and there is a pretty good push among our guys for starting spots.”

The Tigers 30 member squad also includes seniors Will Regling, Gabe Bruning, Gerald Albone, Robert Brabon, Davis Boring, Blake Strickland, Gabe Simon; juniors Brian Nowicki, Scott Ward, Dave Ingersoll, Ace Strickland, Aaron Kepner; freshmen Chris Helsdon, Walter Snell, Kevin Urbanik, Brandon Sponagle, Kris Canne, Sean Flanagan, Derek Fisk, Robert Schiff, Ross Burgess and eighth grader John Brabon.

Holley Hawks

Four defending Section V Class BBB champions — senior Matt Denning along with juniors Matt Banks, Justin Widrig and Key McPherson — anchor the lineup for Holley which last season captured its 13th G-R title in the last 16 years and its seventh Section V crown in the last eight years.

McPherson, who posted a 40-3 record on the season, also captured a G-R title and placed section in the Section V state qualifier. Banks went 34-7 and Widrig 30-10.

The Hawks also return junior Brett Underwood and senior Abe Miller, who placed third and fourth respectively at the Class BBB tournament.

Despite the loss of seven seniors, including three Class BBB champions, Holley also has experience in seniors Andrew Vendetti, Rob Baylor, Casey Doty, Keith Miller and Phil Larnder along with juniors Tom Eberlin and Matt Sanders, sophomore Ken Ryan and freshman Tim Banks.

Also vying for spots in the lineup are senior Justin Thomas, junior Demetrius Mendes and sophomores Garrett DeFilipps and Chris Brown.

“We have a lot of kids in the same weight classes so a big key for us is to get everybody in the right weight class so we can have our best kids on the mat,” Coach John Grillo said. “I expect us to start a little slow but then for us to have all the pieces in place in time for the post season.”

However, Grillo notes that the postseason will have a little different look this year, as G-R officials have voted to eliminate the annual G-R Tournament. It is a decision that does not sit well with Grillo or Shingleton.

“I’ve very upset about it,” Grillo said. “I like the tournament because it gets our kids more into a post season mentality heading into the sectionals.”

“I’m pretty disgusted about it,” Shingleton said. “It was a good tournament.”

Kendall Eagles

Kendall, which ironically opens the G-R season at Holley on Dec. 13, is led by seniors Geoff Chippendale and JD Bauer, junior Andy Yockel and sophomores Austin Snyder and Cody Lansberry.

“It’s going to be a rebuilding year for us,” Coach Jim Sauberan said.

        

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