Panthers dominate OP on the mat
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Sweet Home gave up four weight classes heading into its home wrestling match last Wednesday with Orchard Park but it didn't matter.

The Panthers won every weight class it could field except one, winning 49-17.

"The kids wrestled amazing," said Sweet Home assistant coach JR Balling.

Anthony Mineo (103), Gage Bateman (135), Matt Danwin (140), Nic Stella (145), Alex Dennis (152), Cory Mitchum (160), and Mark Orlowski (215) all won their matches by pin. Zach Fumerelle won by major decision at 130.

Daiquann Burney lost by two points at 112 but had his opponent on his back for the final 30 seconds of the match.

Sweet Home forfeited weight classes at 119, 125, 171 and 189.

In other Sweet Home wrestling news, Stella took fourth at 140 pounds at the Sheetz Holiday Classic last Friday and Saturday at Penn Cambria High School in Pennsylvania. Stella, the top seed, won all three of his matches on Friday by technical fall but was pinned in the second period of his semifinal match. He won his first match in wrestlebacks by pinfall but was pinned in the second period in the third-fourth match.

Stella will try to get back on the winning track when he faces Mark Lewandowski of Lancaster as part of the Sweet Home-Lancaster dual starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Sweet Home. They have never faced each other before.

Sweet Home closes out the week with a dual at Clarence starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com