Flames rebound with dual victory over Amherst
Wrestling
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Williamsville East's Jayson Dieckman, top, tries to get the upper hand against Iroquois' Raliegh Defields in a 145-pound match last Friday at Iroquois. East lost the dual, 36-19. Photo by John Normile Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Williamsville East's wrestling team dropped back-to-back dual meets but closed out last week with a win.

The Flames lost to Cheektowaga, 43-16, on senior night at East last Wednesday and to Iroquois, 36-19, last Friday at Iroquois. The Flames won at Amherst, 47-15, on Saturday.

East (8-3, 5-3) wrestled Pioneer on Tuesday but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press. A win would give the Flames its third best single-season dual record in school history.

Weight classes against Cheektowaga that the Flames recorded victories were came at 130 (senior Max Cohen, beat Jorge Antonetti, 15-2); 140 (senior Sean Trabert, pinned Jacob Petrosky in second period); and 103 (Sam Beichner, pinned Chris Zimmerman in first period). Trabert's win gave him 100 for his career. He is the only East wrestler to have 100 career wins.

East senior 119-pounder Ryan Cravatta was injured and did not compete. Senior Jayson Dieckman lost at 145 to Clay Reeb, 14-4. At 189, East's MP Joseph lost, 8-6, to Adam Piscitello. Jacob Beichner lost to Jared Messina, 9-2. Brandon Munoz fell 17-16, at 152. Matt Callari got injured in his 135-pound match and was pinned.

Against Iroquois, Cohen did not wrestle because of an ear injury.

Trabert beat Chris Zaporowski, 15-3, at 140. Joseph pinned Brad Bowen in the third period at 189. Sam Beichner beat Nick Roberts, 6-3, at 103. Callari avenged a 7-2 loss in the ECIC quarterfinals to Matt Manganaro with a 9-2 victory at 135.

East winners against Amherst were Sam Beichner (103, forfeit); Mikac (112, 13-2 over Nick Pantano); Jacob Beichner (125, pinned Pat Donovan in first period); Ben Bermudez (130, pinned James Mullane in second period); Callari (135, beat Sean Cunningham, 12-3); Trabert (140, pinned Josh Kapus in first period); Munoz (145, beat Kreig Roche, 6-2); Jayson Dieckman (152, beat Matt Weber, 4-2); Will Kelly (171, pinned Mark Tarquini in the third period); and Joseph (189, beat Corey Damon, 5-3, in overtime).

"It was good to get on track on Saturday," said East coach Henry Fumerelle.

Sophomore Steve Graser (119), sophomore Brian Rice (160), and junior Pete Battaglia (215) each recorded wins for Amherst.

East will compete at this weekend's Class AAA Tournament at Starpoint High School. Wrestling starts at 4 p.m. on Friday and at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Fumerelle's goal is to try to send more wrestlers than any other year to the Section VI New York State Qualifier on Feb. 23 at Kenmore West. The record is five. To do that, they must place in the top four at the Class Tournament.

Mikac, Cohen, Jacob and Sam Beichner, Trabert, Callari, Dieckman, and Joseph already each have 20 wins this season.

Sweet Home

The Panthers' only action last week was a meet they would like to forget.

Sweet Home lost at Jamestown, 54-12, last Wednesday.

Sweet Home coach Jeff Hess had to forfeit five weight classes.

Panther wins came from Zach Fumerelle (130, 7-2 over Scott Johnson), Nic Stella (135, 13-7 over Nick Bennett) and Daiquann Burney (103, pin at 4:54 over Kyle Green).

It was the first time Stella had wrestled at 135 in a dual match in two years.

Sweet Home (3-9) wrestled at West Seneca West last Tuesday but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press.

They will compete in the Class AAAA Tournament at 4 p.m. on Friday and at 9 a.m. Saturday at Clarence High School. The top four from each weight class advances to the Section VI New York State Qualifier on Feb. 23 at Kenmore West.

Among the Sweet Home wrestlers who will be competing will be Fumerelle (16-14), Burney (17-17), Stella (34-4), Gage Bateman (12-5), Matt Danwin (24-10) and Mike White (7-7).

"Every tournament we have competed in this year has been better than last year," said Hess. "We're hoping to send three or four wrestlers to the state qualifier."