by Ryan Mosher
The Hoosick Falls wrestling team faced some of its stiffest competition this past weekend at the Shenendehowa Invitational Wrestling tournament. Teams came from across the state for the Invy, hosted by the #1 ranked team in the state of New York.
Sophomore Brad Burns rose to the challenge in the 160 lb. division. After a first round bye, Burns shut out his Shen opponent 11-0 to advance to the semifinals. In the semis against Burnt Hills’ Thomas Essman, the two battled all three periods, entering the final seconds of the match tied 1-1. Burns only needed those last ten seconds, as he scored with a takedown and held on for the victory. Nick Bergami of Niskayuna put up a good fight in the final, but the match was a little less dramatic as Burns won 4-2 to take home First Place.
Freshman Luis Weirebach had a good showing in his first Shen Invy. In the 96 lb. weight class, Weirebach topped his first round Shen opponent 3-0. After leading 1-0 most of his semi-final match, an escape by his
opponent tied the score and sent the match to overtime. After a little maneuvering Weirebach scored a takedown to end the match and send him on to the finals. It was there that he met his biggest challenge of the day. Blaise Benderoth of North Rockland was the #1 seed in the tournament, fresh off his third place finish at the prestigious Eastern States Tournament, and neither of his first two matches of the day had gone to the second period. Weirebach fought hard but couldn’t match his opponent and fell 11-2. Second Place was a great finish for the first year varsity wrestler, and the final gives him a good preview of the level of competition approaching as Class Cs and Section IIs are just around the corner.
Steve Colvin also placed, in the 171 lb. weight class, taking fourth place. He was 3-2 on the day, with both losses coming against a very tough Shen wrestler. David Couch also was 3-2 on the day. Jeremy Barss and Nick Stevens were 2-2, and Dan Cramer, Tyler Randall, Bryan Sherman and Mike Matatt each recorded a win during the tournament. The team next competes on Saturday in the WASAREN League Championships.