by Ryan Mosher
In a full day of wrestling between 11 teams and over 100 wrestlers, what are the chances that the team championship would come down to one match towards the end of the finals. Well that is just what happened Saturday at the Wasaren League Ken Baker Classic at Hoosick Falls.
Hoosick Falls and Salem, who had a great dual meet just a couple weeks ago, each sent five wrestlers into the finals and matched up head to head in two of those matches. In the end, it came down to the 195 lb. championship match between Jeremy Barss of Hoosick Falls and Tom Wilson of Salem. Wilson was seeded #1 and entered with a 20-6 record while the #2 seed Barss came in at 12-5.
Wilson struck first, with just :08 remaining in the first period, taking down Barss for two points. With :01 left Barss scored on a reversal to tie it at 2-2. After choosing to start on the bottom in the second period, Barss hit a quick reversal and had the crowd on the edge of their seats as he scored five near fall points over the next minute and a half before the period ended.
Down 9-2, Wilson chose to take the top in the third period, hoping to get a pin. Barss would have none of that though, scoring a reversal halfway through the period and worked Wilson for what seemed like ages, actually only fifteen seconds or so, before the referee slammed his hand down for the pin. The Hoosick Falls fans cheered loudly as the senior surprised even himself and gave the Panthers the team title.
“He’s really good; I honestly thought I would lose before the match,” he said. The Panther senior dug deep though and brought home two championships with the pin, as well as sealing the Most Outstanding Wrestler award for himself.
In the other head to head match, Luis Weierbach pinned Salem’s Luke Fronhofer in 2:50 in the 99 lb. weight class. Bryan Sherman won his first Ken Baker Classic title at 138 lbs. After a scoreless first period, Tamarac’s RJ Rhodes scored on an escape in the second to lead 1-0. Sherman countered with a takedown to take a 2-1 lead before the period ended. Entering the third period, Sherman chose the bottom position but was given a point as Rhodes elected to allow him to regain a neutral position. Sherman went on to win 3-1.
Brad Burns faced off with the previously undefeated Matt Casullo of Berne-Knox-Westerlo in the 170 lb. final. Burns, who entered at 14-1, handed the 25-0 Casullo his first loss of the season in a match that was not decided until the third period. After Burns scored a takedown in the first, he cut Casullo loose, putting the score at 2-1. Casullo started the second period on the bottom and tied the match with an immediate escape. In the third period, Burns scored on an escape and was given a point for a locked hands violation to give him the 4-2 win.
In their weight classes, Tom Peabody took second place, falling in overtime to Maple Hill’s Diego Cruz. Colby Davendonis took third place with a pin in the consolation finals, while Mike Matatt and Mike McGuire took third with decisions in their finals. Tyler Randall and Nolan Foster both took fourth place for the Panthers. This coming week the team will compete in the Class C Sectionals.