Photos: Nine Dutch Move On
The Guilderland Dutchmen wrestlers took to the mat on Saturday at Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park for the Section 2, Division 1, Class A championships. The Dutch finished sixth with 124.5 points. Out of the 15 different weight classes, Guilderland will send nine wrestlers to this weekend's state qualifiers held at the Glens Falls Civic Center, each hoping to qualify for state competition in Albany on Feb. 22 and 23.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Checking the time: Guilderland's Dillion Blanchard looks at the clock as he attempts to put Colonie’s Connor Goedel on his back during the 132-pound quarterfinal matchup. Blanchard won, 15 to 0, then lost in the semifinals but wrestled back to finish fourth, losing to Luke Zink from Niskayuna, 4 to 1.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Intense battle: Guilderland's Sam Hopson gets into a hand battle with Sebastian Underwood in the quarterfinals in the 220-pound weight class where Hopson lost, 6 to 3, in the first match and faced Underwood again for third place and lost, 5 to 4.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Putting pain on his opponent: Guilderland's Cameron Durant dominates his quarterfinal match opponent, Michael Minahan from Niskayuna, in the 182-pound weight class. Durant won by pin in 55 seconds, then finished second after losing to Liam Mooney from Colonie by pin at 5:05.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Quick work: Guilderland's Tyler Grupe moved quickly against his quarterfinal opponent, Aidan Ritter from Shenendehowa, in the 195-pound weight class. Grupe won by pin at 2:37, then faced Brant Robinson for the championship and lost to Robinson, 2 to 0.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Forcing the shoulders: Guilderland's Austin Grant in the 170-pound weight class, uses his weight to try to pin Saratoga’s Spencer Cornell in the first period. Grant won, 16 to 0, then came back to win third place by beating Ghassan Chehade from Shaker, 7 to 4.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Slithering out: Guilderland’s Marcus Berroa gets his left arm free from Columbia’s Charlie Welcome in the quarterfinals in the 126-pound weight class. Berroa pinned Welcome in 3:51 then fell in the semifinals. But then beat Welcome again for fifth place with a score of 11 to 5.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Down but not out: Guilderland’s James Hough looks in shock as he get pinned by Niskayuna’s Willie Thacker in a minute-and-a-half in the quarterfinals in the 138-pound weight class match. Hough wrestled back to finish fifth by beating Jordan Disanto, 4 to 2.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Help me! Guilderland’s Patrick Blanchard looks for help to get of a pin by his opponent Tyler Stanton from Shaker in the 152-pound weight class. Blanchard lost, 15 to 0, then wrestled his way back to finish fifth by beating Albany’s Seth Swiatek by pin in 2:22.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Looking for a way out: Guilderland’s Sean Collins attempts to break free from a pinning predicament made by Shaker’s Bassir Rezek in the 160-pound weight class during the Section 2 Class A championships at Shenendehowa High School on Saturday morning. Collins lost his quarterfinal match to Rezek, 12 to 2, then came back to finish fifth, beating Albany’s Maxwell Kendall, 6 to 2.