Photos: Grappling with Grit
Wrestlers from the Guilderland and Berne-Knox-Westerlo/Voorheesville teams battled in Glens Falls on Saturday for the chance to get into next weekend’s state competition in Albany. To earn an automatic bid, the wrestlers must win their weight class or hope to earn a wildcard birth.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Bringing the pain: Guilderland’s Tyler Grupe makes Saratoga’s Devon Crowe scream as Grupe attempts to put Crowe in a pinning predicament in the Division 1, 170-pound quarterfinal state qualifier match. Grupe won by pin in 4:51 but lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Tyler Barnes of Ballston Spa leaving Grupe with a fifth-place finish.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Eating the mat: Berne-Knox-Westerlo/Voorheesville’s Tyler Goodnote makes Logan Beebe of Granville get a face full of mat during the first period of the division 2, 170-pound first round state qualifier. Goodnote won by pin in 5:07 but lost in the quarterfinals and finished in fifth.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
In the zone: Guilderland’s Colden Dorfman tries to turn South Glens Falls’ Vincent Santilli onto his back in the division 1, 132-pound first-round state qualifier. Dorfman won by pin at 5:26 but fell in the quarterfinals; he wrestled to a sixth-place finish.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Getting the upper hand: Guilderland’s Clayton Bastiani battled with Columbia’s Robert Cleghorn in the quarterfinal of the 285-pound, Division 1 state qualifier. Bastiani won, 3 to 1, after a last-second reversal but lost in the semis, finishing in sixth place.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Getting a leg up: Guilderland’s Austin Durant tries to escape from Pierce Hurd of Ballston Spa in the quarterfinal of the 182-pound, Division 1 state-qualifier match. Durant lost by pin in 1:58 but came back to finish in fourth place.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Head over heels: Guilderland’s Marcus Berroa, left, takes on Saratoga’s Zeph Watkins in the first round of the 113-pound Division 1 state qualifier as Watkins attempts to flip Berroa in the first round. Berroa won, 11 to 4, but fell in his next match and in the consolation bracket.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Eager to wrestle: Guilderland’s Dillon Blanchard, right, looks at the referee at the start of the second period as he attempts to take down Queensbury’s Trevor Robbins in the 120-pound Division 1 state qualifier. Blanchard lost, 16 to 0.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Asleep in a headlock: Guilderland’s Patrick Blanchard tries to roll to his stomach as Ballston Spa’s Wyatt Gorman holds him in the first round of the state qualifier in the 138-pound match. Blanchard lost, 13 to 2.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Quick match: Berne-Knox-Westerlo/Voorheesville’s Damon Quick gets his shoulders pinned in 26 seconds in the Division 2 state qualifiers in the 152-pound first-round match against Chris Simpson of Warrensburg/Bolton.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Face-off: Guilderland’s Austin Grant, right, looks to make a move on Nick Papa from Burnt Hills in the 160-pound Division 1 state qualifiers. Grant lost by pin at 3:58. He had finished sixth in last week’s Class A competition and made into the state qualifiers because two wrestlers were injured.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Feeling the pain: Berne-Knox-Westerlo/Voorheesville’s Nick Pidgeon attempts to escape the grasp of Hudson Falls’ Nick Moore during the Division 2 state qualifiers in the 152-pound first-round match. Pidgeon fell by pin at 1:53.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Trying to find a way out: Guilderland’s Shawn Williams lies on his stomach as Ballston Spa’s Nate Rurycz in the first round of the Division 1 state qualifier in the 220-pound weight class. Williams lost, 8 to 5.