BINGHAMTON – As Justin Davy stepped on the mat to take center stage in the biggest match of his career, the Bears senior was understandably nervous. Especially so since he was facing an opponent who had beaten him one week earlier.
“I was trying to keep myself from shaking,” Davy said as he recalled the moments before his 130-pound match with Waverly’s Jesse Carling. “I knew he already had a stalling call against him earlier in the third period, so I had to keep the pressure and keep going forward.”
Forward is indeed the most apt word for Davy’s 2006-2007 season. Davy completed a takedown on the edge of the mat with five seconds remaining in the third period to win the Section IV, Division II title, 3-1.
“I didn’t know the time at the end (when I got the takedown),” Davy said. “I just needed to keep the pressure on.”
Davy is one of three Bears moving onto the New York State tournament in two weeks at the Pepsi Arena in Albany joining mates Danny Gormley (96) and Kris Stafford (160). Steve Buchanan (275), dropped a 3-0 final to Steve Scarsella of Chenango Valley.
Greene’s fab freshmen, Nick Wilcox (119) and Tyler Beckwith (145) took different routes to their Division II title victories, and Unadilla Valley eighth-grader, Greg DuVall, edged teammate Tyler Peet for the 103-pound title. It was just the second time in sectional competition where teammates faced off for a sectional title. “I just hope Tyler gets wild-carded into the state tournament,” said UV head coach Jim DuVall. “These guys go back and forth in practice, and it’s always a one- or two-point match. You work all year for this, then you have to compete against your own teammate. It’s hard.”
Peet led late in the second period until he was called for locking hands to tie it up at 3-3. DuVall worked an escape in the third and held on for the one-point win.
Danny Gormley (96) gave evidence of a bright future for the Bears with a decisive 8-0 win over Candor’s Corey Spires. The eighth-grader was never in trouble scoring in each period for the win. “For an eighth-grader, he just responds well to pressure,” said B-G/Afton coach Brandon MacNaught. “The best thing is that there still is a lot we can improve on.”
Wilcox, a reigning section and state champion, needed some late-match magic to keep his quest for a repeat state title alive. Trailing Waverly’s Brian Sewalt most of the match, Wilcox scored a take down and two nearfall back points for the dramatic 6-4 win.
It was a stark contrast to the Trojans’ Tyler Beckwith (145) who rolled to a 14-0 major decision win over Curtis Fenner of Lansing.
Kris Stafford added B-GA’s third title winning 3-2 in overtime criteria over David Kohlbach of Windsor. Stafford, a 5-3 winner over Kohlbach earlier in the season, advanced with 10 seconds remaining in the final overtime period when Kohlbach was hit with a one-point stalling penalty.
Unadilla Valley’s Shayne Wilcox (135) and T.J. Brownell (152) dropped close decisions in the finals. Wilcox fell to Peter Capone of Johnson City, 4-2; and Brownell was edged by JC’s Adrian Ngo, 1-0. “No one really dominated in Shayne’s match,” Coach DuvAll said. “They were pretty evenly matched and it came down to Capone making one more move.”
Division 1 Finals Results
96- Jordan Dyer (CF) dec. Erik Rueckle (M-E), 11-2.
103- Greg DuVall (UV) dec. Tyler Peet (UV), 4-3.
112- Derak Heyman (Tio) dec. Casey Lanave (CF), 2-0.
119- Andy Canale (Tio) dec. Devon Brown (Mar), 1-0.
125- Tyler Malmberg (Mar) dec. Brendan Ketchum (U-E), 10-2.
130- Leigh Tobias (JC) dec. Anthony Jerome (Dry), 3-1.
135- Peter Capone (JC) dec. Shayne Wilcox (UV), 4-2.
140- Donnie Vinson (WP) dec. Kasey Bush (Mar), 10-0.
145- Jesse Villella (CF) pinned Don Bower (Cor), 2:40.
