Wrestling
ILION – Norwich had nine out of 10 wrestlers place, it crowned three champions, and one of those titlists, Frankie Garcia, was named the Leo J. Sammon Memorial Tournament’s most outstanding wrestler, Saturday at Ilion.
“They are all doing a phenomenal job, and they’re coming together,” said Norwich first-year coach Joe Downey of his team. “Even the guys you don’t usually hear about, they wrestled well. It was a great tournament.”
Garcia’s road to MOW honors required that he clear a big hurdle in the 103-pound semifinals. There, he upended previously-unbeaten Tyi Franklin of Sherburne-Earlville, 15-7, then edged Derrick Gray of Indian River in overtime, 6-4, for the title. Gray forced overtime with a late third-period takedown. Garcia was the aggressor in the brief overtime session scoring the winning takedown.
Rifanburg (96) topped the number one seed at 96 pounds, Laken Cook of Ilion, 2-1 in three overtimes. After a scoreless first overtime period, Rifanburg was able to work an escape in the 30-second second overtime. Cook had the opportunity to match that escape in the third OT, but was held down by the NHS seventh-grader.
“Just when I think I have these young guys (Garcia and Rifanburg) figured out and know what they’re capable of, they turn it up another notch,” Downey said.
Norwich’s third title winner was 189-pounder Keegan Levesque. Levesque spent less than one period (three minutes) of mat time in carding three pinfalls for his first career tournament title. Levesque’s title win was a 59-second flattening of Rome Free Academy’s Matt Leggett.
Levesque countered Leggett’s initial shot attempt with his own shot, then bulled his opponent the rest of the way to earn the stick.
Placing fourth were Tanner Cummings (112) and Morgan Crawford (160). Winding up fifth were Cameron Yaiser (119), Zach Ketchum (130), and Yukon Pittsley (285). In sixth was Damian Marvin (145) as Norwich finished fifth in team scoring out of 11 teams entered.
“I was really proud of the guys,” Downey said. “They’re opening up, believing in their moves, and executing them.”
Norwich hosts Susquehanna Valley on Wednesday, and visits Sherburne-Earlville Thursday in a non-league matchup.
Volleyball
Oxford 3, Harpursville 1
OXFORD – Oxford nudged a little closer to the .500 mark (5-6) beating Harpursville in four games Friday, 25-8, 25-21, 22-25, 25-21.
Four Oxford players had two aces apiece in a display of serving balance. Chelsea Roach finished with five kills and seven digs. Olivia Roach also had seven digs.
Individual leaders
Harpursville: Rachel Pratt Smith, 8 aces, 6 kills. Alexa Potter, and Nicole Stephenson, 6 kills.
Oxford: Sienna Brown, Olivia Roach, Kristi Shephard, Nicole Stoddard-all with two aces. Chelsea Roach, 5 kills, 7 digs. Olivia Roach, 7 digs; Sienna Brown, Nicole Stoaddard- four digs each.
