HS WRESTLING: NEWARK VALLEY’S RHODES CLAIMS RIVER HAWK ROUND ROBIN TITLE (2025-01-11)

Tioga County Sports Report
OWEGO — Logan Rhodes captured the 138-pound championship to headline the Newark Valley effort at the River Hawk Round Robin wrestling tournament here Saturday.

He started his day with a pin over Deposit/ Hancock’s Keagan Brown in 54 seconds, then rolled to a 16-0 technical fall against Schuyler’s Gabe Crane. He followed that up with an 11-1 major decision over Elijah Perez from Coral Springs Charter School, Florida. In the championship bout, Rhodes outpointed Baldwinsville’s Scottie Warner, 8-6. Warner was seeking his 25th victory of the season while Rhodes improved to 23-7.

Austin DeBolt contributed a runner-up showing at 285, pinning four of five opponents. The start to his tournament was shaky as he fell behind Ryan Stoss of Deposit/Hancock, 9-1, but regrouped to throw a headlock on Stoss for a pin at 4:55. He also pinned Owego’s Anthony Neumuth in 1:39, Elmira’s Rasheed Driscoll in 4:14 and Marc-Hendly Jean-Francois of Johnson City in 2:24. In the championship match, Douglas Edmonds of South Seneca prevailed over Debolt with a 4-0 decision. This was DeBolt’s highest finish in all four tournaments this season. He has placed in the top six in each one.

Jack Blomberg added a fourth-place finish at 215. He pinned Vestal’s Romeo Rojas in 118 and Liberty’s Elmer Son Vicente in 1:51 to start the day, then posted a 15-8 decision over Johnson City’s Keith Wilkerson. He lost by fall to Landen Bailey from Deposit/Hancock in 55 seconds then dropped a rematch with Wilkerson in the consolation finals, 11-7.

Jacob Shipman won three of four bouts to place fifth at 116. He decked Liberty’s Everett Schwartz in 36 seconds, but lost by fall to Baldwinsville’s Cael Bruce in 51 seconds, who is now 30-1 on the season. Shipman rallied back to pin Dryden’s Aedan Lange at the first-period buzzer, then racked up a 13-1 major decision over Oneonta’s Jacob Mathewson.

Leland Houston took sixth at 124, going 2-2. He edged Vestal’s David Drew, 4-3, then lost by pin to South Seneca’s Barrett David in 54 seconds. David has been a top-three finisher in seven of eight tournaments this season. Houston came back to score a 4-0 decision against Elmira’s Jayden Conklin, but dropped a 13-1 major decision to Jason O’Connor of Chenango Forks in the fifth-place bout.

Gabe Merrill (170) placed sixth also. He registered a 17-1 tech fall over Kam Hallock from Deposit/Hancock, but lost by fall in 1:43 to Moravia’s Nicholas Plue, a returning state qualifier. He retaliated with a 17-0 tech fall over Elmira’s Landon Crouthamel before losing by pin to Johnathan McCall of Whitney Point in 48 seconds in the fifth-place match.

At 101, Kenny Slater took seventh at 101, going 2-3, and Andrew Lelik was ninth, going 2-2. Chance Spoonhower placed ninth at 116, winning two of his four matches, and Michael Wandell was ninth at 138, posting a 3-2 mark. Wyatt Dillow went 2-3 to take 11th at 190. Ayden Simpson was 11th at 190, going 1-4.

Also competing for NV were Logan Davis at 131 and Brennan Decker at 152.

The Cardinals (4-0) return to dual meet action Wednesday when they host Moravia (1-6).

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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.

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