Tioga County Sports ReportNEWARK VALLEY — Cooper Zufall was the lone member of the Spencer-Van Etten / Candor wrestling team to reach the championship finals of the Section IV Division II Qualifier B tournament here Saturday.
The junior placed second at 175 pounds, going 2-1 on the day. Zufall squeaked out an 8-7 victory over Sidney’s Parker Deblew in his first match, then scored a 17-1 rech. Fall over Moravia’s Anthony Endres in 3:49.
In the championship bout, Zufall, the third seed, fell to Jaxson Backus of Walton/Delaware Academy by a 15-0 tech. Fall in 2:41.
Kam Westbrook (138) and Connor Breed (215) took fourth place.
Westbrook pinned Donavin Eggleston of Whitney Point in 3:07, then lost by fall in 1:59 to Oneonta’s Amari Champen. He forfeited to Newark Valley’s Logan Rhodes.
Breed pinned Oneonta’s Mason Hannon in 31 seconds, but lost by fall to Marathon’s Trenten Vinson by pin in 1:03 and NV’s Wyatt Dillow by fall in 2:54.
Joining the duo at next week’s state qualifier will be Kaden Sims (190) and Jak Smith (285), both of whom finished sixth.
Sims lost by fall to Tioga’s James Howey in 5:07, then pinned Whitney Point’s Jack McNeill in 2:15. Fifth and sixth places were not decided, so Sims shared sixth with Oxford/Greene’s Tallan Davis.
Smith dropped his opener to Oxford/Greene’s Donte Wrench by fall in 35 seconds, then decked Marathon’s Carson Fox in 50 seconds. He shared sixth with NV’s Jack Blomberg.
Gabe Benjamin (150) and Korbin Brenza (157) both went 0-2.
Rodney Vaow, the third seed and a returning Section IV place-winner, did not wrestle. He is seeking a medical wild card after suffering a knee injury while warming up for the IAC tournament.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF TIOGA TIGERS SPORTS PICS.
