By TIM TAYLORTioga County Sports Report
ALBANY — Newark Valley seniors Cadin Creeley and Titus Callahan had hopes of standing on the podium at the 2026 NYSPHSAA Division II Wrestling Championships at MVP Arena on Saturday evening. When all was said and done, that's exactly where they stood.
“I'm extremely happy with how they performed,” coach Larry Kasmarcik said. “They both exceeded seeds. Titus came in nine, took sixth. Cadin came in at six, took second. “I’m extremely proud of the way they wrestled all weekend, the way they wrestled all year. They're both kids who are nonstop going in our wrestling room every single day.
“Cadin wasn't supposed to be in the finals and Titus wasn't supposed to be on the podium, technically, based off of seeds, and they both wrestled extremely well for two days. I couldn't have asked for more. Our coaching staff couldn't have asked for more, and I don't think they could ask more of themselves.”
Creeley advanced to the 165-pound championship bout at MVP Arena where he dropped a 7-4 decision to top-seeded Ryker Cox of Coxsackie-Athens from Section 2.
Cox scored a first-period takedown, then added an escape and takedown in the second to build a 7-0 cushion. He was nailed three times for stalling in the third period, resulting in a point for Creeley with 23 seconds remaining in the match. Creeley added a takedown at the buzzer, but it was too little too late.
Creeley kept up the intensity throughout the weekend and never quit, even when trailing by seven in the finals.
“It's one thing he's really good at,” Kasmarcik said. “He's not afraid to keep wrestling the match. He doesn't ever see himself out until it's won.”
His runner-up effort was highlighted by upset victories over the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. On Friday night, Creeley pinned Peter Thompson of Dansville/Wayland Cohocton in 2:47. In Saturday morning’s semifinals, he posted a 7-3 decision over Brody Heckman from Alexander.
Creeley also scored a 15-0 tech. fall against Mount Sinai’s Connor Fabian in 1:36 in the Round of 16 on Friday.
Callahan traveled the long road to the podium. He dropped his first match of the tournament to Aiden Brito of Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy, 9-3, in the Round of 16. He rebounded by pinning Hackley’s Josh Gandelman in 1:39, then edged out Fonda/Johnstown’s Colin Pickering in a 2-1 battle.
He would still need to win his first match on Day 2 of the tournament to place and he picked up a fall over Maximus Dyckman of Island Trees in 4:47 to start the day, then followed that up with a 34-second decking of Jackson Peet from Caledonia-Mumford
That win pitted Callahan against No. 1 seed Yanni Drapaniotis from Unatego/Unadilla Valley/Franklin and he lost by pin in 1:44. The loss put him into the fifth-place bout where he suffered a pin against Patrick Braley of Falconer/Cassadaga Valley in 29 seconds.
Callahan, who weighs a little under 180, doesn’t let his lack of size affect hims.
“I think it helps him out a lot of times too, because he's a little faster, quick on his feet, athletic,” Kasmarcik said.
Although ending one’s career with a loss may sting right now, both will probably realize the significance of their accomplishments in a few days, because being a state placer should be a boost for the Newark Valley wrestling program.
“I think it's big,” Kasmarcik said. “Our younger guys are going to see guys who worked a lot in the off-season and realize how much it paid off, and we're hoping to get that culture built of matches we won with mat time, not just practicing two hours a day, an hour and a half a day during wrestling season. You’ve got to get in there every chance you can.”
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PHOTOS BY MIRANDA SZYMANSKI, TIM BIRNEY & TIM TAYLOR.
