Gowanda Small Town Times

[photo] Referee signals 2 points for Gowanda’s Kaleb Smith (145) during the December 6 home meet against Springville.

The Gowanda Varsity wrestling team opened their 2023 season at home on December 6. Gowanda hosted Springville for what turned out to be a very exciting evening of wrestling. Before the Varsity contests two exhibition matches were held. The first of those was tied 8-8 after two periods. Gowanda ran up a 16-8 point advantage before getting a win by pin with just 0.04 seconds left on the clock. The second match was equally exciting as a 5-1 point advantage in period 1 tightened to 5-4 by the end of period 2. Gowanda gained a 7-4 point advantage before achieving a pin with 1:05 left in the 3rd period. Gowanda then won the opening coin toss as the focus turned to Varsity action.

Gowanda’s Kaleb Smith (145) won the first Varsity match with a pin in 5:29. In the 152 Class match, Gowanda got in trouble early and went down by pin in 1:04. The score was tied 6-6 and Maddox Hudson (160) was up for Gowanda. After ending the first period in a 2-2 tie, Hudson gained a narrow point advantage in Period 2 before locking down a pin in 4:39. That was followed by Michael Horth (170) gaining a win by a 5-0 decision. Gowanda was on the move and Brody Mescall (190) also won by pin (1:01). At this point, Gowanda was up 21-6. Springville answered in the 215 weight class match running up a 16-0 point total and winning by technical fall with 1:37 left in the third period. Springville followed that by taking a win by pin in 1:15 at 285. With Gowanda’s lead cut to 21-17 focus turned to the lower weight classes. At 101, Springville put up one of their female wrestlers against Gowanda’s Zack Stark. The apparent mismatch verified as Stark ran up a quick 5-0 point advantage before getting a win by pin at 1:02. Gowanda’s 27-17 lead was reversed as Springville achieved pins at 108 (1:03) and 124 (3:23) as well as taking a forfeit win at 116. Springville was up 27-29. Gowanda managed one final win in the meet. Owen Pfaffenback (124) got a pin in 3:23 putting Gowanda back in front 33-29. That advantage was short lived as Springville closed out the meet with back-to-back pins at 131 (5:04) and 138 (1:40). That gave Springville a 41-33 win.

The Varsity action was followed by 8 additional matches. Gowanda won half of those with pins in 4:33 and 1:08 plus a 9-6 decision as well as pin in 4:37 in the only girls match.

Meanwhile, the Gowanda Varsity girls basketball team was at Springville/West Valley. This battle between the two school ended up in nearly the same score as the wrestling match. It was a sluggish affair with no scoring in the first 2:29 of the game when Gowanda’s Corinna John scored a single point on a foul shot. Springville matched that single point before moving into a 6-1 lead. Gowanda stepped it up a bit but still trailed 9-6 after the 1st Quarter. The teams played a nearly even 2nd quarter with Springville bumping up their lead by a single point to lead 17-13 by halftime. Springville ballooned their advantage to 30-20 in an active 3rd Quarter of play. Gowanda went all out in the final quarter for their only double-digit period of the game. Outscoring Springville 13-9 Gowanda was still left with a 39-33 loss. It was a big final quarter for a couple players who had been silent up to that point. Karice John hit twice for her only 4 points in the game. Lily Scanlan also scored her only 4 points in that period on a 3-pointer and a foul shot.

Leading the Gowanda scoring were Lauren Kelly (13 points) and Corrina John (11 points, including a 3-pointer). Alhanna Gabel also scored in the game.