Six wrestlers place in tournament

Six members of the Cameron County High School wrestling team were placewinners in the highly competitive Olean Big 30 Tournament Saturday, setting the stage for another series of stiff challenges this Saturday at the Coudersport Duals.

They'll be back on the home mat next Tuesday night, when Kane's Wolves come to Emporium.

Junior Taylor Songer improved to 13-2 on the season with a second-place finish at Olean. He battled into the championship match at 152 lbs., before yielding to Brandon Slater of Oswayo Valley in a tactical match-up, 3-1. Slater went up early and avoided Songer's advances to escape with the win.

By contrast, Red Raider Chad Schatz and Randy Colling of Pioneer, N.Y., got right down to business at 285. Last year, Schatz handed Colling his only regular season loss at the Big 30 event. Colling turned the tide in this battle of unbeatens, getting the fall in 48 seconds. Schatz is now 14-1.

Freshman Dom Manginell (11-3) also qualified for the finals with a couple of pins before he fell to Smethport's Kevin Shunk, also at the 0:48 mark. Sophomore Randy Schatz

had a good showing in Olean, earning third place with a pin in the 140-lb. consolation finals. Mike Baker placed fourth at 160, while Tyler Bidwell was fifth as he bumped up to 119.

Brock Belkowski had a couple of wins at 125 before he was eliminated. Darrick Mason had a pin at 171.

Cameron County was fifth in scoring among the 14 teams.

The Red Raiders were coming off an eight-day layoff over Christmas. They dropped a 48- 16 decision to St. Marys Public on Dec. 22. Baker, Songer, Chad Schatz, Randy Schatz and Belkowski (125) notched wins for Cameron County.