CENTRAL NEW YORK – Though most of the area’s high school wrestling teams would engage in heated competition throughout the holiday break they will hardly prove as memorable as what happened when two of them faced each other. It was West Genesee against Marcellus on the night of Dec. 20, and it proved a gradual takeover for the Wildcats as it nearly doubled up the Mustangs’ scores in a 40-21 decision. Only once did Marcellus lead, after a 108-pound opener where Knoll McCoy put away Owen Fuller 17-5. When Cole Willis (116 pounds) pinned Brian Murphy and Max Alexander, at 124 pounds, beat Jake Burton 5-1, WG went in front for good. Blaine Haney (131 pounds) and his pin of Cameron Sullivan was the last for Marcellus until the higher weight classes, where the visitors’ pressure was relentless. Austin Fesinger blanked 138-pound opponent 6-0, Logan Willis (145 pounds) getting a pin of Hollis Child in the second period and Ali Abumustafa (152 pounds) handling Ernie Estinblaum 18-1 in a technical fall. By the time Marcellus’ Trevor Rankin (160 pounds) got a technical fall on Sami Aboshreak and Caleb Posecznick (215 pounds) pinned Raul Caloun the Wildcats’ victory was secure. Tough bouts included 170 pounds where Jack Waide held off Jayden Abbott 10-7 and Aiden Wright, in the 101-pound finale, edging Brayden Borst 5-3. But Maxx Fesinger impressed at 190 pounds with a 19-1 technical fall of Elliott Barbosa and, in a 285-pound battle, Elijah Apps pinned Chris Doshna just before they hit the three-minute mark. As this went on, West Genesee’s girls team nearly went to the top of the standings in the Cicero-North Syracuse Tournament with 138 points, topped only by Holland Patent’s winning total of 182. Riley Butler won for the Wildcats at 126 pounds, beating Fayetteville-Manlius’ Lacey Teaken 8-2 in the title bout, while Annalise Johnson reached the 152-pound final before falling to General Brown’s Adrianna Green. Julianna Martini got third place at 100 pounds, which Layla Meany matched at 165 pounds. Adaline Decampo (114 pounds) and Julia Litkovina (132 pounds) each finished fourth, with Charlotte Retkwa beating Marlee Sherman for fifth place at 120 pounds. A day later, Marcellus was back in action and nearly victorious, only to get stopped by the hosts during a 4-1 run at the Baldwinsville Dual Meet. The 35-33 battle with the Bees had the Mustangs fall behind 9-0 but then surge in front when Rankin and Anthony Decapio (152 pounds) got back-to-back pins. Jayden Abbott (190 pounds) topped Connor Daughton 7-1, followed by pins by Doshna over Lucas Vance in 65 seconds and Posecznick over Corbin Williamson in 69 seconds. However, B’ville took four bouts in a row in the lightest weight classes, clinching victory before the finale at 131 where Blaine Haney pinned Jack Webb. Prior to this, Marcellus had swept past four foes, topping Vernon-Verona-Sherrill 47-25, routing Dryden 71-5, beating Northern Adirondack 44-29 and handling Whitesboro 48-16. Jordan-Elbridge went to Cato-Meridian last Saturday and would go 4-1 in the Blue Devils’ tournament, only topped by Sherburne-Earlville in a 55-17 decision, S-E going to the top of the team standings. Other than that, the Eagles handled East Syracuse Minoa 53-16 to open the meet, most of it forfeits but also pins by Logan Merriam (145) at the end and Adam Delcostello (152) at the outset, with another in between by Drake Allen at 190. J-E handled Herkimer 60-12 with four straight pins from Mason Tanner (116), Liam Mantell (124), Ben Lamson (132) and Ryan Gibbs (138 in the latter stages and initial pins from Delcostello over Tanner Moss in 31 seconds and Glen Sanchez (170) over Ethan Seiple in 28 seconds. Moving on, the Eagles handled Auburn 54-17 with pins from Sanchez, Allen and Alex Coomber (215) a great jumping-off point before latter pins when to Lamson, Merriam, Delcostello and Micah Muhlnickel, who at 152 got his pin over Gavin Hodson in just 95 seconds. Putting away Oswego 60-16 to close out its run at Cato, the Eagles gained seven more pins, starting with Tanner and continuing with Mantell, Lamson, Merriam, Muhlnickel, Delcostello and Allen.