STAC WRESTLING: ELMIRA FINISHES MATCH WITH 3 STRAIGHT PINS TO TOP HORSEHEADS (24 PHOTOS) (January 7, 2026)
BY BRIAN FEESSouthern Tier Sports ReportELMIRA — As Arius Bradbury prepared for his match he started to realize that things might fall on his shoulders Wednesday night.
With three matches to go the Elmira senior did the math and realized that he might have a chance to seal and Elmira win over rival Horseheads.
That’s exactly what happened as Elmira won the last five matches to top Horseheads 40-39, their first win over the Blue Raiders since before Covid.
“It feels really good,” Elmira coach David Guyette said. “These kids have been working hard. They have been preparing every day they have been buying in and listening to see their work paid off. That’s pretty special.”
Elmira trailed 39-12 with five matches to go. That’s when the Express started to work their way back into the match.
Scott Fairbanks started things with a 16-8 major decision win over Kole Zufall, at 138 getting a late takedown to add to the score and get the major decision.
A forfeit win by Lavonte Gibbons at 144 set up the Express needing three pins in three matches to close out the win.
Elmira started that with a pin by Cole Swanson over Trent Woodward in 2:28 at 150.
For Bradbury that’s when he started to realize things may come down to him.
“At 150 I started to realize we were only down by three pins and we got one and I said we have to get two more,” Bradbury said.
Ben Guyette got a pin in 1:01 over Wyatt Campbell at 157 and it came down to Bradbury.
“I was ready to go. I was ready to get out there and get the win for us,” Bradbury said. “I just knew I had to stick him.”
Bradbury closed out the win with a pin in 40 seconds over Ryan Huang.
The senior is an aggressive wrestler and being told to go for a pin just fired him up even more.
“Little fuel to the fire there,” Guyette said. “He’s an explosive kid and he’s pretty dynamic. It was pretty nice to have him as the hammer at the end.”
Bradbury was being aggessive from the start of the match.
“I was trying to show him who was going to win,” Bradbury said.
Being told that he needed a pin just made things even more fun for Bradbury.
“It’s like music to my ears hearing that,” Bradbury said.
Just preparing for the match had Bradbury excited.
“There is nothing better than the feeling of waiting to go out,” Bradbury said.
Horseheads started the match with a forfeit win by Jaxson Burchard at 175, before Elmira got back-to-back pins as Josh Johnson pinned Joseph Saks in 1:05 at 190 and Colin Baer pinned Allen Reynoso in 5:13 at 215.
Horseheads then took the next six weights.
Connor Warrick got a pin at 285 over Brock Rosemary in 3:03 and Nolan Miller pinned Dameon Barner in 1:07 at 103, while Connor McAllister got a forfeit win at 110.
The next two weights were Horseheads wins, but Elmira saved some valuable pionts by avoiding pins in the matches.
Horseheads’ Josh Knapp won by tehnical fall 19-1 in 4:38 over Nick Johnson at 118 and Tanner Knapp won by major decision 20-10 over Hunter Parker at 126.
“Not every match went the way we wanted it to,” Guyette said. “But, we had some kids, even in losses (who stepped up). Nick Johnson at 118 fought off his back and saved us a team point there. At 126 pounds a young freshman, Hunter Parker, really came up big scoring late and saving us tea points there. And, then as we came through Scott Fairbanks wrestled the entire match and reallyc ame up big for us and then Benny, Cole and Arius to close it out was pretty huge.”
Horseheads got a big win at 132 as Gavin Hornsby took state qualifier Rayder DePadua-Reese of Elmira to overtime and then pinned him in 6:39 to put Horseheads up 39-12 before the Elmira comeback.
“It was definitely a lot of fun, a little nerve wracking,” Guyette said. “I think I’ve got a few more gray hairs in my beard, but it was a pretty fun night.”
And, the fact that Elmira won on a day they didn’t wrestle their absolute best just gives Guyette confidence for the future.
“It does,” he said. “We are still working. We are still looking to get some kids back healthy and I know they are too. They are a really good team, they are well coached. It came up our way this time.”
For the Elmira wrestlers it’s special to get this win.
“We finally did it,” Bradbury said. “I’m proud and happy for my team. It’s a big boost (to get the win). Horseheads has been giving it to us for the past couple of years.”
The pin by Bradbury was a magical moment. For a kid who was a standout on the football tea that’s won three straight sectional titles, this win ranks pretty high on his sports accomplishments.
“It’s the best thing you can imagine,” Bradbury said. “It’s up there (for biggest sports moment for the senior). Like top five.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE MATCH:
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