Southern Tier Sports ReportHORSEHEADS — When Union-Endicott withdrew from the Section IV Duals Horseheads senior Hunter Lavigne knew that he might be able to make history in the most special way.
The Blue Raiders senior picked up his 100th win in the Section IV, D1 Duals final against Chenango Forks, getting a pin at 215 as Horseheads won their fifth straight sectional title 55-9.
“A lot of emotions,” Lavigne said. “I have been a starter for four years, so I have been here for four of the titles. And, to get my 100th win at my hometown, on my home mat, in front of my hometown people. It was a great feeling.
“Originally, it was supposed to be Corning (to get his 100th win), and they forfeit to me all the time. I told my mom don’t even give mt the banner yet. I want to work for my 100th win. Then coach said U-E is coming and I said okay, I’ll wrestle U-E. Then coach today said U-E isn’t coming, I said ‘swee, I get my 100th win, in the finals, in front of everyone. This is going to be awesome. I was so excited.”
Lavigne was just happy to be able to get a match for his 100th win. Horseheads made plans to put the senior anwyere that would get him an opponent.
‘I was talking to my coach and said am I doing 190 or 215. He said he didn’t know yet, we’ll send you somewhere. Then he told me 215 and I said alright, let’s get it done.
Every opportunity I can get on the mat, senior year, it feels like it’s flying by so quick.”
For Horseheads coach Brett Owen seeing Lavigne get a milestone like this was special.
“Doing it in a sectional final, in your home gym, your senior year, it can’t get sweeter than that,” Owen said. “Hunter Lavigne, I can’t say enough good things about him. I’ve probably lost a little bit of hair from him over the last three years, but his senior year he has really matured. He’s kept his composure and he’s continued to develoop into a great young man.”
Winning a fifth-straight sectional duals title is special for the Blue Raiders.
“To go five years in a row and win it, it’s pretty amazing,” Owen said. “It really shows the culture of our program and the kids really buy into what coach (Troy) Monks and I started seven years ago. It’s just, I guess amazing is the only word I can say right now, and how great these kids are and the way they wrestle. They went to the end and they battled hard.”
Lavigne has never lost in the sectional duals in his matches, or as a team.
“I have won every match here since freshman year,” Lavigne said. “Freshman year, I won the finals, actually against Forks and senior year to come back and do the same is pretty awesome.”
The match started at 116 as Peyton Hubbard of Forks edged Tanner Knapp 8-2 to put Forks up 3-0.
Joel Scibek of Horseheads had a 10-1 major decision win over Jason O’Connor at 124 and at 131 Gavin Hornsby won by fall in 1:02 over Joey O’Connor as Horseheads went up 10-3.
Grant Mac Rabie of Forks won 9-3 over Kole Zufall as Forks got within 10-6.
Trailing big in his match, Jack Clate of Horseheads caught Jacob Andrews and pinned him at 3:09.
Binghamton commit Ryan Ferrara, who generally wrestles 138 on the year, moved up to 152 and edged Zachary Schrage of Horseheads 15-10. Schrage led the match 8-4 at one point against a two-time state medalist, who was a state finalist and is unbeaten this year.
“My hat goes off to Ferrara and the Forks coaching staff,” Owen said. “I was pleasantly surprised they did that (bumped Ferrara up to face Schrage). I was hoping it would come out in our favor. the two of them battled hard. It says something about the quality of wrestler that Schrage is and the quality of competitor that Ferrara is. It was great.”
Elmira won the net eight weights to wrap up the match.
“We are pretty strong from 52 up,” Owen said. “Then you have the Knapp brothers and even Mason Vanderhoff and Connor McAllister down at 101 are having a heck of a year for an eighth-grader and a freshman.
“But, you get in the heart of our lineup and you have Zach Schrage, Coleton (Owen), Jaxson (Burchard) or Lucas (Moser), Hunter, Jonah (Lamb) and Seamus. There are a lot of kids right there that can fill the lineup and we can pretty much got with a lot of teams.”
Owen won 19-3 over Tyler Ritter by technical fall in 5:19 and Mosher pinned Brysen Fry in 2:16 at 170. Burchard pinned Talon Ritter in 3:47 at 190.
“Jaxson, I knew that was a matchup that Forks wanted,” Owen said. “Jaxson is a kid who he steps up. You go back to last year against Elmira, he jumped up two weight classes to beat a kid. Ends up wrestling 170 at sectionals, goes to states. He also one of our guals this year against Elmira he took the option to sit and give Jonah the match against Zakhye (Jenkins). Tonight to come out and show his domination that he is one of the best kids in the section, if not the state. I can’t say enough good things about Jaxson Burchard. Such a wholesome, caring, selfless young man he is.”
Lavigne had the pin over Evan Trusdale in 1:04 at 215 and at 285 Carroll had a forfeit win, while McAllister gets the forfeit win at 285. At 108 Josh Knapp won by major decison 16-4 o er Maddox Hubbard.
“Everyone on our team, they have the ability to win and they have the ability to win quick,” Lavigne said. “You don’t really know when you are going up against us. It’s like pin, pin, pin, pin.”
Having good coaches and teammates has made Lavigne, and his teammates, better.
“Even though they (Burchard, Lamb and Carroll) are in the room, I still do work with my coaches because there is always sometning they can teach me while I’m going.”
Now it’s onto the state dauls for Horseheads.
“The team is looking good this year,” Lavigne said. “2020 team, everyone said that was the best team. But, I feel like this 2025 team is going to suprass it.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES
PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE D1 DUALS:
