Watervliet wrestlers win second straight Colonial Council title

Watervliet's Mike Castle grapples with Albany Academy's Mory Gueye in a 285-pound match Thursday night at the Watervliet High School gymnasium. The Cannoneers won, 53-19, capturing their second consecutive Colonial Council regular season title with an 8-0 record. (Photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

On senior night at Watervliet, the senior class came up big. Four of the five Watervliet senior recorded victories via the pin, as the Cannoneers romped to a 53-19 victory over the previously unbeaten Cadets, who finished the regular season 7-1.

Watervliet, on the other hand, won its second consecutive Colonial Council regular season title, finishing 8-0 for the second year in a row.

Mike Castle (285), John Delaney (103), Cory Thompson (125) and Andrew Etman (130) all seniors, won with pins. James Valentin, the other Watervliet senior, dropped a 9-3 decision to Academy's Kyle DiCaprio.

The Cannoneers will compete in the Section II Class CC tournament at Schalmont on Saturday, Feb. 6th.

It was a great night of wrestling as the early pins - all of the first five bouts were decided that way - made the proceedings exciting.

I was also impressed by the brief ceremony before the wrestling began.

Watervliet head coach Dennis Lane said a few words about each of his seniors before welcoming them to the center of the gym with their parents. He also went out of his way to notice each and every one of the members of the Watervliet modified team, which I'm sure made their day, and also recognized the student managers and the seniors on the Albany Academy team. Lane introduced his parents as well, he called them his biggest fans, and noted that their 50th wedding anniversary is coming up.

The gym was packed, which was great, and it looks like the wrestling program at Watervliet continues to rise, thanks to their coach and the tough gapplers wearing the silver and maroon in the Arsenal City.

For more on this story, check out the full recap in Friday's edition of The Record.

Watervliet senior John Delaney pins Albany Academy's Cameron Milliken in a 103-pound bout Thursday night. It was Delaney's 159th victory, by far the highest total in Watervliet history.