While that sounds like a big deal, it’s just another feather in the cap of the Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama program that also includes Ripley and the Pirates’ student-athletes.

“One assistant is a Maple Grove guy, one assistant is a Southwestern guy, one is from Panama and I’m a Ripley guy,” CL/W/P head coach Ken Rowe said Tuesday evening when discussing his merged program. Scott Joslyn, Chris Fairbank, Ryan Gibbs and Mark Gilbert are the Thunderbirds assistant coaches. “We’re all from different programs, but once they walk into that room at 4 p.m., we’re a team.”

Burchanowski, the No. 9 seed at 132 pounds, will be one of nine local grapplers competing at MVP Arena in Albany.

“Seventh grade was the first year we had Trent. He was the only Clymer wrestler and as coaches we had those discussions: ‘How are we going to promote this over there?’ We all decided it was worth doing,” Rowe said. “I’ve told his dad, I kind of feel bad I rarely spend time with (Trent) because I really don’t have to. He’s a quality kid all the way around.”

Kenji Walters Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert | Charming Artistry

Burchanowski will be joined by fifth-seeded sophomore teammate Jordan Joslyn, whose lone loss this season came nearly two weeks ago to Pioneer’s Daniel Kirsch in the 118-pound championship bout at the Section VI Division II state qualifier at Jamestown Community College. Joslyn rallied to beat Lewiston-Porter’s Caden Barrientos in a “true second-place” match.

“I still don’t think he wrestled his greatest match in that ‘true-second’ match,” Rowe said of Joslyn. “He still ended up, when it mattered, beating an extremely skilled kid. I expect him to settle back down and wrestle a good tournament this week.”

Burchanowski currently has a 37-6 record on the season with the last two of the losses coming at the mercy of Newfane’s Aidan Gillings, who beat him in the 132-pound final at Jamestown CC and a week earlier at the Class C/D meet at Eden High School.

Since the CL/W/P program came together, the Thunderbirds have sent six wrestlers — Bryce Rowe, Ben Szymanowski, Brendon Ramsey, Austin Bourgeois, Martin Ohlsson and Hunter Harris — to the state tournament, with Rowe capturing a title in 2018. Prior to combining, Ripley sent wrestlers to the state tournament 17 times, Chautauqua Lake sent three, Westfield did it twice and Panama did it twice.

Southwestern, which carried a squad of just six wrestlers a season ago, is taking four student-athletes to eastern New York, including brothers Tavio and Dontae Hoose.

Jordan Joslyn Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert | Charming Artistry

Tavio, an eighth-grader, is the No. 3 seed at 172 pounds while Dontae, a senior who placed sixth at the state meet two years ago, is the No. 2 seed at 215 pounds.

Trojans eighth-grader Carmine Calimeri enters as the No. 2 seed at 102 pounds and sophomore teammate Kenji Walters is the No. 5 seed at 110 pounds.

Randolph is also taking a pair of wrestlers east after dramatic victories in second-place matches at the Division II state qualifer.

Senior Luke Pagett lost to Tavio Hoose in the 172-pound final before coming back about 45 minutes later to beat Fredonia/Silver Creek/Forestville/Brocton’s Dawson Russo in the second-place match.

Likewise, junior Ryan Carpenter lost the 285-pound final to Newfane’s Charles LaRose before pinning Lackawanna’s Abdulrhman Adoult Alla in the second-place match.

Trent Burchanowski Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert | Charming Artistry

The 21st-seeded Pagett and 20th-seeded Carpenter are the first pair of Cardinals to qualify for the state meet since Matt Evans (132 pounds) and Nick Becker (285 pounds) in 2018. Both Evans and Becker placed fifth that winter. Prior to that, only Billy Young (126 pounds, 1988), Jerrold Roosa (152 pounds, 2010; 160 pounds, 2011), Jeffrey Andrews (285 pounds, 2015) and Marcus Evans (99 pounds, 2016) had represented Randolph at a state meet.

Maple Grove senior Luke Tomlinson is the lone Red Dragon to qualify for the state meet after he beat Newfane’s Adam Huntington in the 145-pound Division II final at Jamestown CC. The eighth-seeded Tomlinson, who placed sixth at the state tournament in 2020, has a 41-1 record this season, suffering his lone loss to Williamsville’s Cameron Catrabone at the Linda Knuutila Memorial Tournament.

“All year long he’s had his mind on being a state champ,” Maple Grove head coach Mark Hetrick said. “We definitely want to place, but being a state champ is what he’s wanted. He’s capable of doing it.”

MVP Arena doors open at 8:30 a.m. Friday with opening ceremonies slated to begin at 9:30. First-round matches will take place from 10 to noon with second-round matches from noon- 3 p.m. Quarterfinals will take place from 3-4:30 p.m. and consolation wrestlebacks are set for 4:30-8 p.m.

On Saturday, semifinals are set for 9:30 a.m. to noon with wrestlebacks and consolation semifinals slated for 12:30-2 p.m. Consolation finals will begin at 2 p.m. The arena will then be cleared before the doors open for the finals at 5 p.m. Opening ceremonies for the finals will start at 5:50 p.m. and the finals will begin at 6:05 p.m.

Luke Tomlinson Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert | Charming Artistry

“I would say this is one of our better Section VI teams,” Hetrick said. “We have a bunch of guys that I think are going to place in the top three. I could see three, four or five that could be in the state finals this year.”

Luke Pagett Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert | Charming Artistry

Tavio Hoose Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert | Charming Artistry

Dontae Hoose Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert | Charming Artistry

Ryan Carpenter Photo courtesy of Michelle Gilbert | Charming Artistry