Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Dylan Newman is the top seed at 126 pounds in the Section VI state qualifier this weekend. P-J file photo by Christian Storms

FREDONIA — Nine local boys wrestlers named No. 1 seeds coming into the Section VI Division 1 and 2 championships and state qualifiers at Steele Hall at SUNY Fredonia this Saturday and Sunday.

Southwestern boasts the most top seeds locally with Miles Torres at 118 pounds, Carmine Calimeri at 138 pounds and Brayden Potter at 215 pounds.

Torres is the reigning champion at 108 pounds and reached the podium at states, taking fourth place. This year Torres (24-5) jumps a weight class and joining him in the bracket are No. 5 Zander Lombardo (22-9) of Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer, No. 6 Clayton Evans (18-14) of Falconer/Cassadaga Valley and No. 7 Mason Raymond (17-9) of Frewsburg.

Not only has Calimeri (32-7) been to states all of his varsity years, but he has placed on the podium each time. He will look to make it a fifth straight season and that road begins as the top seed at 138 pounds.

Last year’s runner up, Abdulhamid Albaneh (18-2) of Lackawanna is the 2-seed, while Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer’s Gavin Burchanowski (20-8) is No. 5 in the bracket.

Potter will have his final chance to reach the state tournament after coming up just short in years past and will do it as the favorite at 215 pounds. Seeded right after him is Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer’s Colton Hamilton (27-6) and last year’s runner-up Takota Smith (30-5) of Pioneer is the 3-seed.

Southwestern senior Adrian Torres (35-8) comes in as a reigning champion at 101 pounds, but is once again the 2-seed to Mason DellaPenta (38-2) of Eden/North Collins in the 110-pound bracket.

Last year, Torres knocked off DellaPenta in the final by a 7-2 decision and kept things rolling into state championships where he took second place.

Joining them at 110 pounds are No. 5 Jomar Quiles (16-6) of Fredonia/Forestville/Silver Creek and Randolph’s Tanner Patterson (17-9) as the 8-seed.

Tavio Hoose (21-5) returned to Southwestern to finish his senior season and the 2023 172-pound state champion and 2024 190-pound state finalist comes in as the 6-seed at 190 pounds seeking his fourth sectional title.

It will not be an easy path back to states with Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Patrick Braley (36-4) — the reigning champion — as the top seed at 190 pounds. Frewsburg’s Brandon Francis (20-4) is the 2-seed, Maple Grove’s Ezekiel Padd (25-8) is the 4-seed and Fredonia/Forestville/Silver Creek’s Gillian Capitano (21-12) is seeded No. 8.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Dylan Newman (35-8) is going for a third-straight sectional title and fourth trip to states, coming in as the top seed at 126 pounds.

Behind him are 4-seed Rocco Muscarella of Fredonia/Forestville/Silver Creek, 5-seed Parker Patterson of Randolph and 7-seed Logan Fuller of Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer.

Muscarella came up just short of a trip to states last year, losing the True Second match against Albion’s Stryker Sanders by 4-3 decision at 108 pounds.

Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer also has multiple top seeds with one wrestler seeking his first trip to states and another going for a third straight trip.

Each of the last two seasons, Thandon Bensink (30-5) has reached the state tournament as the second-place finisher, but this year he comes in as the favorite at 132 pounds.

Bensink last year fell to top-seed Trevor DellaPenta of Eden/North Collins in the final by technical fall, but he was able to rally in True Second with an 18-6 major decision over Maryvale’s Cody Freyburger.

This year his biggest threat is No. 2 Luke Duffina (24-6) of Medina, while Fredonia/Forestville/Silver Creek’s Mayson Simmons (26-7) is the 4-seed. Simmons placed fifth at 116 pounds a year ago, while Duffina was fifth at 131 pounds.

Wrestling behind Mason Maring as the heavyweight, junior Walter Lukasiak (22-5) is in the spotlight for the Eagles as the top seed at 285 pounds.

Last year he was third behind Maring and eventual state champion Hamza Merrick of Wilson.

Salamanca’s Kasen Hardy (32-4) is the 2-seed, looking to improve from fifth last year, Dunkirk’s Eliel Collazo (14-7) is No. 6 and Gowanda’s Jayden John (30-14) is the 8-seed.

Randolph’s Kamren Anderson (26-3) and Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer’s Chase Shirley (22-10) were both semifinalists last year at 101 pounds and this year they come back as the No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, at 103 pounds.

The Eagles also have Chester Machemer (29-8) at the 4-seed and Gowanda’s Dane McNaughton (32-14) is seeded sixth.

Gowanda senior Nathan Warrior (44-3) comes in as the top seed at 144 pounds seeking his first trip to the state tournament.

The Eagles also have Alex Bourgeois (25-9) at No. 5 and Dunkirk’s Timothy Warrior (15-5) is No. 6 at 144 pounds.

Three area wrestlers need at least one upset for a spot in the state tournament according to seeding.

Maple Grove sophomore Jaxon Kraft (32-6) is the 3-seed at 150 pounds, behind No. 1 Trevor DellaPenta (36-3) of Eden/North Collins and No. 2 Victor Cusatis (35-2) of Wilson. Kraft finished third at 145 pounds as a freshman last year.

Randolph’s Easton Pence (18-10) is the 8-seed at 150 pounds.

Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer junior Toby Watson (31-7) is the 3-seed at 165 pounds, behind No. 1 Alex Schiffhauer (27-8) of Iroquois and No. 2 Joey Burg (28-4) of Akron. Salamanca’s Conner Seeley (22-8) is seeded at No. 5.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley’s Riley Best (30-11) is No. 3 at 175 pounds, behind No. 1 Jake Zeigler (35-2) of Portville and No. 2 Khaled Alsamara (29-4) of Cheektowaga. The remaining seeded wrestlers are from the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association with No. 4 Tristen Gibbs (22-5) of the Eagles, No. 5 Caine DeGolier (23-10) of Olean, No. 6 Logan Quattrone (22-14) of Maple Grove, No. 7 Jack Merrill (20-10) of Salamanca and No. 8 Isaiah Washington (23-13) of Gowanda.

Falconer/Cassadaga Valley has another contender with Noah Brandt (15-8) as the 4-seed at 157 pounds, while Bryce DellaPenta (38-2) of Eden/North Collins is No. 1, Cheektowaga’s Mohammad Noor (18-4) is No. 2 and Newfane’s Colin Doxey (11-3) is the 3-seed.

Gowanda’s Cayden Redford (29-14) is the 5-seed and Maple Grove’s Will Benson (27-11) is the 6-seed.

DIVISION 1

Jamestown junior Aaden Howard (28-12) is favored to reach the state tournament, receiving No. 2 billing at 132 pounds. Howard is seeded behind Ken-Ton’s Jake Giannantonio (27-8) and is seeking his first trip to states after placing fourth last year at 124 pounds.

Nicholas Melendez (22-13) placed fifth at 124 pounds a year ago and now the Jamestown senior is the 3-seed at 126 pounds, behind No. 1 Zach Didas (34-4) of Clarence and No. 2 Caine Rumsey (23-8) of Grand Island.

Zach Little (17-8) is looking to get back to the state tournament one last time, but will have to pull off some upsets like he did in his sophomore year. This year he comes in as the 7-seed at 118 pounds, while the favorite is Cameron Crumpler (28-4) of Niagara Falls and No. 2 Aiden Rodriguez (20-3) of Orchard Park.

Jamestown also boasts Luis Diaz (14-12) as the 5-seed at 165 pounds, Drew Bloomquist (22-13) as the 6-seed at 175 pounds, Zane Elifritz (18-13) as the 8-seed at 215 pounds and Adam Harrison (11-6) the 8-seed at 285 pounds.