THE SPORTS REPORTS: TIOGA'S DUNCANSON HEADLINES BAKER'S DOZEN AS BOYS 'ATHLETE OF THE WINTER;' SEVEN OTHER TIOGA COUNTY BOYS MAKE THE LIST (2024-04-03)

The Sports Reports
Tioga senior Ousmane Duncanson capped off his second straight unbeaten season with his third consecutive state title, and is The Sports Reports’ 2023-24 Boys "Athlete of the Winter."

Duncanson, who had a 111-2 record in his three season at Tioga, and finished his career with 91 consecutive wins. He was 33-0 this season, including 20 falls and four technical falls.

Duncanson became the first three-time state champ in the storied history of the Tioga wrestling program.

In the postseason, including the Section IV and New York State Duals, Duncanson was 19-0, with 14 falls, one tech fall, and two major decisions. He was 4-0 at States with two falls, and a technical fall.

2023-24 Baker’s Dozen Boys “Athletes of the Winter:
Ousmane Duncanson, senior, Tioga wrestling: See above.

Joey Tomasso, senior, Waverly basketball: Waverly senior Joey Tomasso capped a brilliant high school career by leading the Wolverines to their first Section IV title in nearly three decades. He averaged 23.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.6 steals per game this season. He shot 47.5 percent from the field, including a 38.5 percent clip from behind the 3-point arc, where he knocked down 42 3-pointers.

Tomasso graduates with 1,782 points — seventh all-time in Section IV — and 177 3-pointers in 93 games, to go along with 315 rebounds, 208 steals, and 191 assists. He averaged 19.2 points per game in his five varsity season.

Karson Dominick, senior, NP-Mansfield basketball:  Dominick scored his 24.7 points per game this season in every way possible, knocking down 37 3-pointers, shooting 72 percent from the free-throw line. He scored 20-plus points in 21 of the Tigers’ 25 games, had more than 30 four times, and scored a career-high 41 in a mid-season win over Wyalusing.

Dominick also led the Tigers with 7 rebounds per game .. topping 600 career boards of his career in his final high school game. He also handed out 3 assists per outing, finishing with more than 200 in his 95 career games.

Ralph Johnson, senior, Waverly indoor track: Johnson, who placed fifth in the state in the 200-meter dash last spring, won every race he ran this season until the state finals, where he finished second in the New York State Public High Schools and in the Federation. Johnson set a school record with a time of 6.41 seconds at the State Qualifier. He ran a 6.42 at States for the best-ever state finish for a Waverly indoor track athlete.

Troy Beeman, sophomore, Waverly wrestling: An incredible story, Beeman did not wrestle his first match this season until Jan. 4, then posted a 22-3 record and won a 285-pound state title.

Beeman was 10-0 in the postseason, with six of those wins coming by fall. He also won a 1-0 decision in the Section IV, Division 2 finals, and won a pair of overtime decisions at the New York State Championships, including a 9-4 sudden-victory in the finals.

Gianni Silvestri, senior, Tioga wrestling: A four-time state finalist and two-time state champ, Silvestri was a state runner-up for the second straight season. Silvestri, a five-time finalist, won his fourth straight Section IV title, and was 33-1 on the season. He was 188-21 for his career, including 161-5 record in his last five seasons.

Caden Bellis, senior, Tioga wrestling: A three-time state finalist, Bellis was a runner-up for the second time, capping a 33-2 senior season. A four-time Section IV champ, Bellis finished his career at 180-19, including a 153-9 mark his last five seasons.

Hudson Ward, senior, Canton wrestling: He was 40-13 on the season, and placed eighth at the PIAA Championships. He won the North Section Tournament, placed second at the District 4 Championships, and placed second at the Northeast Regionals.

Sawyer Robinson, junior, Towanda wrestling: He was 44-10 on the season, and placed seventh at the PIAA Championships. He placed second at the North Section Tournament, won the District 4 Championship, and was second at the Northeast Regionals.

Cameron Kennedy, senior, Corning bowling: Kennedy averaged 222.2 on the season, and led the Hawks to a New York State Division 1 title. He had the highest series among all bowlers in the team state competition.

Jack Burbage, junior, Troy basketball: Despite being undersized, Burbage was able to dominate the paint with scoring and rebounding, while being Troy’s most consistent 3-point threat. His ability to guard  multiple positions was probably his best asset. He averaged 16 points per game.
Brayden Pequignot, junior, North Penn-Liberty wrestling: Pequignot was 33-12 on the season. He placed second at the North Section Tournament, fourth at the District 4 Championships, and fourth at the PIAA Northeast Regionals. He picked up a win at States.

Dan Truesdail, Newark Valley, basketball: The senior forward averaged a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds per game, and also averaged 3.4 assists, He had three 30-point games and seven 20-point games. He hot 60 percent from the floor, — 63 percent from 2-point range and 30 percent from beyond the arc.