For a long time, the Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer boys wrestling team sat behind Falconer/Cassadaga Valley for Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division I supremacy.

In recent years, the Eagles have turned the tides.

This season Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer head coach Ken Rowe showed it was not just a couple of good years and guided the Eagles to a three-peat of the league, making that a young dynasty for his program.

Going further, Rowe’s Eagles also captured the Section VI Division II dual meet championship for the third straight year to once again reach the state duals. Those two big accomplishments, along with team and individual success throughout the year, have once again earned Rowe the 2025 OBSERVER/Post-Journal Boys Wrestling Coach of the Year.

Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer got things started strong with a win at the Triple-0 Mechanical 29th annual Byron-Bergen Invitational Wrestling Tournament by putting three athletes on top of the podium and scoring 183.5 points.

The Eagles had another strong showing at the fifth annual Linda C. Knuutila Memorial Wrestling Tournament as they took third, finishing behind St. Francis (211) and Niagara-Wheatfield (147) with 145.5 points. That was followed with another third-place finish at the Dick Vincent Invitational Duals going 8-2, finishing behind Webster Schroeder (10-0) and Letchworth (9-1).

That geared Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer up for the Section VI Division II Dual Meet Championships and the Eagles posted a perfect record there to claim the title. The Eagles first defeated Salamanca in the quarterfinals 65-12, then in the semifinals they took down Gowanda/Pine Valley 54-24 to set up a championship bout against Newfane.

Behind pins from Colton Hamilton, Caleb Szymanowski, Gavin Burchanowski and Chase Shirley, then technical falls by Zander Lombardo and Mason Munoz, Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer claimed the title with a 46-23 victory.

After punching its ticket to the state duals, Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer took second at the Patrick J. Morales Memorial Tournament with a team score of 226.6, behind champion Corry (Pa.) with 308.5.

In the state duals, Chautauqua Lake once again was stuck in a tough group against the tournament’s top seed in John Glenn. The Eagles secured a dominant 54-14 victory over Peru in the round robin, but John Glenn edged the Eagles 46-28 before going on to win the state title over Plainedge 38-29.

Just a few days after returning from the state duals, Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer wrapped up the league title with a perfect record defeating Portville 54-22. The Eagles ran the table with 72-3 win over Dunkirk, rolled Allegany-Limestone 71-6, beat Fredonia 60-8, downed Southwestern 54-23 and most importantly edged Falconer/Cassadaga Valley 39-28 to essentially secure the title before battling Portville.

After securing plenty of individual success, the focus shifted to its individual athletes, but even still as a collective the Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Panama/Clymer athletes secured the highest team score at the Section VI Division II state qualifiers with a score of 200.5. That showing was highlighted by one sectional champion in senior Mason Maring at 285 pounds with a major decision over Wilson’s Hamza Merrick and sophomore Thandon Bensink claimed second at 131 pounds to reach the state championships.

At states, Maring was billed as the No. 2 seed with high hopes at 285 pounds and Bensink earned the No. 17 seed at 131 pounds.

Both wrestlers had strong showings with Bensink improving from his first trip posting a 3-2 record, but was sent to wrestlebacks by eventual state champion Chris Noto of Honeoye Falls/Lima. Maring also fell victim to the eventual state champion in Wilson’s Merrick, but his road ended at third in the state while picking up two pins and two major decisions.

With just two seniors listed on the roster, it doesn’t seem like the Eagles’ run of success will come to an end any time soon.