SOURCE: buffalonews.com

January 16, 2018

The winners of this weekend's @SectionVI dual meet will head to the first state wrestling championships, which is a big deal among @wnywrestling coaches. They're optimistic it can help boost declining participation numbers #preptalklive

My story: https://t.co/OvdCbXfq2a pic.twitter.com/CExk0dvCW9

— Corey Desiderio (@cpdesi1) January 16, 2018

Last year's inaugural Section VI Dual Team Championships were an overwhelming success in the eyes of area wrestling coaches.

An estimated 1,000 spectators at Starpoint watched No. 2 Pioneer beat No. 1 Falconer via tiebreaker for the Division II title and No. 4 Niagara Wheatfield upset the top two seeds in the field to win the D-I crown.

"It was very exciting for our team," Pioneer coach Chris Edwards said. "Earlier in the year we lost to Falconer by a point at the Letchworth Duals. Our goal last year was to be the first Section VI dual champions, and to do it against a program like Falconer meant a lot to us."

The drama-filled event brought attention to a sport that's seeing its participation numbers decline nationwide. With 16 schools competing under one roof, there were a lot of other programs not participating that came out and watched the action unfold.

There's also a new incentive for this year's championships Saturday at Lancaster Field House.