Trojans’ Campbell off to good start
Luke Mary (right) of Peters Township is one of three members of his family with 100 career victories.
Logan Macri of Canon-McMillan (right) keeps hold of the legs of Manny Dovshek of Bentworth in the 106-pound quarterfinals of the Tri-CADA Wrestling Tournament Friday at Ringgold. Macri pinned Dovshek in 3:40.
MONONGAHELA – This is James Campbell’s favorite week of the wrestling season.
The junior is the only member of California High School’s wrestling team, and he likes nothing better than to show the other wrestlers in the Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Association Tournament just how good he can be.
The tournament, which got under way Friday night at Ringgold High School, is comprised of teams from Washington, Greene and Fayette counties. It also has a lot of Campbell’s friends and contemporaries competing.
The first two rounds were a blast for the fourth-seeded Campbell as he allowed only one bout point in taking a 6-1 decision over Curtis Gardner of Washington and posting a 7-0 shutout of Luke Mary of Peters Township in the quarterfinals.
Those two victories pushed Campbell into this morning’s (10:30 a.m.) semifinals, where top-seeded Shaun Wilson of Waynesburg awaits. Finals of the tournament will be held at 2:30 p.m.
Waynesburg holds the team lead with two rounds to go with 96.5 points. Peters Township (70.5) is second, Jefferson-Morgan (66) third, Canon-McMillan (65.5) fourth and Seneca Valley (53) is fifth.
Campbell won his first varsity medal in the Tri-CADA event last year, then placed fifth in the Section 2-AA tournament in the postseason. He went 0-2 in the WPIAL Championships and was eliminated. Campbell is looking to improve on that performance this season and will take an 8-3 record into the semifinals against Wilson.
“I want to make it to regionals and to states,” he said.
Campbell works out with Charleroi’s wrestling team, but because their numbers are low, he often goes against heavier workout partners.
“I work out with a 170-pounder,” he said.
“I’ve gotten bigger and stronger. This is the most wins I’ve had in a season. I’ve improved on the bottom and wrestling on my feet. I got every takedown and escape (in my two bouts).”
Washington’s Kurt Adkins was surprised to be the top seed at 145 pounds, but he lived up to expectations by pinning Gavin Funovits of Seneca Valley in 1:03 after a first-round bye. Adkins runs into Trevor Jamison of Jefferson-Morgan in the semifinals.
“I thought I would be either second or third seed,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of energy. I’m going to get some rest and come back (today) and wrestle strong.”
Adkins, a junior, said he worked on his signature move, a double-leg takedown, to score on opponents.
“It’s my best move,” he said.
Bentworth’s Hunter Neely was also a No. 1 seed and, like Adkins, opened the tournament with a pin after a first-round bye. He stopped Timmy Welsh of Beth-Center in 1:55 of the quarterfinals. Fourth-seeded Josh Kuslock awaits in the semifinals.
Neely, a junior, is looking for his first win in the Tri-CADA tournament. He was third last year and did not place as a freshman.
“I worked out in the offseason to get bigger and stronger,” he said. “I’m sticking to basics this season.”
Neely thought second-seeded Logan Henderson of Waynesburg would make it through to the finals but he was upended by Cameron Fontenot of Canon-McMillan in the quarters.
Gavin Teasdale of Jefferson-Morgan, the No. 2-ranked 106-pounder in the country, had no trouble with his first opponent. The freshman defeated Lane Klein of McGuffey by a 17-2 technical fall in the quarterfinals. Teasdale takes on Dan Florentino of Peters Township in the semis.
Philip Mary of Peters Township, who injured his knee in the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament, showed he is back to 100 percent with two impressive wins. He pinned Chad Gurdish of Bentworth in 3:47 to open the tournament and won a 10-1 decision over Alex Fischer of Seneca Valley in the quarterfinals. Mary gets second-seeded Matt Oblock of Canon-McMillan in the semifinals.
Butler was forced to pull out of the tournament because of sickness. … Trinity chose not to participate this year. … Waynesburg has a tournament-best 10 wrestlers in the winners’ bracket. Seneca Valley and Albert Gallatin each have 13 wrestlers in the hunt for one of the six available medals in each weight class.