Teasdale three-peats at Powerade Tournament
Canon-McMillan’s Brendan Furman celebrates after winning the heavyweight match at the Powerade finals. Furman won by pin at 3:40.
Jefferson Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale wins the 120 pound bout at the Powerade final to become the 18th three-time Powerade champion. Teasdale won by a 10-4 decision over Canon-McMillan’s Logan Macri.
Canon-McMillan’s Logan Macri fights for control while wrestling Jefferson Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale in the 120 pound bout on Friday, Dec. 30 at the Powerade tournament.
Jefferson Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale controls Canon-McMillan’s Logan Macri in the 120 pound bout at the Powerade finals. Teasdale won by a 10-4 decision.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Waynesburg wrestling coaches cheer on Caleb Morris as he competes in the 132-pound bout at the Powerade finals.
CANONSBURG – Gavin Teasdale and Spencer Lee had no desire to wrestle each other in the Powerade Christmas Tournament.
So Teasdale dropped to 120 and Logan Macri of Canon-McMillan was waiting in the finals instead.
The two battled for six minutes before Teasdale, a two-time undefeated PIAA champion from Jefferson-Morgan, came away with 10-4 decision in front of a large crowd inside Canon-McMillan High School Friday night.
It was the third straight Powerade title for Teasdale, an accomplishment Lee reached after a 9-0 decision over Jack Davis of Wyoming Seminary in the first bout of the night, 126 pounds. Lee, a senior from Franklin Regional and three-time undefeated state champion, became the 17th and Teasdale the 18th wrestler in the tournament’s history to win three titles.
Teasdale and Canon-McMillan heavyweight Brendan Furman were the only area wrestlers to win titles. Joining Macri as runners-up were Caleb Morris of Waynesburg at 132 and Zach Hartman (160) and Jacob Dunlop of Belle Vernon (113).
Teasdale can become the seventh four-time champion in Powerade history next season but Lee can’t. He missed last year’s event with a torn labrum.
“This is one of the biggest accomplishments (in my career), even bigger than the state tournament,” Teasdale. “For instance, in my freshman year, I had seven people in my Powerade bracket and now you’re adding on the best kids in the country. I think this tournament is tougher than states.”
Teasdale got in on Macri’s legs early and scored. He led 4-2 after one and 6-2 after two. Teasdale traded escapes for takedowns.
“I knew he was going to try to hold me off, so I had to attack,” said Teasdale.
Macri said he wanted to be more on offense but that didn’t happen.
“He shut it down and I tried to keep it going throughout the match,” said Macri. “I was not successful with that. I have to work on that. It feels good to get a good performance out of Powerade. I’ll take this loss as an advancement and try to get better.”
Teasdale won four bouts to reach the finals. He pinned Tony Zona of Penn Trafford in 1:30 and followed that with a 20-5 technical fall over Ken Kiser of Saegertown. Teasdale got to the semifinals with a 12-6 decision over Cole Rhone of Benton and rolled past Colton Camacho of Franklin Regional, 18-8, to meet Macri.
Macri opened the tournament with a 25-8 technical fall over Sean Snodgrass of Bound Brook, N.J., and followed it with another, 21-5 over Alexander Smith of Colonial Forge, Va.. The third-seeded Macri won an 8-1 decision over James Pierandozzi of Lockport, Ill., to reach the semifinals and took a 3-2 decision from Beau Bartlett of Wyoming Seminary.
Furman ignited the crowd when he turned Tucker, a defending champion and No. 1 seed, and got the only pin of the finals. It was his ninth pin of the season.
“Four words: This is my house,” said Furman, who hit a couple poses to play to the crowd after the win. “I just felt that. I didn’t practice that. Trust me.”
After a scoreless first period, Morris was tilted for two backpoints and trailed by that score, heading into the third period. Riegel escaped to make it 3-0 but Morris took him down with 1:06 left to mmake it a one-point match. Riegel immediately broke free and Morris couldn’t take him down before the buzzer.
“I didn’t get my wrist free,” said Morris on what caused the tilt. “After I got that first takedown, I wanted to keep pushing it. I think if I had five more seconds (after getting in on a single with 11 seconds left), I might have had the takedown. But states is the big thing. That’s what you shoot for.”
Hartman got off to a slow start against Mekhi Lewis of Bound Brook, N.J., falling behind early to the stronger Lewis. It was 7-2 and 9-3 after two before Hartman lost an 11-5 decision.
“He started out strong and I didn’t expect that,” said Hartman. “He was one of the more powerful wrestlers I wrestled. I wrestled a lot of powerful wrestlers who had better skill sets than me. When I’m out there, I’m not worried about being in the hole.”
Dunlop dropped a 4-2 decision to North Hills freshman Sam Hillegas, who was named Outstanding Wrestler.
Wyoming Seminary ran away with the team title. Kiski was second and Lockport., Ill. third.