Fast times for McGuffey’s Clutter
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
McGuffey’s Christian Clutter, top, won by a 1-0 decision against Stroudsburg’s Leonard Pinto during Friday’s 170-pound quarterfinal bout at the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament at Canon-McMillan.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Canon-McMillan’s Kenny Hayman wins by fall against Seneca Valley’s Chanz Shearer in a 126-pound quarterfinal bout Friday at the Powerade Christmas Tournament at Canon-McMillan.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Waynesburg’s Luca Augustine, right, faces Malvern Prep’s Henry Hague in a 152-pound quarterfinal bout Friday at the Powerade Christmas Tournament at Canon-McMillan.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Belle Vernon’s Scott Joll trips Christian Murphy of Howell, N.J., during Friday’s 182-pound quarterfinal bout at the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament at Canon-McMillan.
CANONSBURG – Last year, it took a little time for Christian Clutter to switch gears.
He cruised along for much of the high school wrestling season before kicking it into high during the postseason.
The senior from McGuffey is coming off a fourth-place finish at 170 pounds in the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships in Hershey.
That ending and a quick start to this season brought Clutter a No. 2 seed at 170 pounds for the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament.
And Clutter responded with a sweep of his Friday matches, which earned him a spot in the semifinals at 11 this morning. Finals are set for 7 p.m.
“Last year, during states was when I definitely caught fire,” said Clutter, who was the Observer-Reporter Football Player of the Year this season. “This year, I’m trying to make every match feel like that before I go out. I’m trying to take more shots, trying for backpoints and trying to make it all (with) good wrestling skill.”
Clutter won four bouts, thanks to a preliminary-round contest. The toughest bout came in the quarterfinals, where he made an escape stand as the only score in a 1-0 victory over Leonard Pinto of Stroudsburg.
Jared McGill, a senior from Chestnut Ridge who is a defending tournament champion and third-place finisher at 160 pounds in Hershey (Class AA) last season, is top seed and in the other semifinal. Clutter wrestles Kamal Adewume of Mason, Ohio, in the semifinals.
“Confidence plays a part in it,” said Clutter. “In my freshman year, I was a little scared. After four years, I’m used to wrestling these kids in this weight class. I know what I’m doing.”
Clutter finished last season with a 46-6 record, but it wasn’t until the end that he found his attack zone.
“I have this one opportunity to be Powerade champion,” Clutter said. “It can be a little overwhelming. At this point, you just lay it on the line and give it all you got.”
Meanwhile, second-seeded Gerrit Nijenhuis of Canon-McMillan stayed on his collision course with top-seeded Carter Starocci of Erie Cathedral Prep at 182 pounds. The two easily glided into the semifinals. Nijenhuis draws Belle Vernon’s Scott Joll, the third seed, and Starocci gets fourth-seeded Luke Stout of Mt. Lebanon. Joll stopped Christian Murphy of Howell, N.J., 10-5, and Nijenhuis pinned Owen Amburgy of Mason, Onio, in 49 seconds.
“I wrestled (Nijenhuis) in eighth grade,” said Joll. “I know Zach (Hartman) wrestled him a number of times.”
Starocci and Nijenhuis met in the Class AAA state semifinals at 160 pounds. Starocci won a disputed 3-1 decision in overtime, then went on to win a 6-4 overtime decision over Zach Hartman of Belle Vernon in another disputed match. A late stalling point against Hartman sent the bout into overtime, tied 4-4.
Nijenhuis opened the this tournament with a 16-1 technical fall over Ricky Feroce of Burrell and followed with a pin in in 2:45 of Nico Flati of West Allegheny.
“I thought I wrestled well,” said Nijenhuis. “I feel pretty good, pretty confident I can take him. I pretty much know what I have to do there.”
Ken Hayman of Canon-McMillan also made it to the semifinals at 126 pounds with a pin in 1:03 of Chanz Shearer of Seneca valley. He gets eighth-seeded Angelo Rini of Cleveland St. Edward’s in the semifinal.
“He’s focused on his goals and what he wants to do,” said Canon-McMillan head coach Jeff Havelka. “He’s better on his feet, he’s being more offensive, he’s getting to legs more and he’s defending shots so he’s hard to score on. That all comes with experience.”