McGuffey’s Clutter wants to finish wrestling career in style
Jonathan Guth For the O-R
Burgettstown’s Shane Kemper works to get his left leg free and score a takedown against Central Martinsburg’s Logan Marko during a first-round bout in the 145-pound weight class Friday in the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional.
North Star's Eli Brougher hangs on as Beth-Center's Jimmy Gwyer attempts a standup during their quarterfinal bout in the 120-pound weight class on Friday in the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional Tournament at Indiana University of Pennsylvania's Kovalchick Complex inside Ed Fry Arena. Gwyer won the match, 4-2, to advance to the semifinals and secure a berth in the state tournament.
McGuffey's Christian Clutter controls Tyrone Area's Tommy Hicks during their first-round bout in the 170-pound weight class on Friday in the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional Wrestling Tournament at Indiana University of Pennsylvania's Kovalchick Athletic Complex inside the Ed Fry Arena. Clutter edged Hicks, 3-0.
Jonathan Guth/For the Observer-Reporter
Burgettstown’s Shane Kemper, top, is making his second trip to the state tournament, this time with his brother, Riley.
INDIANA – Christian Clutter’s days as a wrestler are winding down, but the McGuffey senior wants to make sure his last day as a grappler is on top of the podium at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Clutter (39-2) is on a collision course for a rematch with Chestnut Ridge’s Jared McGill at 170 pounds. McGill handed Clutter one of his two losses this year, a 4-2 setback in the Powerade finals.
Clutter edged St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy’s Zachary Rosenberger, 3-2, in the quarterfinals to advance to states and clinched his second berth in the PIAA tournament. He blanked Tyrone’s Tommy Hicks, 3-0, in the first round on Friday during the opening day of the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional at Indiana University’s Kovalchick Athletic Complex inside the Ed Fry Arena.
Clutter can’t overlook his semifinal opponent this afternoon, Northern Bedford’s Austin Mowry (26-5). Clutter was fourth in the state tournament a year ago.
“I just work my butt off in the room and I don’t take any days off,” Clutter said. “I would say I have been wrestling kind of crappy today. I have some things I need to work on. I should be taking more shots. I’m wrestling way too defensive now. I am trying to let them make a move and counter off of that, but these guys are so good here. I almost got taken down there in the last two seconds in that last match.”
Clutter will continue his career in football at Seton Hill University but wants to leave it all on the mat before his wrestling career ends.
“This is the end of the line for wrestling,” Clutter said. “I just want to take it one match at a time. As a football player, my coaches always want me to take double-leg shots because I have such a nice drive through. I need to work on not being so defensive-minded when I wrestle.”
Burgettstown’s Shane Kemper (33-5) advanced to his second straight state tournament with a fall in 1:01 over Bedford’s Nathan Gabriel in the quarterfinals at 145 pounds. He edged Central Martinsburg’s Logan Marko, 4-2, in the first round.
“I just set my pace in the beginning, went right at him and didn’t take a backseat to anybody,” Kemper said. “I worked what I had to do. I was working on my top and got the fall in the first, so it’s kind of nice.”
Kemper finished fifth in last year’s Southwest Regional at 113 to advance to Hershey. He hopes to return home this time with a medal.
“Last year, I didn’t have a good showing at states,” Kemper said. “I’m just looking forward to continuing to wrestle this weekend and I hope to have a better showing this time at states. The goal is to win tomorrow, but if I don’t, I will look for the next best thing. As long as I wrestle my best, I’ll be happy.”
Kemper wrestles St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy’s Caleb Dowling (37-5) in the semifinals. Dowling placed second in the state a year ago after winning the Southwest Regional at 138.
Beth-Center’s Jimmy Gwyer (38-6) used takedowns in the first and third periods for a 4-2 decision over North Star’s Eli Brougher at 120. Gwyer, a senior, qualified for states as a sophomore but missed last year.
“I was hit for stalling in the first period so I knew I had to be more aggressive,” Gwyer said. “He was really tough on top and able to turn me. I knew he was going to try cradles and things like that, but I didn’t know he would be that good to get out from on bottom. His neutral work was pretty good, but if I had to do it over again, I would have chosen neutral.”
Gwyer doesn’t plan to wrestle in college but will attend California University. He hopes to make the most of his today’s competition with the pressure being off after having already qualified.
“I tend to make careless mistakes when I wrestle with a lot of pressure,” Gwyer said. “I’m just excited to wrestle tomorrow and get to wrestle at states before my career ends.”
Gwyer wrestles St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy’s Amonn Ohl (32-7) in the semifinals.
“I never wrestled him (Ohl) before, but the two guys I wrestled today I never wrestled before,” Gwyer said. “It is nice to face new competition and I’m excited for (Saturday’s) match, even though I know he will be a tough opponent.”
Bentworth’s Jon Vargo (25-4) defended his No. 1 seed at 195 with a pair of falls to advance to the state tournament for the second time. Vargo was fifth last season in Hershey.
Vargo pinned Westmont Hilltop’s Tanner Dluhos in 3:45 in the first round and planked Bellwood-Antis’ Trentin Whaley in 3:15 to qualify for the semifinals.
Vargo wrestles Tussey Mountain’s Damon Lemin (27-6) in the semifinals.
McGuffey’s Nate Yagle (113), Jett Pattison (126) and Marshall Mounts (22) are still in contention for a berth to Hershey.
Burgettstown’s DJ Slovick (160) and Riley Kemper (285) are still alive for medals in the consolation rounds.
Beth-Center’s Todd Fisher (138) and Jacob Baker (220) and Fort Cherry’s Aaron McIntyre (152) and Robbie West (195) remain in contention for medals. Washington’s Gerald Comedy is in the second round of consolations at heavyweight.
Wrestling begins this morning at 10 a.m. with the second round of consolations. The third round of consolations and semifinals will follow. The consolation finals and finals begin at 5:30 p.m. The top six advance to the state tournament.