Undefeated Brinsky awaits Tri-CADA tourney trip
What Eli Brinsky remembers the most about this tournament are the long bus drives.
The worst was the 90-minute trip from South Fayette High School to Albert Gallatin.
It seemed even longer on the way back if he didn’t wrestle well.
This year, Brinsky will only have to worry about a short trip from his home to South Fayette for this year’s Tri-CADA Wrestling Tournament.
“I’m excited to have it a home,” said Brinsky. “Some of those rides were pretty long.”
First-round action begins at 5 p.m. today. Saturday morning wrestling starts at 9:15 a.m., followed by the semifinals at 10:30 a.m. The parade of champions will be at 2:20 p.m., with the consolation finals and finals to begin 10 minutes later.
The top six wrestlers in each weight class will receive medals. Awards will be given out to the top three teams of this double-elimination event.
Brinsky brings an 11-0 record at 170 pounds into the tournament and has high hopes of earning a spot on the top of the awards stand.
“It will be a really good preview of our section tournament because all the teams in our section will be there,” said Brinsky.
“I try not to be a bracket watcher. I used to do that as a freshman and sophomore. You have to wrestle well every time. You can’t put people on a pedestal. You have to wrestle everyone the same and wrestle your best.”
South Fayette has been in only one traditional tournament this season, at Chartiers-Houston. Brinsky was terrific in the event, chalking up four victories, three of them by falls. He shut out Delveon Say of Grove City in the finals, 5-0. The Lions also competed in a dual meet tournament in Erie, in which they gave the B team of Cleveland power St. Edward’s a close match.
“Our goal is to make the team tournament,” said South Fayette head coach Rick Chaussard. “We want to win this tournament. I expect us to at least be in the top five.”
South Fayette will get a boost with the return of heavyweight Quentin Franklin, who has finally recovered from a football injury.
“He came back the first week of practice and suffered a setback,” said Chaussard. “So we decided to sit him out for as long as we could.”
Some wrestling fans will get their first look at Waynesburg freshmen Mac Church (106) and Rocco Welsh (126) and junior Wyatt Henson, who was a Missouri state champion at 138 pounds.
Adding to the star power is Canon-McMillan’s Gerrit Nijenhuis, a returning PIAA champion fresh from his Powerade victory. He is a 182-pounder.