Highlanders hopeful about team tournament
When the high school wrestling season began, expectations were high at McGuffey High School.
Just about everyone was back on the roster and the feeling around the school was that good things could happen come team tournament time.
Well, it’s time to find out.
Only top-seeded Burgettstown had a better section record than McGuffey and the team tournament gets underway tonight when the Highlanders take on Freedom in the first round and sit in the No. 2-seeded pod occupied by Quaker Valley.
“I know a lot of people doubted us,” said McGuffey head coach Jared Roberts. “We didn’t have any seniors last year so we had every single starter coming back. As the year went on, they got better and better. I knew if we brought them all back, they could be better than last year. Plus, we had a good group of freshmen coming up.”
The Highlanders bring in a 10-2 overall record and finished 6-1 in Class 2A Section 1 into the team tournament. If they defeat Freedom, then they would take on either second-seeded Quaker Valley or Jefferson-Morgan in the quarterfinals. The four teams will battle inside Quaker Valley’s gymnasium.
McGuffey will depend upon Reid Teagarden (145), Brennen Mullins (152) and Kyle Brookman (160) to score points through the middle of the lineup and Logan Smith (215) to be the anchor at the end.
“I knew we were capable of making the (team tournament) and finish in the top two in the section,” said Roberts. “We knew Burgettstown was going to be the hammer they’ve been but other than that, I was confident we could beat everyone else in the section.”
Burgettstown takes an 11-0 record into the tournament. The Blue Devils finished third last year and had a pair of runner-up finishes before that.
“I like our pairing,” said Roberts. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have seeded Quaker Valley No. 2. I’m glad I’m with them rather than Burrell or Burgettstown. Those are two spots I wouldn’t have wanted to be in. I’ve studied Freedom. I think if we wrestle hard, then we can beat them. The Quaker Valley match could be a closer match than what people think. If a few things go our way, then we might have a chance for an upset there.”
Burrell, which had a string of 15 straight WPIAL Team Tournament titles ended by Quaker Valley last year, is in the top half of McGuffey bracket.
Burgettstown has fourth-seeded Highlands in its side of the bracket. The Blue Devils, who have never before had the top seed in this tournament, wrestles Southmoreland in the first round, which begins at 6 p.m.
Highlands is a top-four seed in this tournament for the first time in school history. Highlands brings an 8-1 record into the tournament, the only loss coming to Chartiers Valley, a Class 3A team.
In Class 3A, Waynesburg is the three-time defending team tournament champion. Only Canon-McMillan has won four straight.
Waynesburg will depend on two-time PIAA champion Mac Church and returning PIAA champion Rocco Welsh for 12 team points.
The winner at each pod will advance to Saturday’s semifinals and finals. Peters Township will host to the four remaining teams in Class 3A, with the semifinals beginning at 10 a.m. The Class 2A semifinals and final will be at Chartiers-Houston, beginning at noon.