J-M’s Teasdale shakes off rust, first state opponent
Joe Tuscano/Observer-Reporter Gavin Teasdale of Jefferson-Morgan controls Nick Vonelli of Notre Dame GP in the 126-pound first round bout of the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey Thursday. Teasdale won by 27-11 technical fall.
Joe Tuscano/Observer-Reporter R.J. Hall of Chartiers-Houston has a cradle in on Nate Bradley of Athens during the 170-pound first-round match of the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey Thursday. Hall couldn’t turn him and dropped a 4-3 decision.
HERSHEY – Gavin Teasdale said he felt rusty.
Even a rusty Gavin Teasdale is still a wonderful thing to watch on a wrestling match.
Teasdale scored 27 points in his 126-pound first-round match in the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey Thursday.
The victim of this 27-11 technical fall was Notre Dame GP sophomore Nick Vonelli, who looked dazed following his bout. Don’t try to convince Vonelli that Teasdale was rusty.
The two-time undefeated state champion from Jefferson-Morgan was one of only two local Class AA wrestlers to advance to this mornings quarterfinals at 9 a.m. Semifinals are at 7:30 p.m. and finals are at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Dom Fundy of Beth-Center also advanced, taking a 9-3 decision from Colton Drawbaugh of District 3 Trinity in the first round.
Teasdale gets Tanner Ball of Pequea Valley in the quarterfinals. If successful there, Teasdale will be within two victories of his third PIAA title. He is vying to become the 56th wrestler in PIAA history to win at least three state titles. He also would become only the second undefeated wrestler with just three state titles. The other is George Custer, who went 76-0 for Canonsburg.
Teasdale, a junior, ripped up Vonelli for five takedowns and three nearfall points in the first period. Vonelli had his moment of glory with a reversal near the end of the second period but Teasdale got four more takedowns and a 2-point nearfall to end it.
“I was kind of sloppy,” said Teasdale. “I pressed the action way to early and I came out way to fast. I was looking for the fall but I have to focus scoring my points because that’s what I do best. I’m looking for the pin if it’s there but I don’t want to force anything. When you force it, then things like me getting reversed happens.”
Ball won a 13-6 decision from Jeremy Hanford of Warrior Run in the first round. Ball is a Southeast runner-up with a 38-2 record. Teasdale, a three-time region and WPIAL champion, has a 37-0 record this season and is 119-0 in his scholastic career.
“I didn’t like the layoff. It was long,” said J-M head coach Mike Lesko. “He liked the time off but we had to go around to find (workout partners). He’s been trying to pin everyone and we tell him to stay with the stuff that makes you (a champion).”
Fundy, a sophomore, came into the tournament as a Southwest Region champion with a 36-0 record. He will wrestle Joe Koss of Towanda, a senior with a 34-9.
“Last year, I came here nervous as a freshman,” said Fundy, who went 1-2 here last year. “The more you wrestle here, the easier it gets. I felt a lot more comfortable.”
Fundy took control of the bout with a five-point move 35 seconds into his match. Fundy stretched it to 9-2 after two with a takedown and two nearfall points.
“I wanted to win the neutral (position),” said Fundy. “The key point of every match I wrestle is the neutral (position).”
It was a tough opening day for other local wrestlers in this double elimination tournament. Bentworth’s Manny Dovshek (113), Jett Pattison (120) of McGuffey, Jim Gwyer (120) of Beth-Center and R.J. Hall (170) and Trey Lober (Hvy) of Chartiers-Houston each lost twice and were eliminated from the tournament.
Josh Kuslock (138) of Chartiers-Houston was the lone survivor, dropping a 5-2 decision to Noah Stamm in the first round but bouncing back in the consolation first round with a 17-2 technicall fall of Nick Bradley of Kennard-Dale.