Teasdale, Fundy dynamic district duo at regionals
Joe Tuscano/Observer-Reporter
Dom Fundy of Beth-Center (right) will miss the Tri-CADA Wrestling Tournament this weekend.
Joe Tuscano/Observer-Reporter Gavin Teasdale of Jefferson-Morgan tries to turn Burrell's Dillan Jeffrey for more backpoints in his 126-pound final. Referee Darren Fisher keeps track of the backpoints. He could also be keeping track of the number of Southwest Region titles Teasdale has won after his 17-2 technical fall.
INDIANA – They are blue with white stars.
Gavin Teasdale calls them his lucky socks, which is interesting because if one wrestler is not in need of luck, it is Teasdale.
Well, maybe if the socks stopped him from being swept away in a flood or stops a bowling ball rolling off a shelf and onto his foot, then OK.
But it seemed the opponents of this talented junior from Jefferson-Morgan were the ones needing something extra. Teasdale rolled through four opponents with ease to win his third consecutive PIAA Class AA Southwest Region title with a 17-2 technical fall over Dillan Jeffrey of Burrell Saturday at Indiana University.
“I bring them out for special occasions, the finals of Powerade if I’m not mistaken,” said Teasdale. “I think my mom bought them.”
Teasdale’s accomplishment was matched by Dom Fundy, a sophomore from Beth-Center who won the 182-pound title with a 7-2 decision over Dom Deluca of Derry.
The top six wrestlers in each weight class advanced to the PIAA Championships March 9-11 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Teasdale and Fundy were two of eight locals wrestlers to qualify. The others include Manny Dovshek, a junior from Bentworth who was fourth at 113; Jett Pattison, a sophomore from McGuffey who was fourth at 120; Jimmy Gwyer, a sophomore from Beth-Center at 120; Josh Kuslock, a senior from Chartiers-Houston was took third at 138; R.J. Hall, a senior from Chartiers-Houston who was third at 170; and Trey Lober, a senior from Chartiers-Houston who was sixth at heavyweight.
Teasdale’s four wins moved his season record to 36-0 and his career mark to 118-0. He will be hunting for his third consecutive PIAA gold medal and the socks are scheduled for another appearance in the finals.
“I feel great winning this title, the same way I felt the last two years,” said Teasdale. “It’s another step. It feels like another tournament in the season. I’m taking the same (preparations) this week into the next week.”
Teasdale was a flurry of movement on the mat, attacking all the time and scoring seemingly at will. In the early moments of his finals bout, Teasdale had his back exposed and that brought the crowd to life. But he rolled through and led 13-1 after the first period.
“I got out of position with my arm up,” said Teasdale. “I was trying to finish my single leg and he was coming through when I was bringing it up. He kind of rolled me through and I rolled through real quick and got back in position.”
Jeffrey, who met Teasdale in the WPIAL finals, rued a lost opportunity. Mistakes are rare from any great wrestler, rarer still from Teasdale.
“I heard the roar from the crowd,” Jeffrey said. “If I had sunk my hips a little bit more, I think I would have stopped him from rolling through.”
Jeffrey took Teasdale the full six minutes last week, tying up with him before falling 20-8. It was only the fifth time a wrestler pushed Teasdale six minutes.
“I feel like everyone who wrestles him, it’s more of a mind game,” Jeffrey said. “They let the name get into their head. I just go out like it’s any other match.”
Fundy allowed only five bout points in his four wins and scored the final five points to dismantle Deluca’s hopes for a title. Fundy finished second in this event last year but only because Jake Wentzel, a two-time state champion from South Park, happened to be in his weight class.
“He’s a really good wrestler,” Fundy said. “That’s the third time I wrestled him this year. I won all three times and all three were decisions.”
Now Fundy and the rest of the Class AA wrestlers in the district have 11 days off before the state tournament.
“I like to wrestle week to week,” he said. ” I’m not happy there is a week-and-a-half break, but I’m not the ones making the calls.”
Teasdale and Fund were the only WPIAL winners, making it the lowest number since the region formed in 1987.