Gwyer takes first step at Tri-CADA tournament
Joe Tuscano/Observer-Reporter
Jim Gwyer of Beth-Center works to turn Will Kail of Peters Township in their 120-pound quarterfinal-round bout in the Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Association Wrestling Tournament at Trinity Friday night. Gwyer won the bout 12-6.
Wrestling No. 2
Joe Tuscano/Observer-Reporter
Gary Loeffler of South Fayette hangs on while Bill Brown of Burgettstown tries to shake free during their 120-pound first-round bout in the Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Association Wrestling Tournament at Trinity Friday night.
Every time Jimmy Gwyer stands on the wrestling awards stand, he can thank his brother.
Gwyer, a junior from Beth-Center, began his wrestling career in eighth grade, about four years later than most. He did so because his younger brother, Jackson, decided to go out for the sport.
Gwyer opened the first round of the Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Association Wrestling Tournament with a 12-6 decision over Will Kail of Peters Township in the 120-pound quarterfinals.
Gwyer advanced to today’s semifinals (10:30 a.m.) at Trinity High School. Finals are set for 2:30 p.m.
Waynesburg held the team lead after the first day with 88 points, followed by Peters Township with 78 and Canon-McMillan (61). McGuffey is the top Class AA team with 60 points, good enough for fourth place.
Gwyer came into the tournament as the third seed in a strong weight class. Bentworth’s Manny Dovshek, a WPIAL champion and state qualifier last year, is top seed.
Wyatt Henson of Waynesburg is second seed and Ken Hayman of Canon-McMillan is fourth. Gwyer and Henson square off in today’s semifinals.
“I’ve been working on top, bottom and neutral, really sharpening everything up,” said Gwyer.
Gwyer was a state qualifier last year but was upset over his 0-2 performance. He joined the Phoenix Club near Centerville and run by Randy Mort to try to improve.
“I’m determined to do better,” said Gwyer. “(In the state tournament,) they were very good on top. They knew how to tilt me and I couldn’t stop it. I hadn’t seen it at that level before.”
Maybe the most interesting weight class is 182, where Tim Wallace of Albert Gallatin is top seed and Gwyer’s teammate, Dom Fundy, is No. 2. Wallace is a third-place finisher at 170 in the Class AAA portion of last year’s PIAA tournament and Fundy was a state runner-up in Class AA at that weight.
“It’s a great tournament, so many good teams, Triple-A and Double-A,” said Fundy. “I just love the vibes here. It’s great to be here.
“I thought I’d be second. Tim is one of my workout partners at Young Guns and he’s a great wrestler. Honestly, I don’t care about seeds.”
Another interesting weight is 170, where McGuffey’s Christian Clutter is top seed and appears on a collision course with second-seeded Kyle Homet of Waynesburg, a silver medalist at Powerade last week.
All the top seeds in the tournament won their quarterfinal bouts, including three-time state champion Gavin Teasdale of Jefferson-Morgan. Teasdale pinned Ty Mazutis of Chartiers-Houston in 40 seconds at 126 pounds.
Canon-McMillan’s Logan Macri, a Powerade champion, is not participating.