Jan 16, 2019 4 min read

After eight bouts Wednesday night, the situation didn’t look good for the Beth-Center High School wrestling team. The Bulldogs had lost six of the weight classes and were trailing the host Highlanders 30-9 in a dual meet for the Class AA Section 1B subsection title.

With only six weigh classes remaining to be contested, Beth-Center had to make it move and the Bulldogs did as much.

Beth-Center won five of the final six bouts, including a dramatic pin by Jimmy Gwyer at 120 pounds – the final bout of the the match – Beth-Center pulled into a 33-33 tie. The Bulldogs won the match based on the tiebreaker of most falls/forfeits (4-3).

The victory sends the Bulldogs to next week’s Section 1 team tournament at Burgettstown as the first-place team from the subsection and will face Washington. McGuffey will be the No. 2 team and will face Burgettstown in the first round.

McGuffey built its lead in the middle weights, getting falls from Ethan Barr (152), Christian Clutter (170) and Garrett Boone (182). The pin by Boone put the Highlanders on top 30-9.

A 2-1 win at 195 by Evan Dreucci stopped McGuffey’s streak and Dominic Fundy’s fall at 195 cut McGuffey’s lead to 30-18. Jacob Baker won the heavyweight bout 6-3 to pull the Bulldogs to within single digits.

A forfeit at 106 made it 30-27 but McGuffey’s Nate Yagle won a 4-2 decision at 113 to give the Highlanders a six-point lead entering the final bout.

Canon-McMillan 56, South Fayette 15: Canon-McMillan will be hosting the Class AAA Section 4 team tournament next Wednesday. That was assured when the Big Macs cruised past South Fayette 56-15 to win the subsection title.

The Big Macs will face old rival Trinity in the opening round. South Fayette will wrestle Waynesburg in the other bout.

In the win over the Lions, Canon-McMillan seven consecutive wins after splitting the first two weight classes.

Leading 6-3, the Big Macs pulled away with a technical fall by Jacob Houck (106), pins by Costa Moore (113)Jimmy baxter (120), Jacob Gardner (126), Ryan Clendaniel (138) and Tanner Rohaley (145) and a decision by Remington Ross (132).

C-M’s Alek Hendal (220) started the match with a fall. Tyler Kerr (182) and Evan Miller (195) finished it with pins.

Dalton Hartsog (152) had a fall for South Fayette.

Washington 48, Fort Cherry 26: For the first time in more than a decade Washington will be in the team position of wrestling’s postseason.

The Prexies secured the second-place spot in Section 1A of Class AA with a 48-26 victory over Fort Cherry. Washington, which tied for second place with South Park but held the tiebreaker advantage by beating the Eagles earlier this season, will wrestle Beth-Center next Wednesday.

Washington won six weight classes via forfeit and received consecutive pins by Mike Ewing (152) and Andrew Bryner (160).

Bentworth 51, West Greene 24: Noah Westin had the only first-period pin as Bentworth dominated late in bouts to earn the final postseason spot in Class AA Section 1B with a 51-24 victory over West Greene.

Westin (132) opened the match pinned his opponent in 37 seconds to give the Bearcats an early lead. West Martin (145) and heavyweight Lorenzo Axton both won by fall in the second period. Shane Barber (170) and Bryce Hook (113) helped seal the victory with third-period pins.

West Greene faced an early deficit, losing five of the six opening bouts.

The only wins for the Pioneers came from three forfeits and a pin in 32 seconds from Kolin Walker at 182.

Burgettstown 66, Chartiers-Houston 15: Winning the first five bouts, first-place Burgettstown rolled to a 66-15 win over Chartiers-Houston in Class AA Section 1A.

The Blue Devils, who will host the section team tournament next Wednesday, won six bouts by forfeit and dominated in the lower weights.

Burgettstown’s Shane Ilgenfritz (106), Hunter Guiddy (120), Austin Ryan (132) and Turner Lehman (160) all earned pins. Both falls from Ilgenfritz and Lehman came in the first period.

Ty Mazutis (126) and Austin Keslock (182) earned the only two pins for the Bucs.