Raiders strong in Day 1 of Powerade Tournament
Waynesburg Central鈥檚 Mac Church picks up the lone takedown during his quarterfinal bout against Erie Prep鈥檚 Jacob Van Dee on Friday in the Powerade Tournament at Canon-McMillan High School. Church edged Van Dee, 3-1, to advance to the semifinals in the 106-pound weight class. (Photo by Jonathan Guth)
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Waynesburg Central鈥檚 Wyatt Henson scores a takedown against Parkersburg South鈥檚 Bo Moler during their bout in the quarterfinals at the Powerade Tournament on Friday at Canon-McMillan High School. Henson won by fall in 3:43 to advance to the semifinals in the 138-pound weight class.
Jonathan Guth | 缅北禁地
Waynesburg Central鈥檚 Mac Church works a front headlock against Erie Prep鈥檚 Jacob Van Dee during the quarterfinals of the Powerade Tournament on Friday at Canon-McMillan High School. Church, who is the top seed at 106 pounds, won by decision, 3-1.
Waynesburg Central鈥檚 Wyatt Henson has his hand raised after winning his quarterfinal bout in the 138-pound weight class on Friday in the Powerade Tournament at Canon-McMillan High School. (Photo by Jonathan Guth)
CANONSBURG 鈥� Waynesburg Central is certainly battle tested.
Head coach Joe Throckmorton鈥檚 Raiders have wrestled in the Walsh Jesuit Ironman Tournament and the Beast of the East the past two weekends, and finish up the calendar year at the Powerade Tournament later this evening at Canon-McMillan High School.
The tournaments have the distinction of being named the three toughest in the country for high school grapplers, with the Ironman tabbed No. 1, the Powerade No. 2 and the Beast No. 3.
Throckmorton鈥檚 squad must have learned something from wrestling at the Ironman and Beast of the East, as it is in third place after Day 1 with 104.5 team points. Wyoming Seminary leads the way with 156 team points and Malvern Prep is second with 123.
The Raiders鈥� chances of winning their first team title at the Powerade Tournament since 1988 are slim, but the possibility of crowning an individual champion for the first time since Chris Neidermeier won gold in 2004 at 112 pounds are good with Mac Church (106), Rocco Welsh (126), Wyatt Henson (138) and Luca Augustine (160) advancing to the semifinals.
鈥淲restling in these top tournaments really bring out what we need to work on and improve on,鈥� Augustine said. 鈥淚t is amazing to think about where we came from and where we are at now, and we are not losing anybody for next year. We can only get better from here if everybody stays healthy.鈥�
Church advanced to the final four with a 3-1 decision over Erie Prep鈥檚 Jacob Van Dee. He escaped to start the second period and scored a takedown with 14 seconds left in the second and held on for the close victory. Church, who is the No. 1 seed, wrestles Howell, New Jersey鈥檚 Ethan Liptzin in the semifinals, but has assured himself of at least sixth place.
鈥淚 really don鈥檛 worry about stuff like seeds,鈥� Church said. 鈥淗e (Van Dee) wasn鈥檛 seeded, I don鈥檛 know how, because he was tough. I just need to work on my shots more because I will probably see him again.
鈥淚 just try to focus on what I do, but at the end of the day, I will probably look and see how the team is doing. It is pretty cool to be in this position as a freshman. Looking back as a kid, I don鈥檛 think I believed I would be doing so well as a freshman.鈥�
Welsh secured a four-point move with three seconds left in the third period to upset Franklin Regional鈥檚 Finn Solomon, who was the No. 3 seed, in the quarterfinals. Welsh, an unseeded freshman, meets Norwin鈥檚 Kurtis Phipps in the semifinals. Phipps is the two seed.
鈥淚t was controversial but I think I got him,鈥� said Welsh in reference to the win over Solomon. 鈥淪eeds really don鈥檛 matter. I am just taking it one match at a time. I also think wrestling in big tournaments have helped us to wrestle in close matches like this. Our coaches always tell us to not worry about the media and the seeds. We just focus on getting better in the room.鈥�
Henson won a state title last year in Missouri, but knows that the competition from top-to-bottom is much tougher in Pennsylvania. The junior and Iowa recruit pinned Parkersburg South鈥檚 Bo Moler in 3:43 to advance to the semis. Henson faces North Hills鈥� Sam Hillegas in the final four.
鈥淚 will just go out there tomorrow, wrestle hard and get my hand raised,鈥� said Henson in regards to wrestling the two-time state champion. 鈥淭here are good guys in Missouri, but there is so much more depth in Pennsylvania. Everyone is good in Pennsylvania. I also think wrestling the schedule we do at Waynesburg helps us so much. We wrestle one of the toughest schedules in the country.鈥�
Augustine may be a junior, but is one of the veterans for Throckmorton. He edged Malvern Prep鈥檚 Jack Wehmeyer, 1-0, in the quarterfinals. Augustine meets Parkersburg South鈥檚 John Martin Best in the semifinals.
鈥淚 had to ride him out the whole third period, but a win鈥檚 a win,鈥� said Augustine, who is a University of Pittsburgh commitment. 鈥淚 lost twice to him (Best) but they were very close matches. Hopefully, the third time is the charm.鈥�
Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Ryan Michaels is guaranteed no less than sixth place after he gutted out a 6-0 decision over Wyoming Seminary鈥檚 Gregor McNeil at 120 pounds. Michaels, a senior that is headed to Campbell University to continue his wrestling career, meets Arlington Martin鈥檚 Dominic Chavez in the semifinals.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 able to get a takedown in the first period, even though I was in deep on my shots, but I just went for it in the next period,鈥� Michaels said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 dwell on things and I know that I have to be a solid wrestler in all three positions. It was good to build up a little bit of a lead in the third, and I felt like my conditioning helped me later in the match. My opponent in the semifinals is from Texas, so that is really all I know about him.鈥�
The Raiders鈥� Nate Jones (113) and Cole Homet (132) are in the fourth round of consolations.
Connellsville won鈥檛 have a champion, but the Falcons and head coach Jesse Swink have five remaining in the consolations in Chad Ozias (106), Mason Prinkey (113), Jared Keslar (138), Casper Hinklie (160) and Dakoda Rodgers (182).
The Warriors鈥� Ethan Cain (182) and Nick Murphy (285) are also alive in the consolations.
Luke Geibig is the lone Mount Pleasant wrestler in contention for a medal, as he is in the fourth round of consolations at 113.The fourth round of consolations begin today at 9:30 a.m. and the winners will be guaranteed a spot on the podium. The sixth round of consolations is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the championship and consolation finals start at 5 p.m. The parade of champions is set for 4:40 p.m.