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3 Leopards, Teasdale reach Powerade semifinals

By Mike Dudurich for The 3 min read

CANONSBURG — Belle Vernon Area’s powerful wrestling team took eight wrestlers into Tuesday night’s quarterfinals of the Powerade Wrestling Tournament at Canon-McMillan High School.

The Leopards had the lead with 96.5 points with another strong WPIAL team, Kiski Area, in second with 89. Thirty-seven wrestlers from the WPIAL made it to the quarterfinals.

Things didn’t go nearly as well for BVA in that session as five of those eight were defeated, leaving coach Mike Doppleheuer’s team with three wrestlers in this morning’s semifinals.

“All in all, the kids wrestled well,” Doppleheuer, who’s hobbling about with a boot to protect a broken ankle, said. “We have 11 of 14 still alive for medals. For the kids in the consolation round, their first matches tomorrow will be very important, getting them on their way.”

Advancing to the semis were Jacob Dunlop at 106, Zach Hartman at 132 and Austin Bell at 170.

Dunlop didn’t allow a point in his two wins Tuesday, posting 10-0 and 1-0 shutouts. Teammate Hartman had a pair of pins and top-seeded Bell had a pin and a decision to set up a match against Penn-Trafford’s Matt McGillick. Hartman will also have a WPIAL matchup, facing Mike Heinl of Shaler. Dunlop will face J.J. Wilson of Cedar Cliff.

“Yeah, there were a couple there we thought we should have had, but that’s what happens here,” Doppleheuer said. “We told the kids before that we knew they were good enough to beat anybody, but maybe today we just didn’t have our best day.”

Because of his high profile (thanks to winning a world championship this summer), Jarod Verklereen’s loss at 145 to Mekhi Lewis of Bound Brook, N.J., drew a lot of attention. He lost 5-4 ultimate tiebreaker on a rideout, the same way he lost last year here.

“He’s struggling with his diabetes a little right now,” Doppleheuer said. “He has a problem with his numbers get too low and it saps his energy. He’s one of the best kids in the world and he knows he has a target on his back every night. He wasn’t on top of his game today and he didn’t win.”

All three Leopards left in the semis are quality wrestlers and figure to face quality opponents in the semis.

Waynesburg has a pair in the semis. Shaun Wilson knocked off BVA’s Brock Godzin, 6-4, at 138 to advance and 182-pounder Colin McCracken knocked off Kiski Area standout Tyler Worthing with a pin in 1:04.

It was assumed going into Tuesday’s action that Jefferson-Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale would be difficult to beat and that was something of an understatement. He laid a technical fall on Colten Beck of Saegertown in the second round at 106 pounds and settled for a major decision over Daniel Percelay of DePaul Catholic, N.J.

Teasdale certainly didn’t ease up in the quarterfinals, pounding Jaxson Roney of Plainview, Okla., 22-9. The sophomore sensation still hasn’t lost a varsity match.

Teasdale was the only Jefferson-Morgan wrestler to make it to the semis.

Wrestling gets underway today at 10 a.m., with the semifinals scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and the finals for 7:30 p.m.

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