Beth-Center wrestling wants to climb the ladder in postseason play
Beth-Center wrestling would like to take the next step at the WPIAL Class AA Team Tournament this upcoming season.
The Bulldogs finished third in Section 2-AA, defeated Chartiers-Houston (39-30) in the first round of the team playoffs before falling to South Fayette, 52-22, in the quarterfinals.
Fourth-year head coach Gary Welsh hopes his team can get past the round of eight this season. Welsh has led Beth-Center to back-to-back appearances in the quarters, and it has qualified for the postseason all three years in his tenure.
“We are looking to climb the ladder,” Welsh said. “We will forfeit at least one weight prior to the Christmas break, but after the two-pound growth allowance goes into effect, we hope to be able to fill our lineup. In our section, Derry and McGuffey are the two top teams until someone knocks them off. Derry has a lot of guys back, so we know that will be a tough match.”
In addition to the Highlanders, the Bulldogs wrestle Bentworth, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown and West Greene in Sub-Section 2A. The Trojans, Elizabeth Forward, Frazier, Mount Pleasant, Southmoreland and Yough make up Sub-Section 2B. They open the season today at the Chartiers-Houston Tournament, and wrestle in the Southmoreland Christmas Classic and TriCADA Tournament.
Beth-Center’s top returning wrestler is Dominic Fundy. The junior was the state runner-up last season at 182 pounds. Fundy dropped a 6-0 decision to Saegertown’s Cody Mulligan in the finals at the Giant Center in Hershey. Fundy was 39-1 last season and has a career record of 75-12. He is slated to start at 195, and will look to drop to 182 after Dec. 25.
“We will have to see what happens with his weight,” Welsh said. “Dominic (Fundy) plays football so he was a little bigger for that. I really think he has all the tools to win a state championship. It is really more about the mental approach now.
“He worked hard in the offseason and continues to wrestle at clubs to work with great practice partners. He understands what’s ahead of him and knows that it won’t be easy. The top four guys in his weight class are back. I really think he can beat (Cody) Mulligan. Dominic just needs to focus on himself. It really hurt him at the time of the loss, but after you look back and reflect, you realize that the other guy was pretty good, too. Sometimes, it comes down to who is peaking at the right time.”
Fundy’s second trip to the state tournament wasn’t a surprise, but teammate Jimmy Gwyer turned a lot of heads by qualifying for the PIAA Individual Tournament at 120. The junior, who also plays soccer, finished his season at 29-19, and returns to the lineup at 120.
“This is no knock on Jimmy, but it was a big surprise to see him qualify for states because he has only been wrestling since eighth grade,” Welsh said. “He had to overcome a lot of obstacles and was playing catch-up.
“He avenged a lot of losses in the postseason, but I think the moment we started to realize he could do something special was when he beat Bentworth’s Manny Dovshek, who also qualified for the state tournament, in our dual meet. I give Manny a lot of credit because he normally wrestles at 113 and bumped up, but Jimmy gained a lot of confidence after that match.”
Welsh sees potential in juniors Richard LaRosa (113), Jacob Housel (152), Jacob Baker (195/220) and JJ Berish (170).
“I really believe those four will be key guys for us,” Welsh said. “Jacob Housel was one match from regionals last year and wrestled at a high level towards the end of the season. He may drop to 145. Jacob Baker will be one of our captains. He couldn’t compete in the postseason last year due to a staph infection.
“Richard LaRosa is another guy that has the potential to help us out a great deal, and JJ Berish goes to Qwest Wrestling Club to improve on his technique and should provide depth for us.”
Welsh also likes what he sees in senior Garrett Dillon (182/195) and sophomore Todd Fisher (132).
“Garrett (Dillon) has a good work ethic and he has the potential to make it to regionals, and an outside shot at going to states,” Welsh said. “The weight he wrestles at will depend on what (Dominic) Fundy is going to do.
“Todd (Fisher) is in the top three of the hardest workers in our wrestling room.”
Welsh has two former Bulldogs on his staff in Zach Swarrow and Chris Stay. Swarrow was a three-time state qualifier and two-time medal winner, while Stay was a two-time state qualifier.
“It is great having those guys on staff because they aren’t far removed from being in high school and in the same position these guys are in,” Welsh said. “I am so glad to have those guys on my staff.”