Lack of participation hurts J-M wrestling team
As the 2015-16 high school wrestling season begins, fans of the Jefferson-Morgan High School team might need to be prepared for an unusual season.
Oh sure the Rockets will still have superstar Gavin Teasdale at 113 pounds and he’ll be the odds-on favorite to be standing at the top of the medal stand in Hershey next March. The other stalwart in the lineup, 182-pounder Bill Bowlen, also figures to have a big season and should contend for state honors.
After that, well, coach Mike Lesko is not singing a necessarily happy tune.
“I don’t know if we can make the postseason (the WPIAL Team Tournament) with this team,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do with these young kids.”
The focus of Lesko’s angst is not with the wrestlers on the team, but with two who aren’t.
“We have two kids who wrestled as juniors who decided not to wrestle this year,” he said. “Not having them really is going to hurt. It takes away flexibility in the lineup and it puts us in the position of having to use some very inexperienced kids.”
Add to that the fact he’ll be without junior 160-pounder Trevor Kniah as he recovers from a knee injury early and that when the season begins, he’ll have to forfeit at heavyweight.
“It’s a numbers game for Class AA teams, no doubt about it,” Lesko said. “And then it gets compounded by a lack of participation by quality wrestlers who don’t want to wrestle anymore. I thought we’d be nice and decent. …”
The decisions by 160-pounder Trevor Jamison (a regional qualifier last year) and Damon Belford, a 145-pounder, thrusts the spotlight on four wrestlers with less than two handfuls of varsity experience between them.
Hunter Journic (113), Jordan Jento (138), Justin Maddich (145) and Tristen Yeager (152) will need to learn quickly if the Rockets are to become successful.
J-M’s anchor, of course, will be Teasdale. As a freshman, he had a victory march that lasted 46 matches and a state title at 106. In the Eastern Invitational two weekends ago, Teasdale wrestled at 120, but has a goal of being at 113 pounds for the Powerade Invitational after Christmas.
“Gavin is Gavin, although this year I think he’s going to add a little more flash,” Lesko said.
Bowlen picked up a big win in the finals of the Eastern, knocking off Kiski Area’s Tyler Worthing, one of the top 182-pounders in the state, 5-3, in overtime. “He has a chance to be there in Hershey, too.”
At 106, Lesko will be counting on sophomore Mason Palmer, who had an interesting couple days in the Eastern Tournament. He pinned four opponents and finished fifth. “He’s a tough kid,” Lesko said.
Another sophomore, Josh Agnew, will be at 126.
Senior Dalton Fowler will be at 220 and Lesko will mix and match to find a lineup that hopefully will improve as the season progresses.
“For several years, we’ve always been in contention,” he said. “I don’t see anybody beating Burrell. They’re loaded. South Fayette will give them a run, but I don’t think they can beat them. Derry, McGuffey, Mt. Pleasant and Southmoreland are going to be good teams, too.”