J-M’s Teasdale rolls to third straight Powerade title
Evan Sanders
Evan Sanders Jefferson-Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale (left) gets control of Canon-McMillan’s Logan Macri in the 120-pound bout in the Powerade Wrestling Tournament finals at Canon-McMillan High School on Friday. Teasdale went on to defeat Macri by decision 10-4.
Jefferson-Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale (right) works to control Canon-McMillan’s Logan Macri during the 120-pound bout during the Powerade Wrestling Tournament finals last Friday at Canon-McMillan High School. Teasdale went on to defeat Macri by decision 10-4. (Photo by Evan Sanders)
Evan Sanders
Jefferson-Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale (bottom) works to pull Canon-McMillan’s Logan Macri to the mat in the 120-pound bout at the Powerade Wrestling Tournament finals held Friday at Canon-McMillan High School. Teasdale went on to defeat Macri by decision 10-4.
CANONSBURG — Jefferson-Morgan junior Gavin Teasdale pushed his undefeated high school record to 92-0 after winning the championship in the 120-pound class at the annual Powerade Wrestling Tournament at Canon-McMillan High School Friday night. It was his third Powerade championship, which will give him the opportunity next year to be a rare four-time champ.
“I think this tournament is bigger than the state tournament itself because we’re facing ranked kids from all over the country,” Teasdale said. “You might face a kid that’s ranked fifth in the country (at the Powerade Tournament). You probably aren’t going to face someone at states that’s ranked fifth in the country.”
Teasdale, one of the top-ranked wrestlers in the country, had little trouble in controlling the championship match against home gym favorite, junior Logan Macri from Canon-McMillan. He fought Macri before, so he had a handle on how to game plan this time and pulled away for a 10-4 win.
“I always had my back facing the center and kept the pressure on him. The last time we wrestled, I think I won 10-3. He tried to defend me so I knew going into this match I would have the same problem. I stuck to it and just kept going,” Teasdale said. “I knew he would try to hold me off so I had to stick to my attacks, then when he took a shot, I defended and just wrestled off that. I pictured it this way — if I shoot a hundred times, I’ll probably get to him on five of the shots so I wanted to shoot as much as possible.”
Teasdale led 4-2 after the first by scoring two takedowns. He extended his lead to 6-2 after the second period with another takedown, and iced the match in the third by scoring two more takedowns. Even though the match was not as close as it sounded, as Teasdale gave Macri four escape points, he feels he still could have wrestled better.
“I still don’t think I wrestled to my full capability but I got the job done at the end of the day. I just kept the pressure on him,” Teasdale said. “I knew he would try to hold me off so I needed to make my attacks then defend when he tried to take a shot.”
Teasdale credited his strategy for the tournament as a key to winning the championship.
“In the quarters, semis, and the in the final in this tournament I would get to peoples’ legs, then I had to scramble after they jumped to my ankles. ” Teasdale said. “I didn’t think about (winning a third Powerade championship in three years) coming in. I just took one match at a time like I do in any other tournament. I think taking one match at a time and scoring points was the biggest key.”
Teasdale credited working with Franklin Regional senior Spencer Lee as also being a factor in preparing for the tournament. Fans had actually hoped to see a match-up of Teasdale and Lee at this tournament, but Teasdale dropped down to 120 and Lee wrestled at 126, where he won the championship, to stagger the weight classes between them.
“We’re practice partners every day. We know each other and we help each other out,” Teasdale said. “Sometimes I’ll cut, sometimes he’ll cut. We’ll flip-flop around to see what’s better for us.”
Teasdale is now looking forward to taking what he learned from this tournament and working on improving and advancing through his junior season.
“I need to work on defending my ankles. Once I get on the attacks and finishing my attacks quicker and cleaner,” Teasdale said. “I need to keep taking it to other kids for the rest of the season.”