Teasdale wins fourth state wrestling title
Jefferson-Morgan蘑菇视频 Gavin Teasdale and Saucon Valley蘑菇视频 Josh Jones grapple during the 126-pound championship bout in the PIAA Class AA Individual Wrestling Championships held at the Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday.
Jefferson-Morgan蘑菇视频 Gavin Teasdale has his arm raised declaring him the winner of his 126-pound championship bout against Saucon Valley蘑菇视频 Josh Jones at the PIAA Class AA Individual Wrestling Championships on March 10, 2018, at Giant Center. Teasdale won a 2-0 decision for his fourth state title. (Photo by Edward K. Thompson)
HERSHEY 鈥� Gavin Teasdale didn鈥檛 score a single takedown in his final high school varsity match鈥� and still won his fourth state championship.
The Jefferson-Morgan senior and Penn State University recruit completed his mission with a 2-0 decision over Saucon Valley蘑菇视频 Josh Jones (36-3, 108-27) on Saturday afternoon in the PIAA Class AA finals at the Giant Center.
Teasdale was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Class AA tournament.
鈥淚t is just like any other tournament, honestly,鈥� Teasdale said. 鈥淭he biggest thing is that people come in here and freeze up. I just wrestle like I鈥檓 in my own gym. It has been a heck of a senior year. I want to make the world team, win a world title and have fun wrestling at Penn State.鈥�
Teasdale (40-2, 162-2) is known for picking up multiple takedowns in a match, but due to Jones鈥� defensive style, he wasn鈥檛 able to finish any shots. He took roughly seven shots while Jones didn鈥檛 take any.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to get caught in stupid crap,鈥� Teasdale said. 鈥淚 want to be a three-position wrestler. If I am not able to get a takedown, I am going to turn you, and if that doesn鈥檛 work, I am going to get out. If I give up a takedown or get reversed, I am focused on what I am going to do next.鈥�
Jones made an interesting decision by choosing top heading into the second period, and Teasdale scored an escape for a 1-0 lead heading into the third. Teasdale scored another escape in the third.
鈥淵ou are going to have to win those gritty matches in college because guys are going to do whatever they can to not give up any takedowns,鈥� Teasdale said. 鈥淵ou have to do whatever it takes to get the victory. In the end, the win is what matters.鈥�
Jones is confident in his top wrestling, which is why the junior decided to take top.
鈥淚 gained a great deal of confidence in being able to hang with him,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚 thought I had a couple of opportunities to score, but he is so good on his feet.鈥�
Teasdale became the 13th grappler in the history of the state championships to become a four timer. He also joined fellow Rocket and current Campbell University head wrestling coach Cary Kolat as a four-time champion. Kolat won his four from 1990-93 to cap his career off at 137-0. Jefferson-Morgan is the only school with two four-time champions.
鈥淚 really don鈥檛 think of being mentioned in the same breath as Cary because when you look at my record and his, Cary has the goose egg,鈥� Teasdale said. 鈥淐ary蘑菇视频 mindset going into every tournament was getting the OW (Outstanding Wrestling). If I am focusing on getting the OW, I already won the state tournament. I am not afraid to attack and score as many points as I can.鈥�
Teasdale had a scare at the state tournament during his freshman year when he was caught in a headlock by Southern Columbia蘑菇视频 Jaret Lane in the quarterfinals that sent the match into overtime before Teasdale pulled out a 12-10 win.
Teasdale came into his senior year undefeated, but lost his first high school career match, 4-3, to Wyoming Seminary蘑菇视频 Beau Bartlett in the finals of the Powerade Tournament, and dropped an 8-4 decision to Weir High School蘑菇视频 Caleb Rea out of Weirton, West Virginia. He came back strong from the two setbacks, and is now ready to compete for head coach Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions.
鈥淗e has been through so much and it is great to see him (Teasdale) go out on top,鈥� Jefferson-Morgan coach Mike Lesko said. 鈥淚 will always remember that really close match he had in the quarterfinals his freshman year, but he has come through it all.鈥�
Lesko has been with Teasdale since Day 1, and is privileged to have worked with one of the best high school wrestlers the state has seen. Lesko has decided to step down as head coach at Jefferson-Morgan.
鈥淚 guess I did what I was supposed to do,鈥� Lesko said. 鈥淚 threw my tie off at the end of the match because wrestlers will leave their shoes on the mat when they retire. I think that is what coaches need to start doing. I didn鈥檛 want to steal any thunder from Gavin.
鈥淢y son is autistic, and he needs me more than I need to be with everybody else蘑菇视频 kid. It has been a pleasure to coach him for four years. He has made my job easy.鈥�
Teasdale will wrestle in the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic at Pitt蘑菇视频 Fitzgerald Field House on March 25 against Delbarton, New Jersey蘑菇视频 Patrick Glory. Teasdale defeated him in two Powerade finals, but Glory got the better of him at Flo Wrestling蘑菇视频 Who蘑菇视频 No. 1 event on Oct. 8.
鈥淚 am glad that I will get the chance to redeem myself against (Patrick) Glory,鈥� Teasdale said. 鈥淚 am going keep the pressure on him, and that is the thing that caps off your senior year. I think the first year I went to the Classic was in 2011. It is great to see the toughest wrestlers in Pennsylvania face the best in the United States.鈥�
Teasdale plans on enrolling at Penn State in June to get acclimated to life as a college student and wrestler.
鈥淚 am probably going to go a week after graduating,鈥� Teasdale said.