Wrestling: Tough tournaments challenge South Side Beaver
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South Side Beaver wrestling coach Bear McCoy could have chosen an easier tournament for the Rams to participate in during the holidays.
Instead, he chose to return to the 44th annual Powerade Tournament, which is clearly the strongest regular-season tournament in the state of Pennsylvania, and one of the top five tournaments in the country.
"It took us forever to get into the Powerade Tournament. I'm certainly not going to pull out now," McCoy said. "This is one of the strongest tournaments in the country. I want my kids to have the opportunity to perform on that stage."
McCoy remembers the early years of the tournament, but doesn't have fond memories.
"They held the tournament at California University when I was wrestling [at South Side Beaver], but they wouldn't let us in," McCoy said. "[Former coach Ron Ledbetter] finally got us into Powerade in 2007. We've actually done pretty well considering we're one of the smallest schools in the tournament."
South Side Beaver has finished no higher than 31st in the team standings in its three Powerade Tournament appearances. The Rams have had five place-winners, however, including one runner-up.
"We had two place-winners last year and both are back," McCoy said. "David Demor placed sixth at 145 pounds and Nathan Reckner was seventh at 103."
Demor is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Dominic, who was a Powerade runner-up at 145 in 2007. David Demor competed in the same weight class last year and returns at the same weight this year.
"We have a couple kids who could place high in this year's tournament," McCoy said. "But both are in weight classes that are loaded. It will be a real challenge for everybody on our team."
South Side Beaver opened the 2010-11 season with a seventh-place finish at the 21-team Chartiers-Houston Invitational. The Rams had four place-winners, including Reckner, who claimed the 112-pound title.
First Published December 24, 2010 12:00 am
