by Michael Leonard | Sports Editor
Alliance -- Dallas Testa knew the odds were stacked against him.
The Tallmadge senior 106-pounder was the lone Blue Devil heading into the rigorous Division II district tournament at Alliance.
Testa didn't walk away winless, but he did not reach the podium.
Testa finished 1-2 at the Alliance, three wins shy of earning a possible spot at the Division II state meet.
Tallmadge head coach Jason Shaw said Testa gave the best effort he could.
"Dallas was hurting physically," Shaw said. "He has been dealing with it all year. Being a fourth seed means you're going to have a tough road."
Testa may have been a No. 4 seed, but he gave No. 1 seed Tucker Pearce of Coventy all he could handle. The match was a wild, but a late takedown gave Pearce a 15-13 win.
"He had him beat until the last minute," Shaw said. "I twas tough to lose that way."
Testa rebounded by shutting out Conneaut's Alesha Zappitella 6-0.
However, Testa was eliminated via a 9-3 loss to West Branch's Alec Schopfer.
While Testa will graduate, the majority of Tallmadge's squad will return next season.
"We were a young team this year," Shaw said. "I know we had expectations, but the bottom line was we had very little varsity experience."
Email: mleonard@recordpub.com
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