Sports

BHS Alum, Student Both Win Golden Gloves Boxing Matches Saturday Night

Scott Bradley '08 earns a 2011 Western Pennsylvania championship and the evening's outstanding boxer award.

Boxing is not a sponsored sport at . Too bad, because the Highlanders would have had themselves some tough teams over the years.

The Western Pennsylvania Golden Gloves boxing championships came to Saddle Ridge in Station Square on Saturday night, and two BHS students – one a recent alumnus and the other a sophomore – came away with three-round decisions.

Scott Bradley, a 2008 Baldwin graduate, earned top honors Saturday night by claiming the evening's outstanding fighter award.

Find out what's happening in Baldwin-Whitehallwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Golden Gloves officials bestowed that honor on Bradley as the last order of the night, but the basis for the honor came from Bradley's earlier victory that evening when he out-dueled Larry Blakely of the 3rd Avenue Boxing Gym for a three-round victory.

The fight's judges awarded Bradley the win after he landed more punches than Blakely over their three three-minute rounds.

Find out what's happening in Baldwin-Whitehallwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Most of the audience wholeheartedly agreed with the judges' decision, but Bradley wasn't as convinced.

"I knew it was close," Bradley said. "He's an awkward lefty."

If Bradley was worried about Blakely, he sure didn't show it during their bout when scored repeated combinations on the 3rd Avenue southpaw. Blakely was able to counter with jabs after most combinations, but it wasn't enough to outscore Bradley.

With the win, Bradley earned the tournament's 2011 165-pound open-class championship. Open-class boxers are the sport's most experienced amateurs.

He will now fight for a 2011 state Golden Gloves title against an opponent to be decided from Eastern Pennsylvania. The state finals will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Station Square on Saturday, April 9.

Bradley has endured quite a journey to get to the state finals this year, having had to win three times already in his own part of the commonwealth – a rarity and something no other Western Pa. fighter has had to deal with this year. Though, Bradley said that he's been through it before.

"Every time I fight in the tournament, I've had to do that," Bradley said. "so I just take it one day at a time and keep working hard in the gym.

"The hard work's paying off."

Stay tuned to the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch for details on how Bradley performs in his state-title bout.

Bradley represents the Carrick Community Boxing Academy, where he fights for his father, also named Scott Bradley. The elder Bradley lives in , while the younger Bradley lives in .

The younger Bradley once trained at the South Park Boxing Club under resident Bob "Muscles" Healy.

Still training under Healy at the South Park gym is fellow Baldwin Township resident Matt Conway, a .

Conway, a BHS sophomore, is fighting in the 125-pound cadet-class section of this year's Golden Gloves tournament, and he picked up a three-round judges' decision Saturday night in a semifinals matchup against John Spell of North Side Boxing.

Conway used a sharp left hook to hurt Spell over all three rounds. He landed enough of those hooks and other punches to outscore his opponent and advance to the cadet-class final, to be contested at the Royal Place Restaurant on Route 88 on Friday, April 8.

Conway and Spell competed over two-minute rounds.

Only open-class fighters contend for state Golden Gloves titles, so April 8 will be the end of the line for Conway. CORRECTION: Conway could compete for a state Golden Gloves title at the cadet level.

Still, he has a bright future ahead of him and should eventually enter the open-class ranks.

Conway's not the only Baldwin-Whitehall student competing for South Park Boxing. His brother, Mike, a BHS junior, also fights for that gym, as does Shawn Cusick, an eighth-grader at  and another 2011 state Silver Gloves champ.

Disclaimer: Bob Healy is the author's father.


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