Wrestler You Were Most in Awe of in High School

[mcpat]

For me, it was Joey Wildasin. I knew who Kolat was, but he wasn’t local and most of us in SCPA figured Joey would give him a match at the time. Dude was such a beast on top.

Honorable mention: Ty Moore, Ray Brinzer, Cary Kolat

How ‘bout you all?

 

[dicemen99]

For me, it was Joey Wildasin. I knew who Kolat was, but he wasn’t local and most of us in SCPA figured Joey would give him a match at the time. Dude was such a beast on top.

Honorable mention: Ty Moore, Bob Crawford, Cary Kolat

How ‘bout you all?

Chris Kwortnik

 

[bapsu_1]

For me, it was Joey Wildasin. I knew who Kolat was, but he wasn’t local and most of us in SCPA figured Joey would give him a match at the time. Dude was such a beast on top.

Honorable mention: Ty Moore, Ray Brinzer, Cary Kolat

How ‘bout you all?

Jimmy Martin.

 

[johnstownsteel]

Kolat. He was younger but I was still in awe of him. Jefferson Morgan came to the my highschool to scrimmage. They brought a 7th grader up with them to wrestle our senior state placer. The 7th grader was Kolat.... and Kolat destroyed him.

 

[LongJakk]

Steve Sefter. AAA Runner up 156 and 167. Champ at 185 and hwt. At PSU was listed on football roster at 220, so he probably topped out at 210 when he was AA wrestling against unlimited guys.

 

[zzs006]

McIlravy and Kolat. I was a sophomore in hs when McIllravy won as a freshman against Abas in what was the most incredible match I’d ever seen. Plus his boot scoot was just ****ing next level. Kolat’s my favorite though. Just an absolute beast

 

[DeadHead11]

Kolat. I saw him spladle a dude at JO states up in Erie many moons ago. Poor bastard was just laying there playing with his shoelaces.

Honorable Mention: Tomeo because I got to see him wrestle a lot. I’ll always remember his win over McGinness at the Dapper Dan.

 

[johnstownsteel]

Back in the 80s, we're the State Championships on PBS or what was the station? It was like a holiday for me and my buddies to drink beer and watch the finals. Good times.

 

[matter7172]

We had no idea of who was really good back when I was in high school. We were a wrestling backwater. But for me, Larry Kepp of CD East. He was just another one of good wrestlers in our area. He was in the finals of a Christmas tournament with me (different weight classes) our senior year of HS. But ...

he wrestled Jimmy Carr in the PA state finals in 1973 after Carr was on the 1972 Olympic team and after Carr had won Midlands earlier in 1973, beating the reigning NCAA champ and being OW of Midlands. Kepp almost beat Carr (8-6 final score), had Carr on the ropes and, if the referees had some cujones, would have won via stalling calls, because I've rarely seen someone stall as badly as Carr did that match. *That* had me in awe.

Jimmy Carr

The National Wrestling Hall Of Fame

nwhof.org

 

[mcpat]

Back in the 80s, we're the State Championships on PBS or what was the station? It was like a holiday for me and my buddies to drink beer and watch the finals. Good times.

Sure were. I can still remember watching Brinzer setting up his Gumby doll…

 

[PSUcup1]

Chris Kwortnik

This^^^^^^

 

[PSUcup1]

Back in the 80s, we're the State Championships on PBS or what was the station? It was like a holiday for me and my buddies to drink beer and watch the finals. Good times.

Shel Sigel and Larry Sheridan. It was fantastic

 

[AndEEss]

(Now Dr.) Eric Tannenbaum. 3x IL state champ, 4x NCAA AA at Michigan.

Dude just pounded the tar out of the guy two weights above me in high school.

 

[nerfstate]

I was primarily a PSU fan when I was in High School, so Imma go with Kerry McCoy.

 

[mcpat]

Because I keep seeing Kris Kwortnik… thought I might mention the dude had one loss in high school, as a freshman in his first match at states as he otherwise was an undefeated 3x AAA state champ for North Penn in the greatest decade. 11 bonus wins in 12 matches at states as a 10th, 11th and 12 grader. Went on to become a 3x AA at NC State.

 

[johnstownsteel]

Carlton Haelrig was another for me. I still have a pic of him giving me my Area JO medal.

 

[rll1957]

I’m old. Wade schalles

 

[PSUcup1]

Because I keep seeing Kris Kwortnik… thought I might mention the dude had one loss in high school, as a freshman in his first match at states as he otherwise was an undefeated 3x AAA state champ for North Penn in the greatest decade. 11 bonus wins in 12 matches at states as a 10th, 11th and 12 grader. Went on to become a 3x AA at NC State.

Scott Henry from Manheim Central. Believe Kwortnik lumped him twice the following year. Henry dropped down to 155 and won states if I recall correctly

 

[amattaro]

Carlton Haelrig was another for me. I still have a pic of him giving me my Area JO medal.

JO means something different for you, pal.

 

[johnstownsteel]

JO means something different for you, pal.

I was the GOAT.. lol

They don't even call it Junior Olympics anymore do they? So removed from it I don't know. I know my mom has a couple singlets of mine put away somewhere. You'd get one to wear at state tournament if you qualified out of you area tournaments. I think they had your area number on it. Thinking mine was Area II but not sure.

 

[Nitlion1986]

2 kids from Erie. Nate Carr was simply amazing with his speed and power, and the other was Kevin Darkus.

 

[Pennstate1985]

Steve Sefter. AAA Runner up 156 and 167. Champ at 185 and hwt. At PSU was listed on football roster at 220, so he probably topped out at 210 when he was AA wrestling against unlimited guys.

Steve Sefter is a name I haven't heard in a very long time.

 

[PSUAllTheWay]

Wade Schalles was my idol growing up. The best wrestler I had a chance to train with was Kevin Darkus. And what a nice kid he was too!

My favorite Darkus story is we were working out at the Erie YMCA one summer during college and decided to go one more TD before wrapping up practice. I took him down which wasn't a common occurrence and he insisted we keep going until he got the last TD, LOL. I fought like hell to keep him from scoring but he eventually got what he wanted and left happy. What a great wrestler he was.

 

[District four]

Jason Betz from Warrior Run high school. 3x state champion should have had a fourth but got caught in a spladle. There was a Laudenslager from Line Mountain in the 90s that was a beast along with the Shingara boys. One kid from Loyalsock high school was really talented but never knew where he went to college. Last name was Waldren

 

[Pennstate1985]

I know my mom has a couple singlets of mine put away somewhere.

Don't they call them onesies now? Be honest, you grew out of "singlets" by the time you were two. 🤣

 

[mcpat]

You wear tights?

I wear the required uniform.

Tights?

Shut up!

 

[Callthestall]

I'm going to stay in the Lehigh Valley. The greatest neutral wrestler that I ever saw .
Jack Cuvo. Probably saw him in person 30-40 times.
I saw most of the other names listed above during the State Tournament in the Old Hershey Arena. That's where I saw Kolat do the backflip and score when his opponent had Cary leg elevated.

 

[mcpat]

I saw most the other names listed above during the State Tournament in the Old Hershey Arena. That's where I saw Kolat do the backflip and score when his opponent had Cary leg elevated.

Vs Chris Bohn (in 1992) who was a hell of a wrestler too. Loved the old Hershey arena.

 

[matter7172]

Vs Chris Bohn (in 1992) who was a hell of a wrestler too. Loved the old Hershey arena.

I went to a fair number of Hershey Bears hockey games there well before I knew anything about wrestling. Steepest arena ever. Your feet were level with the heads of the people the row in front of you.

 

[BigFella235]

Jason Nolf and Chance Marstellar. Watched Marstellar at freestyle states a few times. There was always a huge crowd of people around the mat when he wrestled. The first time I heard of him was back when he was still in JH and was beating guys much older than him. Fun fact: the guy Chance beat for his first state title is the uncle to one of my wrestlers.

Nolf was another one I got to see in person when he was in HS. We went to the Southmoreland Tournament my junior year and that’s when he and Nick Roberts (RIP) met in the finals. I didn’t know too much about Nolf at the time, but he put on a helluva show and I became a fan that night.

 

[west2east]

Ben Whitford IL was special. So was Quinton Murphy NY . Picked two kids in the same era that never panned out at the next level due to not liking school and lifestyle

 

[mcpat]

Ben Whitford IL was special. So was Quinton Murphy NY . Picked two kids in the same era that never panned out at the next level due to not liking school and lifestyle

Tell us more. In a thread of PA guys, we don’t know them. Thanks for adding others, but please tell us more about them.

 

[mcpat]

Jason Nolf and Chance Marstellar. Watched Marstellar at freestyle states a few times. There was always a huge crowd of people around the mat when he wrestled. The first time I heard of him was back when he was still in JH and was beating guys much older than him. Fun fact: the guy Chance beat for his first state title is the uncle to one of my wrestlers.

Nolf was another one I got to see in person when he was in HS. We went to the Southmoreland Tournament my junior year and that’s when he and Nick Roberts (RIP) met in the finals. I didn’t know too much about Nolf at the time, but he put on a helluva show and I became a fan that night.

I’ve posted this before, prob a few times, but I was at district 3 finals watching Marstellar vs Peppelman. It was near the end of the 1st or 2nd period, Peppelman relaxed cause the period was over… and then Marstellar saw it, and threw him for (I think) four. I was right there, with my old man (God rest his soul) and impressed as you can imagine.

 

[Sportfan2017]

For me.....my first and second District 6 Championships at Altoona is where I first saw Eric Brugel. Am I the only one that thought he might never lose?

 

[mjmirv]

Kolat was a god in the early 90s

 

[zzs006]

Eric Guerrero is another for me. Similar age but man I loved watching him at Fargo every summer

 

[a_mshaffer]

For me.....my first and second District 6 Championships at Altoona is where I first saw Eric Brugel. Am I the only one that thought he might never lose?

my first freestyle tournament - my hs coach - Neil Turner - picked Eric up on the way.... He won, I came in 3rd (beat the first place guy but lost to the 2nd place, who lost to the first place)... I know he wouldn't remember me or even that tourney probably

 

[ChillW]

For me as a kid is was Jack Cuvo, Ty Moore, Ray Brinzer with his Gumby doll, and of course Kolat. Kolat was a couple years behind me.

 

[Verolion]

You can tell our ages by posting. Lol.

Mine was Greg Elinsky, Eric Brugel. Brugel came to State Jr High (Park Forrest) wrestling and helped teach one day. Jimmy Martin later.

 

[Raw Daddy]

Mocco was a folk hero Paul Bunyan type.