Wrestler You Were Most in Awe of in High School

[mcpat]

I’ll throw out another name for my district 3 brothers. Chad Pines. 4x district 3 champ that destroyed everyone in his path until the semifinals at states. DNP-3-4-2 at states. Wrestled for the legendary Bob Craig when Cedar Cliff was THE team locally. Interestingly, his daughter is a track star (state champ) and runs for PSU now. Chad runs a personal fitness company in central PA today.

 

[316_Lyons]

I’ll throw out another name for my district 3 brothers. Chad Pines. 4x district 3 champ that destroyed everyone in his path until the semifinals at states. DNP-3-4-2 at states. Wrestled for the legendary Bob Craig when Cedar Cliff was THE team locally. Interestingly, his daughter is a track star (state champ) and runs for PSU now. Chad runs a personal fitness company in central PA today.

Pines was quite a wrestler. Went to Pitt for college, but not sure if he ever wrestled there. It's amazing to think back on all the great PA high school wrestlers who either didn't pan out for one reason or another or never even bothered to wrestle in college.

 

[PotterBond]

I’ll throw out another name for my district 3 brothers. Chad Pines. 4x district 3 champ that destroyed everyone in his path until the semifinals at states. DNP-3-4-2 at states. Wrestled for the legendary Bob Craig when Cedar Cliff was THE team locally. Interestingly, his daughter is a track star (state champ) and runs for PSU now. Chad runs a personal fitness company in central PA today.

Staying in district 3. Jeff Martin (2-dnp-2-3) and the fact Warwick also doesn’t have a champ.

 

[MAGAman]

Lee Kemp of Wisconsin and Bruce Kinseth of Iowa, with Randy Lewis a close second to Kinseth. I know this sounds traitorous, but let me explain.

Kemp stayed with our family when he competed at the NWCA All Star Classic held at F&M in the late 70's. Prior to him staying with us, he was featured in a Sports Illustrated piece...so I was awestruck when I met him. Funny part of the story is that Lancaster was hit with a total blizzard when we picked him up the night before the match. Getting him back to F&M the day after was no picnic either. Worst part of this was he ended up tying Dan Hicks of Oregon State in that match. He was disappointed but still a real gentleman.

As far as Kinseth, I attended the Iowa 28 Day intensive Camp in Iowa City in the early 80's. He was a class guy and excellent teacher, and this just after he pinned his way thru the B10's and NCAA's. Lewis was also excellent and when at the camp I found out he was born without one pectoral muscle. Cool guy and also a legend.

I was waiting for iowa Names to surface. Born in iowa. Best all time HS iowa wrestler imo hands down Danny Knight! 126-0 4x big class. Never had a close match. I believe all finals were pins and huge scores prior to TFs. Nothing like him in HS. Won everything on national/international too. This was back in 80s when iowa was like PA now in HS. Injuries plagued his college career. Id say closest thing to kolat ive seen.

 

[MAGAman]

I was waiting for iowa Names to surface. Born in iowa. Best all time HS iowa wrestler imo hands down Danny Knight! 126-0 4x big class. Never had a close match. I believe all finals were pins and huge scores prior to TFs. Nothing like him in HS. Won everything on national/international too. This was back in 80s when iowa was like PA now in HS. Injuries plagued his college career. Id say closest thing to kolat ive seen.

Ill add this for my PSU friends….danny beat the shit out of both brands in HS everytime. Bad!

 

[District four]

Where did Betz go to college?

Brett Snyder from Montoursville (same school as Gavin Hoffman) was a good wrestler back in the day. Know he had at least 1 PA state title and think was in the finals another year..

Betz went to Penn State for at least a year not sure what happened I know he got in some trouble while at PSU

 

[AgSurfer]

Here’s another wrestling icon who was a total badass even in HS. Rick Sanders. I never saw him wrestle until he was in college, but I heard that as a high school wrestler, he would show up at what was then the Sr Men’s AAU open and beat college level competition. His life was tragically cut short in an automobile accident when he was hitchhiking around Europe after the 1972 Olympics.

 

[316_Lyons]

I was waiting for iowa Names to surface. Born in iowa. Best all time HS iowa wrestler imo hands down Danny Knight! 126-0 4x big class. Never had a close match. I believe all finals were pins and huge scores prior to TFs. Nothing like him in HS. Won everything on national/international too. This was back in 80s when iowa was like PA now in HS. Injuries plagued his college career. Id say closest thing to kolat ive seen.

Good call on Knight. Although most would argue PA was still king of high school wrestling in the 80s as well.

 

[PSUcup1]

Staying in district 3. Jeff Martin (2-dnp-2-3) and the fact Warwick also doesn’t have a champ.

He beat my brother at states lol

 

[ac98]

Joey Gilbert Tinley Park Andrew and Mike Mena Sterling Newman were unbelievable in high school. Gilbert wrestled at Michigan and was 3rd and 6th at NCAAs Mena at Iowa and was 7th,3rd,6th and 2nd at NCAAs

Gilbert was a buzz saw and a f’n nuts. I wrestled him in a summer freestyle tournament after he won his 2nd of 4 state titles. We became friendly after college coaching in Illinois’s and he was the same in real life as was on the mat, 100% all the time. He and Tom Brands had one of the best college matches I ever saw at a big ten tourney at Northwetern. I want to say Brands beat him 17-16. It was wild.

 

[west2east]

Gilbert was a buzz saw and a f’n nuts. I wrestled him in a summer freestyle tournament after he won his 2nd of 4 state titles. We became friendly after college coaching in Illinois’s and he was the same in real life as was on the mat, 100% all the time. He and Tom Brands had one of the best college matches I ever saw at a big ten tourney at Northwetern. I want to say Brands beat him 17-16. It was wild.

Gilbert had Tom stuck but the ref wouldn't call it

 

[GogglesPaizano]

I wasn't in highschool yet, but he was faster than RBY. Amazingly fast and could do pretty much whatever he wanted versus all but the best. Still up there with the best I have ever seen

Bobby Weaver

 

[zzs006]

I was waiting for iowa Names to surface. Born in iowa. Best all time HS iowa wrestler imo hands down Danny Knight! 126-0 4x big class. Never had a close match. I believe all finals were pins and huge scores prior to TFs. Nothing like him in HS. Won everything on national/international too. This was back in 80s when iowa was like PA now in HS. Injuries plagued his college career. Id say closest thing to kolat ive seen.

Dan Knight was a beast. His brother Steve who was damn good as well was my freestyle coach in high school. Great coach and a great guy

 

[jtothemfp]

I’ll throw out another name for my district 3 brothers. Chad Pines. 4x district 3 champ that destroyed everyone in his path until the semifinals at states. DNP-3-4-2 at states. Wrestled for the legendary Bob Craig when Cedar Cliff was THE team locally. Interestingly, his daughter is a track star (state champ) and runs for PSU now. Chad runs a personal fitness company in central PA today.

Yes!

Oh, man, Senior year, my buddy Darrell was set to face him and our assistant coach said he'd get him a case of beer if he took him down, and he did! Those were two of the very best nights in that awesome season. (the Takedown and the beer drinking).

 

[west2east]

Dan Knight was a beast. His brother Steve who was damn good as well was my freestyle coach in high school. Great coach and a great guy

Dan is the coach at Bettendorf HS in Iowa now. His son Jake is a SR and will be going to Oklahoma next year

 

[buistm]

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.

Kevin Smith from Northampton was undefeated, remember him and our 189lber wrestling (who got 5th Place at states) wrestle during the preseason and Smith was handling him fairly well, then to see what Kwortnik did to Smith in the finals was shocking.

 

[buistm]

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.

Mike Miller, wrestled him twice, so smooth, watching him vs. Moss Grays from Easton in the first match of the year was a classic, 10-9 finish, I think. Miller won two titles at Nazareth.

 

[RoverNation05]

Mike Miller, wrestled him twice, so smooth, watching him vs. Moss Grays from Easton in the first match of the year was a classic, 10-9 finish, I think. Miller won two titles at Nazareth.

Grays-Miller starts at 1:17:43 in the video. Match is at 160. That March, Grays won states at 145, Miller won it at 152. Both were NCAA qualifiers - Grays at Clarion, Miller at Clemson. Miller was Ray Nunamaker’s only two-time champ.

This video really has all of the old-school D11 in it - match at 25th Street, Powell and Nunamaker in each corner, Gene Waas the ref, Scott Barr (who is finally retiring at the end of this year) and Gary Laubach on the broadcast.

 

[TwoJoints]

For me it was Wade Schalles. Wade was a few years older than me but my HS wrestled his every year. So I was very familiar with him as a HS wrestler. Wade wrestled “funky” before that was a thing. And he pinned everyone. I remember watching Wade’s PIAA Championship bout against undefeated John Chatman with my dad. We both went crazy when Wade flipped Chatman onto his back for a fall.

 

[tullfan68]

Made grown men cry from what I hear.

yea he was hurting kids when he beat Uyeda s senior yr I don't think it was even close and Uyeda was a stud as well!

 

[Callthestall]

View embedded media

Grays-Miller starts at 1:17:43 in the video. Match is at 160. That March, Grays won states at 145, Miller won it at 152. Both were NCAA qualifiers - Grays at Clarion, Miller at Clemson. Miller was Ray Nunamaker’s only two-time champ.

This video really has all of the old-school D11 in it - match at 25th Street, Powell and Nunamaker in each corner, Gene Waas the ref, Scott Barr (who is finally retiring at the end of this year) and Gary Laubach on the broadcast.

Enjoyed the video.
I saw your comment about Nunamaker only had one 2 time State Champ. I was surprised . I immediately thought Brad Sillimperi won a pair. I checked, he was 2nd Freshman, 1st Sophomore, 2nd Jr, and DNP his Sr. Year.

 

[RoverNation05]

Enjoyed the video.
I saw your comment about Nunamaker only had one 2 time State Champ. I was surprised . I immediately thought Brad Sillimperi won a pair. I checked, he was 2nd Freshman, 1st Sophomore, 2nd Jr, and DNP his Sr. Year.

I mostly remembered the trivia bit that Joe Caramanica was the second 2xer from Nazareth, and he was Crowell’s first two years. Silimperi was Nunny’s first champ (also wild - he gad his first finalist in ‘74, but was 0-5 in finals until Silimperi won in 1988. Then the floodgates opened. ), but hit Ty Moore in finals twice, and got barrel rolled for five in quarters as a senior and couldn’t dig out of the hole.

 

[b1gwheeze]

CD Mock from Council Rock

 

[mhs103]

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?

Doug Blubaugh, Gray Simons, Dan Hodge

 

[tullfan68]

I certainly remember Rippey. I was at the state finals in Rec Hall when he won his 2nd state title against Uyeda from Conestoga Valley. He beat him really bad, something like 13-0. That was also when the first of the Carr family made it to the finals. Fletcher Carr lost a close match in the finals at 180 to future NCAA champion, Geoff Baum.

Fletcher was on my team 2 time finals,I thought Rippy won pretty easily I was there as well but don't remember gettin old!

 

[BFosr1]

My GF in the back seat of my dads Rambler.

 

[dicemen99]

CD Mock from Council Rock

Red shoes, drop-step entrance. CD had flair and he could back it up.

I remember being in 7th on the JH team and our coaches came in to practice and told us CD had lost in the Christmas tournament finals (Easton Holiday). I didn't think it possible, I was crestfallen. I don't think they did either.

 

[tullfan68]

just how good is Pa high school wrestling?Nate Carr won 1 state champ but won 3 NCAA TITLES!I know that's a little old but still accurate to this day

 

[kingslayer_85]

I already mentioned Jack Cuvo as the most impressive I saw in high school, I thought someone on here that wrestled in the early to mid 80’s would have mentioned one of the Cesari brothers from North Schuykill . There were a few but there was one at the same weight class as I was 155.

 

[CUPrassler]

The Best (in my opinion): Cary Kolat
The Best (I ever wrestled): Lincoln Mcilravy- coincidentally, the worst beating I ever took
The Best (I knew personally): Bobby Crawford 4x'er from Milton and college roommate

 

[PSUcup1]

I

just how good is Pa high school wrestling?Nate Carr won 1 state champ but won 3 NCAA TITLES!I know that's a little old but still accurate to this day

Yep. Crazy.

Ed Ruth won zero PIAA titles (most likely would have won had he not gone to Blair as a Sr)

 

[tullfan68]

I already mentioned Jack Cuvo as the most impressive I saw in high school, I thought someone on here that wrestled in the early to mid 80’s would have mentioned one of the Cesari brothers from North Schuykill . There were a few but there was one at the same weight class as I was 155.

Cuvo was damn good but wasn't he the skinniest wrestler ever?

 

[District four]

The Best (in my opinion): Cary Kolat
The Best (I ever wrestled): Lincoln Mcilravy- coincidentally, the worst beating I ever took
The Best (I knew personally): Bobby Crawford 4x'er from Milton and college roommate

Mr cradle himself

 

[tullfan68]

I

Yep. Crazy.

Ed Ruth won zero PIAA titles (most likely would have won had he not gone to Blair as a Sr)

he got beat by Quentin

 

[Just another PSU Fan]

If you are Adrian Stewart, I stumbled onto your video a few years back and you are pretty much a god in my mind for that work.

thank you! Rewarding project knowing that wrestling fans/family/friends can watch them anytime! A couple of years ago at PA states in between sessions at the Park Side - for some odd reason I needed to get a work quote sent so I brought my laptop with me. Rob Koll and staff were there -- he said he never watched his finals match -- perfect time and place moment to share the video

 

[RoverNation05]

Cuvo was damn good but wasn't he the skinniest wrestler ever?

Was being the operative word there.

He was also an elite cross country runner - he still holds the national high school record in the 10K (and always will, because nobody runs the 10K anymore) and he was a D2 All American at East Stroudsburg. Insane gas tank. Put that together with one of the great single legs ever, and it’s quite the combo.

 

[Nitlion1986]

The Best (in my opinion): Cary Kolat
The Best (I ever wrestled): Lincoln Mcilravy- coincidentally, the worst beating I ever took
The Best (I knew personally): Bobby Crawford 4x'er from Milton and college roommate

Wrestled McIlravy and still around to tell the tale. Impressive.

 

[Nitlion1986]

I

Yep. Crazy.

Ed Ruth won zero PIAA titles (most likely would have won had he not gone to Blair as a Sr)

He kept running into a skinny dude from BEA.

 

[lion4ever]

Mike Johnson from Lock Haven. 1959-1961. 4 time state champ who I believe was never taken down. In 1961 he was one of 4 state champs from Lock Haven; Johnson, Lee Dietrich, Gary Cook and Jerry Swope were the four. Quite a feat in an era when it was one loss and you were done. Granted the competition wasn’t as competitive as it is today, fewer wrestlers, but only one state champ per weight leveled the playing field considering AA and AAA today.

 

[Agoodnap]

he got beat by Quentin, twice.

FIFY