Southern wins first outright team title
By MARC MALKOSKIE Press Enterprise Writer (Written after Saturday, March 9) HERSHEY — Back in 1984, Southern Columbia wrestling coach Jerry Marks was in eighth grade. The Tigers won a team title at the individual state tournament and was co-champion with Danville that year. On Saturday, that 35-year drought came to an end. Southern won the PIAA Class 2A team title with a total of 121 points, 25.5 more than second-place St. Joseph’s Academy. While Southern’s accomplishment may seem like a redemption story, it’s also a story of solidification for a team that has been knocking on the door the past few years at both team states and at the individual state tournament. “Marriage, two kids, in that order, and then a state championship,” Marks said of the importance of the team title. “We’ve been working for this goal for 10 years.” In addition to six state medalists, Marks also took some hardware home, as the 10th year head coach won the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. “I have to give kudos to Coach Lane, Coach Spiller, Coach Yates, and Coach Tirko,” Marks said. “These guys have put in so much time and work, I couldn’t do it without them. It’s a brotherhood, and I’ve said that before. We argue, we fight, but at the end of the day, we’re hugging each other and saying we love each other, and that’s what makes us close. I think our guys see that, and it just brings everybody together.” Aside from the Tigers winning their first team title in program history, they also helped the school become the first one in District 4 history to win team titles in three different sports within the same school year, and just the 13th in PIAA history to do so. Southern assistant coach Kent Lane and head coach Jerry Marks react to Ian Yoder's first round win in overtime on Thursday. For a team in any sport to achieve the success Southern’s wrestling program has, several sacrifices need to be made. “It’s like the domino effect, like when (Kole) Biscoe wins (Friday),” Marks said. “Kole was a huge part of this because guys just fed off him. He’s a guy who we didn’t know where he was going to finish. He has a torn meniscus, we didn’t tell anybody that. We didn’t even know if he was going to wrestle a month ago, it happened the Thursday before sectionals. He’s getting surgery here soon.” Biscoe, who took second place at 113 pounds, wasn’t the only Tiger to make a huge sacrifice this season. State champion Gaige Garcia needs to have his gall bladder removed, but he knew surgery would be season-ending, so he delayed it until this upcoming Thursday. Marks and the rest of the Tigers’ coaching staff have done an extraordinary job of getting their kids to look past just the individual aspect of states, and buy into the team mindset. “I’d rather have everybody succeed on my team than just me,” Cade Linn said after taking seventh place at 160 pounds. “It’s just awesome that we’re all winning and placing.” Southern will ride the high of this weekend for the next couple of weeks, but then preparation for next season will get underway. “It’s all about the training here in the offseason,” Marks said. “We’ll take a week or two off here and recover, regroup. Guys have to get healed up. We’ll go back and train harder than we ever did because we have the X on our back and have to pick up the pace here.” Marc Malkoskie covers sports for the Press Enterprise. He may be reached at 570-387-1234, ext. 1338, or by email at sports@pressenterprise.net. Follow him on Twitter at @mmalkoskie.
Southern wins first outright team title
By MARC MALKOSKIE Press Enterprise Writer (Written after Saturday, March 9) HERSHEY — Back in 1984, Southern Columbia wrestling coach Jerry Marks was in eighth grade. The Tigers won a team title at the individual state tournament and was co-champion with Danville that year. On Saturday, that 35-year drought came to an end. Southern won the PIAA Class 2A team title with a total of 121 points, 25.5 more than second-place St. Joseph’s Academy. While Southern’s accomplishment may seem like a redemption story, it’s also a story of solidification for a team that has been knocking on the door the past few years at both team states and at the individual state tournament. “Marriage, two kids, in that order, and then a state championship,” Marks said of the importance of the team title. “We’ve been working for this goal for 10 years.” In addition to six state medalists, Marks also took some hardware home, as the 10th year head coach won the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. “I have to give kudos to Coach Lane, Coach Spiller, Coach Yates, and Coach Tirko,” Marks said. “These guys have put in so much time and work, I couldn’t do it without them. It’s a brotherhood, and I’ve said that before. We argue, we fight, but at the end of the day, we’re hugging each other and saying we love each other, and that’s what makes us close. I think our guys see that, and it just brings everybody together.” Aside from the Tigers winning their first team title in program history, they also helped the school become the first one in District 4 history to win team titles in three different sports within the same school year, and just the 13th in PIAA history to do so. Southern assistant coach Kent Lane and head coach Jerry Marks react to Ian Yoder's first round win in overtime on Thursday. For a team in any sport to achieve the success Southern’s wrestling program has, several sacrifices need to be made. “It’s like the domino effect, like when (Kole) Biscoe wins (Friday),” Marks said. “Kole was a huge part of this because guys just fed off him. He’s a guy who we didn’t know where he was going to finish. He has a torn meniscus, we didn’t tell anybody that. We didn’t even know if he was going to wrestle a month ago, it happened the Thursday before sectionals. He’s getting surgery here soon.” Biscoe, who took second place at 113 pounds, wasn’t the only Tiger to make a huge sacrifice this season. State champion Gaige Garcia needs to have his gall bladder removed, but he knew surgery would be season-ending, so he delayed it until this upcoming Thursday. Marks and the rest of the Tigers’ coaching staff have done an extraordinary job of getting their kids to look past just the individual aspect of states, and buy into the team mindset. “I’d rather have everybody succeed on my team than just me,” Cade Linn said after taking seventh place at 160 pounds. “It’s just awesome that we’re all winning and placing.” Southern will ride the high of this weekend for the next couple of weeks, but then preparation for next season will get underway. “It’s all about the training here in the offseason,” Marks said. “We’ll take a week or two off here and recover, regroup. Guys have to get healed up. We’ll go back and train harder than we ever did because we have the X on our back and have to pick up the pace here.” Marc Malkoskie covers sports for the Press Enterprise. He may be reached at 570-387-1234, ext. 1338, or by email at sports@pressenterprise.net. Follow him on Twitter at @mmalkoskie.
Southern wins first outright team title
By MARC MALKOSKIE Press Enterprise Writer (Written after Saturday, March 9) HERSHEY — Back in 1984, Southern Columbia wrestling coach Jerry Marks was in eighth grade. The Tigers won a team title at the individual state tournament and was co-champion with Danville that year. On Saturday, that 35-year drought came to an end. Southern won the PIAA Class 2A team title with a total of 121 points, 25.5 more than second-place St. Joseph’s Academy. While Southern’s accomplishment may seem like a redemption story, it’s also a story of solidification for a team that has been knocking on the door the past few years at both team states and at the individual state tournament. “Marriage, two kids, in that order, and then a state championship,” Marks said of the importance of the team title. “We’ve been working for this goal for 10 years.” In addition to six state medalists, Marks also took some hardware home, as the 10th year head coach won the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. “I have to give kudos to Coach Lane, Coach Spiller, Coach Yates, and Coach Tirko,” Marks said. “These guys have put in so much time and work, I couldn’t do it without them. It’s a brotherhood, and I’ve said that before. We argue, we fight, but at the end of the day, we’re hugging each other and saying we love each other, and that’s what makes us close. I think our guys see that, and it just brings everybody together.” Aside from the Tigers winning their first team title in program history, they also helped the school become the first one in District 4 history to win team titles in three different sports within the same school year, and just the 13th in PIAA history to do so. Southern assistant coach Kent Lane and head coach Jerry Marks react to Ian Yoder's first round win in overtime on Thursday. For a team in any sport to achieve the success Southern’s wrestling program has, several sacrifices need to be made. “It’s like the domino effect, like when (Kole) Biscoe wins (Friday),” Marks said. “Kole was a huge part of this because guys just fed off him. He’s a guy who we didn’t know where he was going to finish. He has a torn meniscus, we didn’t tell anybody that. We didn’t even know if he was going to wrestle a month ago, it happened the Thursday before sectionals. He’s getting surgery here soon.” Biscoe, who took second place at 113 pounds, wasn’t the only Tiger to make a huge sacrifice this season. State champion Gaige Garcia needs to have his gall bladder removed, but he knew surgery would be season-ending, so he delayed it until this upcoming Thursday. Marks and the rest of the Tigers’ coaching staff have done an extraordinary job of getting their kids to look past just the individual aspect of states, and buy into the team mindset. “I’d rather have everybody succeed on my team than just me,” Cade Linn said after taking seventh place at 160 pounds. “It’s just awesome that we’re all winning and placing.” Southern will ride the high of this weekend for the next couple of weeks, but then preparation for next season will get underway. “It’s all about the training here in the offseason,” Marks said. “We’ll take a week or two off here and recover, regroup. Guys have to get healed up. We’ll go back and train harder than we ever did because we have the X on our back and have to pick up the pace here.” Marc Malkoskie covers sports for the Press Enterprise. He may be reached at 570-387-1234, ext. 1338, or by email at sports@pressenterprise.net. Follow him on Twitter at @mmalkoskie.
MCA wrestler has chance to break out
By MARC MALKOSKIE Press Enterprise Writer MOUNT CARMEL — Hidden within the star-studded, state-known wrestling powerhouse that is District 4 are a few wrestlers who are about to make some noise. Among these under-the-radar performers is Shane Weidner. After compiling a respectable record of 37-27 through his first two seasons, the Mount Carmel junior is 25-6 this year with a solid chance to claim his first district medal. Weidner, now a 182-pounder, picked up two falls in a combined 46 seconds to reach the South Sectional final last Saturday. There he dropped an 11-4 decision to state-ranked Tyler Waltman of Southern Columbia in a match that felt a lot closer than the final score. Bumping up After struggling his first few matches at 170 pounds, his weight through the first seven weeks of the season, it wasn’t until a quad-meet at Central Columbia in late January that Weidner bumped up. Weidner opened eyes at his 182 debut, going 3-0 with three falls in the quad-meet. “Shane has the talent. He’s an excellent football player,” Mount Carmel coach Steve Pisarchik said of the three-sport athlete. “Anything you ask him to do, he can do it. You just have to channel his focus on wrestling at the time. And that’s what we did. He took a couple losses early (in the season), but after that we focused and regrouped, and it’s showing.” Three-sport athlete Since making the recent weight adjustment, Weidner is 5-2 with all five wins coming by fall. Three of those falls took less than 50 seconds. “He’s the one that wanted to move to 182, and it’s working out,” Pisarchik said. “Instead of having to lose some weight, he wanted to lift and get stronger as the postseason goes on.” In addition to wrestling, Weidner runs track and is a two-way starter in football. The Tornadoes’ wide receiver/cornerback had 1,250 yards of total offense for the District 4 2A runners-up this past season. “It’s really nice running track because you’re in shape for football,” Weidner said. “During football, you’re lifting and running more, so it keeps you going all year-round.” A role model According to Pisarchik, Weidner is also a strong leader on the Red Tornadoes squad. “It’s huge,” Pisarchik said of Weidner’s leadership role. “I tell him that all the time in the (wrestling) room. ‘Listen, whatever you’re doing, they’re seeing it. If you’re screwing off, they’re going to screw off.’ It’s channeling his focus hard, we just have to do everything the right way because the younger guys see it.” Weidner credits his team’s intense practice regimen for its impressive 15-8 record in duals this season. “We run a lot at practice,” Weidner said. “We drill a lot to practice the small things, but we train a lot to be in shape and be the better guy come the third period.” ‘Working harder’ The district qualifier knows he’s well into the second half of his high school career, and he wants to make the most of it. “Coming into my final two years here, I’m trying to make the most of them,” Weidner said. “I’m putting in more work and working harder, and hoping for a better outcome than the last few years.” Weidner earned a first-round bye as the 4-seed this coming weekend, and is scheduled to face the winner of a match between Montoursville’s Gavin Livermore and Canton’s Carter Route in the quarterfinals in Williamsport Friday night. Marc Malkoskie covers sports for the Press Enterprise. He may be reached at 570-387-1234, ext. 1338, or by email at sports@pressenterprise.net. Follow him on Twitter at @mmalkoskie.
MCA wrestler has chance to break out
By MARC MALKOSKIE Press Enterprise Writer MOUNT CARMEL — Hidden within the star-studded, state-known wrestling powerhouse that is District 4 are a few wrestlers who are about to make some noise. Among these under-the-radar performers is Shane Weidner. After compiling a respectable record of 37-27 through his first two seasons, the Mount Carmel junior is 25-6 this year with a solid chance to claim his first district medal. Weidner, now a 182-pounder, picked up two falls in a combined 46 seconds to reach the South Sectional final last Saturday. There he dropped an 11-4 decision to state-ranked Tyler Waltman of Southern Columbia in a match that felt a lot closer than the final score. Bumping up After struggling his first few matches at 170 pounds, his weight through the first seven weeks of the season, it wasn’t until a quad-meet at Central Columbia in late January that Weidner bumped up. Weidner opened eyes at his 182 debut, going 3-0 with three falls in the quad-meet. “Shane has the talent. He’s an excellent football player,” Mount Carmel coach Steve Pisarchik said of the three-sport athlete. “Anything you ask him to do, he can do it. You just have to channel his focus on wrestling at the time. And that’s what we did. He took a couple losses early (in the season), but after that we focused and regrouped, and it’s showing.” Three-sport athlete Since making the recent weight adjustment, Weidner is 5-2 with all five wins coming by fall. Three of those falls took less than 50 seconds. “He’s the one that wanted to move to 182, and it’s working out,” Pisarchik said. “Instead of having to lose some weight, he wanted to lift and get stronger as the postseason goes on.” In addition to wrestling, Weidner runs track and is a two-way starter in football. The Tornadoes’ wide receiver/cornerback had 1,250 yards of total offense for the District 4 2A runners-up this past season. “It’s really nice running track because you’re in shape for football,” Weidner said. “During football, you’re lifting and running more, so it keeps you going all year-round.” A role model According to Pisarchik, Weidner is also a strong leader on the Red Tornadoes squad. “It’s huge,” Pisarchik said of Weidner’s leadership role. “I tell him that all the time in the (wrestling) room. ‘Listen, whatever you’re doing, they’re seeing it. If you’re screwing off, they’re going to screw off.’ It’s channeling his focus hard, we just have to do everything the right way because the younger guys see it.” Weidner credits his team’s intense practice regimen for its impressive 15-8 record in duals this season. “We run a lot at practice,” Weidner said. “We drill a lot to practice the small things, but we train a lot to be in shape and be the better guy come the third period.” ‘Working harder’ The district qualifier knows he’s well into the second half of his high school career, and he wants to make the most of it. “Coming into my final two years here, I’m trying to make the most of them,” Weidner said. “I’m putting in more work and working harder, and hoping for a better outcome than the last few years.” Weidner earned a first-round bye as the 4-seed this coming weekend, and is scheduled to face the winner of a match between Montoursville’s Gavin Livermore and Canton’s Carter Route in the quarterfinals in Williamsport Friday night. Marc Malkoskie covers sports for the Press Enterprise. He may be reached at 570-387-1234, ext. 1338, or by email at sports@pressenterprise.net. Follow him on Twitter at @mmalkoskie.
MCA wrestler has chance to break out
By MARC MALKOSKIE Press Enterprise Writer MOUNT CARMEL — Hidden within the star-studded, state-known wrestling powerhouse that is District 4 are a few wrestlers who are about to make some noise. Among these under-the-radar performers is Shane Weidner. After compiling a respectable record of 37-27 through his first two seasons, the Mount Carmel junior is 25-6 this year with a solid chance to claim his first district medal. Weidner, now a 182-pounder, picked up two falls in a combined 46 seconds to reach the South Sectional final last Saturday. There he dropped an 11-4 decision to state-ranked Tyler Waltman of Southern Columbia in a match that felt a lot closer than the final score. Bumping up After struggling his first few matches at 170 pounds, his weight through the first seven weeks of the season, it wasn’t until a quad-meet at Central Columbia in late January that Weidner bumped up. Weidner opened eyes at his 182 debut, going 3-0 with three falls in the quad-meet. “Shane has the talent. He’s an excellent football player,” Mount Carmel coach Steve Pisarchik said of the three-sport athlete. “Anything you ask him to do, he can do it. You just have to channel his focus on wrestling at the time. And that’s what we did. He took a couple losses early (in the season), but after that we focused and regrouped, and it’s showing.” Three-sport athlete Since making the recent weight adjustment, Weidner is 5-2 with all five wins coming by fall. Three of those falls took less than 50 seconds. “He’s the one that wanted to move to 182, and it’s working out,” Pisarchik said. “Instead of having to lose some weight, he wanted to lift and get stronger as the postseason goes on.” In addition to wrestling, Weidner runs track and is a two-way starter in football. The Tornadoes’ wide receiver/cornerback had 1,250 yards of total offense for the District 4 2A runners-up this past season. “It’s really nice running track because you’re in shape for football,” Weidner said. “During football, you’re lifting and running more, so it keeps you going all year-round.” A role model According to Pisarchik, Weidner is also a strong leader on the Red Tornadoes squad. “It’s huge,” Pisarchik said of Weidner’s leadership role. “I tell him that all the time in the (wrestling) room. ‘Listen, whatever you’re doing, they’re seeing it. If you’re screwing off, they’re going to screw off.’ It’s channeling his focus hard, we just have to do everything the right way because the younger guys see it.” Weidner credits his team’s intense practice regimen for its impressive 15-8 record in duals this season. “We run a lot at practice,” Weidner said. “We drill a lot to practice the small things, but we train a lot to be in shape and be the better guy come the third period.” ‘Working harder’ The district qualifier knows he’s well into the second half of his high school career, and he wants to make the most of it. “Coming into my final two years here, I’m trying to make the most of them,” Weidner said. “I’m putting in more work and working harder, and hoping for a better outcome than the last few years.” Weidner earned a first-round bye as the 4-seed this coming weekend, and is scheduled to face the winner of a match between Montoursville’s Gavin Livermore and Canton’s Carter Route in the quarterfinals in Williamsport Friday night. Marc Malkoskie covers sports for the Press Enterprise. He may be reached at 570-387-1234, ext. 1338, or by email at sports@pressenterprise.net. Follow him on Twitter at @mmalkoskie.