The thought would have been inconceivable just a few years ago, when an Allegheny Mountain Wrestling League match between Port Allegany and Smethport was guaranteed to be a tight, tension-filled battle for bragging rights in front of a packed gym.
However, as shrinking enrollments and low roster numbers continue to affect many local high school teams in recent years, the once-heated rivalry began to dim. In each of the last two seasons, Port’s lopsided dual-meet wins in the series included multiple forfeits by the Hubbers, who sent just five wrestlers to districts in 2017 and eight, including two seniors, last winter.
“2013 was the last big one I remember,” Gators coach B.J. Greenman said. “Our whole football team came, everyone that wasn’t wrestling. Smethport’s football team was there in full force. We both had huge cheering sections. That stuff makes the sport fun; it makes matches thrilling to be at. We’ve kind of lost that the last few years, when you go into a match knowing you’re going to win just on forfeits alone, it kind of takes the draw out of the sport.
“A lot of people still want that rivalry to be there, but with the numbers, it’s just fallen by the wayside. I think the rivalry is more for everybody that’s older; I don’t think any of the kids anymore … I think they just want to hang out with each other and be friends and have a good team. As long as they’re on a good team together, I think they’re happy.”
With the long-term viability of the Hubbers’ mat program in question, and fresh off a successful co-op which helped bring league titles in boys soccer, golf, and cross country to combined Port-Smethport teams this fall, the neighboring districts made the decision to add wrestling to the agreement.
“That was my biggest fear for any of the programs around, that the numbers are going to drop and the kids aren’t going to have a place to go,” said Greenman, the 2015 Big 30 Coach of the Year. “Even if it’s two or three kids, it’s just sad to see that kids wouldn’t have a place to wrestle. That’s not good for anybody. So I’m really glad that our schools’ administrations put this together for us to have this co-op.
“From what I’ve heard from people in both towns, it seems like the co-ops in the fall sports definitely helped people to make this decision go smoother. Every coach I’ve talked to, all the parents I talked to said it was a great experience. We’re hoping to continue that trend and make it a good experience for the kids, and that usually brings in more kids. If you have a good team and have a lot of fun because you’re doing well, then you’re going to end up getting more numbers.”
Now in his eighth season, Greenman and assistants Chad Saltsman, Adam Greenman, Nick Budd and Nate Schwab welcomed 18 returning lettermen to the beginning of fall practice, including six from Smethport.
“We have 24 kids in the room; that’s something we haven’t had in a while. It’s a testament to two good programs coming together,” Greenman said.
While that number no longer includes 2018 Big 30 Most Outstanding Wrestler Jake Kallenborn, the 160-pound PIAA runner-up who moved on to rejoin former Gator teammates Casey Vollmer and Ethan Budd at Gannon University, the roster features a District 9-best six returning regional qualifiers. Topping the list is Smethport junior Bryent Johnson, the reigning D-9 Class AA 106-pound champ who finished his 2017-18 campaign with an appearance in the state tournament.
“That’s a huge, huge win for us,” Greenman said of adding a PIAA qualifier to the team. “We’re all friends with the coaches and kids from around here, so we all hung out together at states and we had a vested interest in watching any District 9 guy wrestle. Watching Bryent wrestle down there, he’s so close to being able to beat kids down there and being able to place. Hopefully we can get those things fixed and he’ll be a state placewinner. That’s the goal for him this year.”
Also seeking to take the next step beyond regionals are Johnson’s younger brother Braedon, a sophomore, along with Port seniors Reese Vollmer and Issac Smoker and sophomores Isaiah Caden and Justin Young.
“Two of our seniors that were regional qualifiers last year, Reese was in the blood round to go to states two years ago and Issac was 2-2 in what I would say was probably the toughest class at regionals last year. Those two are both really good wrestlers, and their goals are both to be state qualifiers. As a coach, I’d really like us to have three or four state qualifiers – I think that’s an attainable goal, something that we’ll be able to achieve – and at least two state placewinners. We haven’t had two state placewinners since 2013, so that would be a really nice boost for our program.”
Much like last year, the outcome of the match between Kane and Port Allegany (Dec. 21 at PAHS) will likely go a long way toward deciding the AMWL title. Led by reigning Northwest Region 152-pound champ Alec English and 2017 state qualifier Aiden Hulings, the Wolves are the defending champs, downing the Gators 39-27 last season on the way to a perfect league record. Both squads turned in a strong showing at last weekend’s Hickory Invitational, with Kane edging Port for second place in the 22-team field.
“I don’t think Kane lost anybody. I looked at our match versus them last year, and it’s going to be really tough to pick up any wins to be able to beat them. They’re obviously the standard right now; they’re the team we have to beat to be AMWL champs. That’s the goal, to be AMWL champs, and I’d also like us to be district champs,” Greenman said. “I think Kane is going to be right in there for the top of the district along with Brockway and Brookville, so it’ll be a pretty good battle and I think Redbank Valley’s got a lot of young kids coming back. But that’s the goal, to be district champs and go to the state tournament. I think all of our kids have bought into that. We had 21 kids do our summer lifting program and our summer club wrestling; that’s a huge number of kids who want to get better and have the same goals.
“It’s going to be a really fun year. The intensity of practice is more than we’ve seen in a long time, more than Chad and I have seen since we started coaching. We have some really good battles going in, and iron sharpens iron. The kids will just keep getting stronger.”
Other returning regional qualifiers include Coudersport’s Eli Ayers, seeking his second trip to states, the Kane duo of Noah Blankenship and Ty Stahli, Bradford’s Dillon and Colby Keane, and Cameron County’s Nate Palumbo.
