The GIANT Center
If you’ve never been to the PIAA State Wrestling Championships at the GIANT Center in Hershey, it’s hard to describe what walking in feels like. It’s loud. It’s massive. There are mats everywhere, thousands of people, and the best high school wrestlers in Pennsylvania all in the same building.
My freshman walked in there wide-eyed. That’s not a knock on him — everyone walks in wide-eyed the first time.
How It Went
He didn’t place. I’m not going to sugarcoat it or bury the lede. The competition at states is a different tier, and that’s exactly how it should be. Every kid on those mats earned their spot. The margins are razor thin and the guys who have been here before carry a different kind of confidence — the kind that only comes from having been in that building, on those mats, under those lights.
He competed. He gave everything he had. And he lost to wrestlers who were just better on that day, in that moment, on that stage.
What He’s Taking Home
Here’s what I keep coming back to: he’s a freshman. A freshman who won his district, placed third at regionals, and competed at the PIAA State Championships. In his first year of high school wrestling.
But the part I’m most proud of isn’t the résumé. It’s what I saw in his eyes on the drive home from Hershey.
He wasn’t crushed. He wasn’t defeated in the way you might expect after a tough tournament. He was locked in. Processing. Already thinking about what comes next. The experience didn’t shrink him — it showed him exactly how much room there is to grow, and exactly what he needs to become to compete for a placement next time.
That’s the best possible outcome from a first state tournament.
What’s Next: Freestyle and Greco
The high school season is over, but wrestling isn’t. Not even close.
He’s leaving Hershey with a new level of motivation and dedication, and he’s channeling it straight into the freestyle and Greco-Roman season. If folkstyle wrestling is the foundation, freestyle and Greco are where technique gets sharpened to a point. Different ties, different rules, different ways to score — and a whole new set of things to master.
This offseason is where the gap closes. The guys who placed at states this year? They’re grinding too. But so is my son, and he now knows exactly what the target looks like.
To the Parents in the Stands
This postseason run — from the first sectional match back in February through districts, regionals, and finally Hershey — was one of the most exhausting, exhilarating, emotional experiences of my parenting life. I did not expect to feel so deeply invested in a wrestling bracket.
I was wrong to underestimate it. This sport gets under your skin.
To any wrestling parents out there who are just starting this journey: buckle up. It’s worth every minute of the pacing, the white-knuckle matches, the long drives, and the quiet car rides home. Watch your kid figure out who they are on the mat. It’s something.
Until Next Season
The postseason is over. The mats are rolled up in Hershey. My son is already thinking about freestyle.
We’ll see you next year. 🤼