It was supposed to be a good match for Saucon Valley on Tuesday night after Berks Catholic met them at Freedom High School. But it was, as in almost all state matches in PA, never guaranteed. The grittiest team wins. The smartest team wins. The team that wants it more wins. The Panthers seemed to check all those boxes, but unfortunately couldn’t get it done.
“I think we really did just fall a little short this year,” wrestling coach Chad Shirk said about some of the disappointments this year. “Birks Catholic is top five in the state, easy – phenomenal team. Our wrestlers went hard and just came up short.”
The team’s skilled wrestlers did indeed perform well, with senior Jackson Albert pinning his opponent and even four year varsity wrestler Hector Mateo coming in with a crowd pleasing, last second quick pin of his opponent in the last bout of the match. Sophomore Zeke Deily also had a successful pin, which helped boost the Panthers’ morale. But there were still some questionable performances from experienced wrestlers too, which may have led to Saucon’s downfall in Tuesday’s match.
Looking for Saucon individuals, I spoke to sophomore Carter Chunko, who is on the wrestling team. Chunko is ranked second in the state of Pennsylvania. On top of that, he is ranked 11th in the country. Chunko has had an amazing season after coming back from injury last year and is looking to carry his success into the post-season. “I feel good,” said Chunko, “I feel like my injuries are in the past and I am excited to get out there and get at it.”
Chunko also happened to be involved in a key decision to swap him and his brother, Gavin Chunko, at 106 and 113, respectively. “ I really don’t believe it made a crazy difference,” Chunko told me when I asked him if he believed this decision changed how the match played out. He added, “Shirk saw the lineup and figured it was better to take my guaranteed points with me and maximize our team points. I trust that decision.”
And while it is a team sport and quite frankly never one wrestler, the one point difference in this round of the State Championship causes many to wonder if it really did come down to a single match. Many pins could’ve been prevented, many major decisions could’ve been shrunk, but Saucon won’t keep looking back. The big question now? How will the future play out for one of the best teams in the Valley?
As Saucon Valley Wrestling gears up for the next season, there’s a mix of excitement and mystery in the air. With many historic wrestlers leaving and new faces joining the team, the school, the team, and the town are all curious to see how things will come together. Shirk and his crew of amazing coaches are hopeful that the talent of both the old and new generation of Saucon wrestling will lead to a successful campaign next year, even if the vision is cloudy right now. The community is ready to support the team, and everyone else can’t wait to see how this new chapter unfolds for Saucon Valley Wrestling.
