Blue Raiders making huge strides

One.

Tamaqua’s wrestling team won one dual meet last season.

The Blue Raiders doubled that total in a three-day span last week.

After posting a 1-14 record a year ago, Tamaqua not only qualified for the District 11 Team Wrestling Championships for the first time since the 2010-11 season, the Blue Raiders made it to the second day of the tournament and finished with a 2-2 record.

The showing was a reflection of a young program on the rise. And one that’s not afraid of a challenge.

“We preach this, when you wrestle people that are in these tournaments, you can’t assume that they’re better than you,” said Tamaqua head coach Jim McCabe. “You have to want to go out there and compete with them, When you confide to yourself and say, you know what, I can compete with these guys.

“It’s not just, oh my gosh, this guy’s really good. He’s from Saucon (Valley); or he’s from Wilson; or he’s from Northwestern Lehigh. When you compete with them, then that’s when the change occurs. I don’t think the kids backed down from any opponent in the four matches that we wrestled. I don’t necessarily think that our kids shied away from the competition; I think they met it head-on, and took that as a challenge in a view to make them better.”

It’s a mentality that McCabe has ingrained in his squad. And one it needed to produce a 39-37 victory in its opening round match against Notre Dame Green Pond last Thursday.

Knowing a loss would end their tournament, the Blue Raiders, who were the ninth seed, got clutch performances in victories – and defeats – to move on.

“The Notre Dame Green Pond match was important because we knew that it was going to be tight,” said McCabe. “Worst case scenario, I figured they were going to score 42 points on us. I knew that if things went right, we could score 39. So, with 39 points, what do we need to do in order to beat them if they’re going to get 42? And two kids came up huge – one lost by a decision, and one lost by a major decision, which saved us five points, and that’s why we won that match.

“They have to understand that, even though you lost, you won the match for the team. And because of that win, we got an additional three matches. The kids are understanding that, and are working as hard as they possibly can in order to gain that experience in lengthy matches. You’re not going to have a team that never has a kid get pinned. But as long as you work hard to not get pinned, you’re gonna gain that experience.”

While the roster is young – with more than a handful of freshmen and sophomores regulars in the starting lineup – its also deeper than is has been in recent memory, where forfeits frequently cost the team matches. This season, 18 different wrestlers have cracked the lineup.

Experience is something McCabe wants for his team. It’s also something he has gained himself.

After coaching the Blue Raiders from 2001-2012, McCabe stepped away from the program to spend time with his family. The time away has helped him gain perspective for his second stint leading the program.

“I think the five years that I didn’t coach, I read a lot of books, and I matured as an individual, not just as a wrestling coach,” said McCabe, who picked up his 100th career coaching victory earlier this season. “I really, really want to help every single kid I coach to become a better person. Not just a better wrestler, but a better person. That approach makes me appreciate what’s going on.

“I think the first time, when I came out of college, I had that college wrestling mindset, and I went to practice and I would yell and scream, and we would have two-and-a-half and three-hour practices. Now, it’s just more about being calm, and relaxed, and working on what can you do to make yourself better.

“Coach (Dave) Holmes and I have a great relationship. He was my high school wrestling coach, and he’s the head junior high coach, but he comes to all the varsity practices. Together, we just have the same mindset, same philosophy. With patience, we’ll get better. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

But the direction is clear.

“I think the first time, I wanted to change things into a state tournament (team), or have kids at the state tournament too fast, and (it) was unrealistic,” said McCabe. “Now, it’s more realistic, and more goal-oriented, and the path to achieve what we want to achieve is laid … there’s more of a foundation then the first time.”

One of those building blocks is sophomore Bronson Strouse, who was a Schuylkill League champion this season. Strouse, also a junior high district champion, was a regional qualifier a year ago.

The Blue Raiders finished fourth as a team at this season’s league tournament, and had a total of eight medalists, both improvements from last year.

“The first open practice I had, I think 12 kids showed up, and that’s great,” said McCabe. “Now, continue with that in the offseason, and focus on the little details to make us better, and perfect them. And when we can perfect those little details, we can work on some different things to advance as better wrestlers and as a team.”

While two wins at district duals was a step in the right direction, the Blue Raiders have a chance to check off a few more boxes before the season ends.

“We got done lifting yesterday, and I said, we’re at 8-8, and we had a goal as a team to be .500. I said, we’re .500 and we have three matches left,” McCabe said. “I said we could be three wins over .500, or you could go three wins under .500. At this point now, it’s up to your mental state in order to take that step forward, and end up with 11 wins this year ... which I think would far exceed what many people thought Tamaqua would have for wins this season.

“And I think they understand that, but it still has to be on their shoulders. We can’t just rest on our laurels and expect good things to happen, and fall in our lap, because that’s not what’s gonna happen. It’s gotta be us working hard.”

That dedication has paid dividends already.

Now, the Blue Raiders have another opportunity to see it payoff.

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A LOOK AHEAD ... Winter weather wiped out much of the schedule the last few days. But action will resume tonight as Jim Thorpe travels to Blue Mountain for a 6 p.m. match, while Tamaqua will host Pocono Mountain East at 7 p.m.

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CLOSING IN … Lehighton’s Cody Scherer does not have enough matches (10) to be eligible for the rankings, but since returning to action, the senior is 6-0 with three pins. Scherer had an 11-8 decision over Saucon Valley’s Braydyn Lugardo on Saturday.

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ICYMI ... Jim Thorpe defeated Columbia Montour Vo-Tech 35-18 last Wednesday. Will Schwartz, Austin Williams and Ethan Mordaunt all had pins for the Olympians. John Newhall won by tech fall.

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OFF THE MAT … Northwestern’s Caleb Clymer is ranked third at 160 pounds this week, one spot ahead of Pen Argyl’s Chase Anklam. A Clymer-Anklam match in the postseason is always an intriguing prospect. The Tigers’ Jackson Bernhard is still ranked seventh at 152. Northwestern’s Colin Rex enters the rankings this week, and is No. 16 at 138. Northwestern’s Jackson Bernhard is still at the No. 7 spot at 152. Panther Valley’s Hunter Kennedy is ranked 10th at 170 pounds, while Tamaqua’s Bronson Strouse is 14th at 220. Palmerton’s Lucas Christman maintains the No. 16 spot at 145 pounds. There was some movement in the Class 2A team rankings. Colonial League and District 11 champion Saucon Valley is still ranked eighth. But, district runner-up Wilson jumped back into the mix at No. 19. After falling to Wilson in the district semifinals, Northwestern falls to the 21st spot. The Tigers finished third at the district tournament.