A-K Valley senior spotlight: Highlands’ Jrake Burford

By: Bill Hartlep
Monday, January 3, 2022 | 10:34 AM

Jrake Burford

Highlands wrestling

Jrake Burford has built quite a collection of wrestling medals and accomplishments during his career.

Before reaching high school, he was a two-time All-American who placed seventh at the prestigious Greco-Roman Nationals at Fargo, N.D.

Since then, the Highlands senior has been a section and WPIAL runner-up, and he has set his sights on capping his high school career this winter with a PIAA medal.

“To at least be a state medalist,” Burford said of his goals for this season.

He is off to a strong start in that pursuit. He won bouts in Highlands’ 43-24 win over Indiana and 42-25 victory over Fox Chapel. The 145-pounder also finished fifth at the season-opening Eastern Area Invitational Wrestling Tournament at Gateway.

He is 4-2 this season and 80-27 for his career, with 49 pins. A Valley News Dispatch All-Star last season, he took a 12-match win streak into the individual section tournament before losing to Franklin Regional’s Finn Solomon in the finals.

Burford stepped off the mats for a few minutes for an A-K Valley senior spotlight Q&A:

How has wrestling season gone so far?

Good so far. Our first tournament was a couple weekends ago at Gateway. I took fifth. I won my past two section matches. It’s gone good so far.

How did you wrestle at the Eastern Area tournament?

I didn’t wrestle terrible. I have room to improve.

What are some things you worked on to get better in the offseason?

Definitely, get my stamina up. I lifted a little more than usual with the football team.

What will it take to reach your goal of earning a PIAA medal?

Working on each little mistake I make each week. I’ve been wrestling my whole life so I know how to wrestle. I just have to critique myself.

How did you get started in wrestling?

It was my stepfather when I was 4 who introduced me to it. I went to Highlands youth wrestling. When I was 13, I wrestled freestyle and Greco and was a two-time All-American and took seventh at Fargo (Nationals).

Have you made plans for next fall?

I’m not decided on where, but I want to wrestle in college. I have offers from Franklin and Marshall, Elizabethtown and Thiel.

Your younger brother Aiden is also on the team. How is he doing?

He’s a freshman. He’s doing good. He wrestles at 132 pounds. We still practice together. We always have.

How did football season go?

I think it was successful. We made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Besides football, what other activities are you involved in at Highlands?

I run track. I do long jump, high jump, the 100 and the 4-by-100 relay.

What is something people might not know about you?

I highly enjoy riding dirt bikes. A couple summers ago, I raced dirt bikes in the woods. Most of the time I ride in Upper Burrell.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Highlands