For Penn-Trafford’s Coy, journey to Hershey is a trip down memory lane

By: William Whalen
Friday, March 8, 2019 | 7:33 PM

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It’s tough not to crack a smile and imagine the possibilities when someone rolls up for a road trip driving a shiny new black Chevy Suburban, but Penn-Trafford wrestler Nick Coy jumped in anyway.

The WPIAL Class AAA 138-pound champion, Warriors coach Rich Ginther, three assistant coaches and Ginther’s son, all set sail eastward on the Turnpike for a three-hour drive that had little to do with wrestling and more to do with tradition, reflection and a few games along the way.

“We’re driving in style,” Ginther said. “We look like the FBI pulling in. We don’t talk a lot of wrestling. We try to relax.”

The large three-row SUV dropped anchor for a few days at Hershey’s Homewood Suites last weekend as Coy hoped to ride off into the sunset after the PIAA Class AAA wrestling championships at Hershey’s Giant Center.

Coy (34-4) was making his fourth consecutive trip to Hershey for the state tournament, which concluded after deadline for this edition. For Coy, who will join his brother Cam and wrestle at Virginia next season, the ride along the turnpike turned into a 200-mile trip down memory lane.

“It definitely went fast and being here for the fourth time is crazy to think,” said Coy, who was seeded second in the 138-pound bracket. “It’s the best part of the year. It’s a nice long weekend and I get off school for a few days. It’s a weekend of wrestling, and I really can’t complain.”

Once teams exit WPIAL territory, it becomes the WPIAL-versus-everybody attitude. Teams come together to help one another navigate through madness of championship weekend.

Another tradition is to pull off at the Breezewood exit and meet up with the Norwin and Greensburg Salem wrestling teams at the Gateway Travel Plaza to stretch the legs and move around.

All three teams also make time to meet up at the Hershey LA Fitness for a workout, some racquetball and a little pickup basketball to help break a sweat and keep their competitive juices flowing.

“We all compete with each other during the season, and we know each other so well,” Coy said. “We have a good time every year. You certainly have a lot of down time up here, so take advantage of it and have fun.”

Coy was looking to improve on his career-best finish from a year ago, when he placed fifth at 132 pounds.

“This was his year to step up and take the top of the podium at these tournaments, and that’s what he did,” Ginther said.

The top of the podium lacked Warriors green and gold at the WPIAL Class AAA championships. Young wrestlers added a few notches of experience to their belts. Ginther believes that it will go a long way into developing not only the wrestlers personally but also the team as a whole in the future.

Freshman Troy Hohman reached the 106-pound quarterfinals before falling to section rival and eventual runner-up Carter Dibert from Franklin Regional, 16-1. Sophomore Ryan Auel won his preliminary match at 113 before getting pinned by Canon-McMillan’s Jimmy Baxter.

Seniors Tony Zona and John Bachar both had their season’s end against Kiski Area wrestlers. The Cavaliers’ Jack Blumer pinned Zona at 3 minutes, 8 seconds, and Nick Delp scored a 4-1 decision over Bachar.

“John made it into the Round of 8, which is a good run,” Ginther said. “Naturally, he was a little disappointed and wanted to make it (to states) his senior year.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Penn-Trafford