Gateway wrestling team bolstered by deep collection of athletes

By: Michael Love
Sunday, November 26, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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When Ryan Sula looked out on the mat in the Gateway wrestling room during an early-season workout, he saw more than two dozen wrestlers taking part in drills, the most in his eight years as the Gators’ coach.

The numbers and the enthusiasm for Gateway wrestling encourages Sula who hopes his young collection of athletes can make strides, both in the short and long terms.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” Sula said.

“Right now, just from the high school-age kids, we have close to 30. This is, by far, the biggest group of kids I’ve had. Most of them have been in here working since September, and now they are ready to take that next step. Some of the ninth graders will most likely wrestle junior high, but that’s OK. They will be getting a lot of matches against guys their age. A couple could challenge for a spot in the varsity lineup. This will be a big season for all of them.

“The numbers allow us to do different types of live wrestling to prepare for tournaments and matches. We have bodies in similar weight classes where in years past, we might not have had anyone within two weight classes of someone. It definitely is a good thing.”

Only two graduated from last year’s team.

Of those two, Arontay Heningcamp was the only starter.

Sula called Heningcamp an influencial teammate in the room over his two-plus varsity seasons. He won 57 matches, including 52 last year and the year before.

Heningcamp capped his Gators career with a sixth-place finish at 114 pounds at March’s WPIAL Class AAA/Southwest Regional championships at Canon-McMillan High School.

Four seniors front a roster which includes five juniors, a large gathering of 11 sophomores, and an additional six freshmen.

Of the nine juniors and seniors, eight of them have prior varsity experience.

“I give a lot of credit to the guys who have been wrestling for promoting the sport in the school and getting others excited to where they want to come out and wrestle,” Sula said.

“It’s helping both grow and maintain the program.”

Senior Jake Pawlowski went 16-16 last year at both 189 and 215 pounds.

He is 30-28 in two varsity seasons.

Pawlowski finished fourth at the 2023 Section East tournament and qualified for WPIALs for the first time.

“He ended up playing football for the first time,” Sula said.

“But he wrestled all summer while he wasn’t doing football things. He was at Young Guns with his brother (Luke). He definitely put the work in and is excited to build off of what he did at WPIALs last year. He went 2-2 there, and getting to experience WPIALs and win matches there gave him some positive momentum coming into this season.”

Luke Pawlowski, a junior, fashioned a 22-8 record last year at both 133 and 139.

He went 36-20 over his first two seasons.

He didn’t place at sections (133) last year after qualifying for WPIALs to cap the 2021-22 season.

“That was a tough feeling for him, but he still accomplished a lot last year, finishing second on the team in wins. Before sections, he was leading the team in wins. I know he will learn from the end of his season and come back in a big way.”

Junior Nizaiah Heller won nine matches at both 127 and 133 last year in his first varsity season.

“He’s looking really good right now,” Sula said.

“With most guys who start on varsity for the first time, there is a transition. The weight classes are condensed with not as many weights as in junior high. It can be a challenge to adjust.”

Senior Dallas Steele (139) and junior Conner Smith (145) also competed at sections last year.

Sula said the overall program received a big boost in the offseason when former Gateway wrestling WPIAL qualifier and Gators football standout Jaymar Parrish joined the coaching staff at the junior high level.

Parrish went on to spend several seasons on the football team at Pitt. He battled major health issues over the past couple of years but continues on the road to recovery and now is ready to give back to his alma mater.

“Jaymar is the same now as when I coached him in this same room,” Sula said. “He is just a ball of energy. So far, that has really rubbed off on the kids.”

For the first time in many years, Gateway will not host the season-opening Eastern Area tournament. They will take part in the South West Kickoff at Valley High School on Friday and Saturday.

Gateway then will wrestle a tri-meet with Woodland Hills and Neighborhood Academy on Dec. 6 and travel to the North Hills Duals on Dec. 9 and match up with host Indians as well as Upper St. Clair, Avonworth and Central Catholic.

“I like dual tournaments early in the year because you get the chance to coach between the matches and see the progress even in that single day,” Sula said.

Other in-season tournaments include the Bo Wood Tournament on Jan. 6 at Indiana High School, and the Allegheny County Tournament at Fox Chapel on Jan. 19-20.

The Gators also will be matched up in section with Hempfield, McKeesport, Connellsville and Latrobe.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Gateway