Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Franklin Regional’s Henry Patts

By: Anthony DiFilippo
Monday, February 24, 2025 | 10:46 AM

In sports, people often root for the underdog but expect the favorite to win.

For Franklin Regional wrestling, winning the WPIAL Class 3A title Feb. 1 wasn’t a surprise.

“One of the most electric feelings I’ve ever felt in my life,” senior wrestler Henry Patts said. “No one thought we could win. We were the underdogs. We were not supposed to win.”

Second-seeded Franklin Regional upset top-seeded Connellsville, 32-25, to win its third WPIAL championship.

For Patts, the victory was just one of many on and off the mat.

He recently had an 11-match win streak snapped by Thomas Jefferson’s Zach LaBryer at the PIAA team tournament.

He is still having the best season of his career, collecting more than 30 wins.

“I used to look up who I was wrestling,” Patts said. “And this year, I decided to cut that out. I decided to stop looking up who I was wrestling and stop asking around. I started to believe in myself and my ability to win.”

As a sophomore, Patts went 13-13. Last season, he improved to 23-14.

Now, as a senior, he has leveled up again.

Coach Matt Lebe has moved Patts between 189 and 215 pounds, a challenge he has welcomed.

“The coaches knew that I could kind of be that person that they could rely on,” Patts said. “And I went out there, and I knew I could win.”

Off the mat, Patts has his future planned, as he hopes to attend the Naval Academy, earning a nomination from U.S. Rep. Summer Lee.

This week, Patts took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did you get started with wrestling?

I tried so many different sports. I tried soccer and baseball. I did a little bit of gymnastics. Nothing really stuck with me. I played football for a decent bit, but then I liked the contact of football, but I didn’t like wearing all the pads in a sense. So I was like, “Why don’t I try wrestling?” I was around 7 or 8 years old at this point. I actually started with my sister. She stopped wrestling after the second or third practice, and then I just stuck with it.

How has the Franklin Regional coaching staff helped you?

If I could say one word about the coaching staff, I would say it is just fantastic. I’m pretty sure all of them are D-I wrestlers. They just all competed at that super high level that so many other high school teams just don’t get the privilege to wrestle underneath all these wonderful coaches. They all could offer different stuff to us. I know if I turned to a certain coach, I would get a certain answer that would just help me excel in my wrestling. We have a mindset coach that helps us with our character and attitudes towards certain things, and he’s very useful. So I just think we have a very good community and staff at Franklin Regional to help us excel to be the best version that we could possibly be of ourselves.

What’s your favorite moment in your wrestling career?

I would have to say winning that WPIAL title. That was just the most exhilarating thing. Everyone is involved in the match. We were all cheering each other on. After someone even just got a small win, got points on the board that we knew they were supposed to win, or they got bonus points, the whole team was out of our chairs. We were all jumping up and down. And it was just surreal.

What went into your decision to pursue the Naval Academy?

Yeah, I just really like the community that is offered at the Naval Academy, and the key morals and values, like integrity and discipline. They have very good moral values that are offered out there. And I feel like this was partially made because of two of my coaches at Franklin Regional. Gus Solomon, he coached me for sophomore and junior year, and then also coach (Tim) Florian, and they both wrestled at the Naval Academy. I just feel like wrestling has also kind of made me have that decision because in the wrestling room, our coach just stressed discipline inside the mat and outside of the mat. They stress honesty, just being an overall good person, and at the Naval Academy, they stress all those same things. When I went to visit the Naval Academy, it was pretty much the same thing, and everyone that has graduated there also said they have good morals. Also, the Naval Academy has really good academics. That’s something I really stress. I have over a 4.0 GPA right now. And it’s just something I take very seriously.

What is one thing that people may not know about you?

I’m currently enrolled in flight school, and I should have my private pilot’s license by the time I graduate. So in my free time, you normally will see me either working, or you’ll see me at the airport in Latrobe flying a small airplane. And that’s just something I’m really passionate about.

Tags: Franklin Regional