Over the last nine years, Faith Christian has built one of the most dominant Class 2A programs in the state.
Last season, the Lions won the District One/12 title, and finished third at regionals and states. It was just another steady and strong season for the Quakertown-based school.
Yet, head coach Ben Clymer has a special feeling about his current group of wrestlers, primarily the younger ones who have entered the program over the past year.
Currently, the Lions’ season record has been blemished by one loss, a 32-20 opening-round defeat to St. Peter’s Prep at their Christmas Tri-Meet on Dec. 23. They quickly rebounded with an impressive 28-21 win over New Jersey’s nationally recognized powerhouse, Christian Brothers Academy.
From there, Faith Christian has outscored their opponents in matches, 387-27. They trampled perennial Class 6A stronghold Council Rock South, 57-0. In addition, they placed fourth at the prestigious Escape the Rock tournament and recently finished first at the respectable Coal Cracker Invitational, both of which were dominated by larger schools.
To begin the season, Faith Christian won the Cumberland Valley Kickoff Classic and was third at the Beast of the East tournament.
It is a cast that has 11 freshmen, five sophomores and one junior, without a senior on a roster of just 17 wrestlers. Along with the meteoric rise of the high school unit, the junior varsity program is budding quickly.
Clymer foresaw a fantastic future. The group of freshman and sophomores have a combined record of 542-88. Junior Cody Wagner has a 10-8 mark.
They truly can be called a group of “wunderkinds.”
“I knew these guys were coming,” offered Clymer. “I knew they would be a special group. I knew they would have success based solely on how talented they were.
“But the best thing to see play out is how hungry they are to work, to ask questions, and to get better. That fire is a big reason why they are having so much success despite being so young.”
Sophomore Gauge Botero, who finished third in the state and posted an overall 45-7 record with 21 falls at 113 last year, leads with an invincible mindset. Botero is 28-2 with 21 falls at 121 pounds.
“I believe there isn’t any team in the state that is working as hard as we are,” he stated. “We all have the same goals, and are willing to work toward those goals. We push each other in the room every day and hold each other accountable.
“I continue to feel strong and confident. I’ve made some adjustments and have seen improvements. I’m looking forward to the postseason.”
Along with Botero, sophomores Max Stein (27-7 this season at 145) and Chase Hontz (24-8 this season at 139) also both left their imprint last season.
Others who have risen to the occasion with double-digit victories are freshmen Kole Davidheiser (21-7, 107 pounds), Mark Effendian (26-8, 215), Jonny O’Brien (15-9, 127), Jason Singer (18-6, 189), Mason Wagner (24-6, 133), Shane Wagner (11-4,139), Arment Waltenbaugh (12-4,127) and Cael Weidemoyer (20-3, 152), along with sophomore Jonny Beckett (11-9, 172) and Luke Sugalski (15-6, 160).
Freshman 172-pounder Adam Waters (29-1), who has captured the individual title at the last two tournaments, has cherished the moments and is striving for more.
“I am really excited about winning these tournaments,” he gushed. “I feel like I have won titles this big at different levels in junior high.
“My season is going very well. I haven’t had any serious injuries, and I am continuing to grow as a wrestler.”
The Lions are regarded as one of the top programs in the state as well as around the country, although there isn’t a pure national poll for high school wrestling teams.
Clymer has worked to keep everything in its proper perspective. He just wants to keep moving forward.
“This is a popular time for rankings, seedings, etc.,” he said. “I am trying to get the kids in the habit of not looking for that information. We are so close to the actual event of finding out who is No. 1, so why should we involve ourselves in the emotion of what someone thinks of how you should be ranked?
“We just need to stay focused, stay humble and stay hungry.”
In the coming weeks, it will be all about the process. For many of the Faith Christian Lions, they will be in the hunt for their first state championship.
“The most important thing is to keep finding meaningful reps to improve confidence moving into the postseason,” stressed Clymer. “The guys understand that this part of the season is used for learning, so they will be hungry to continue peaking until the end.”
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