Line Mountain wrestling hits 700-earn milestone

MANDATA — In its maiden voyage, the Mahanoy Joint wrestling group concluded with one earn and 11 losses.

The coach for that 1957-58 year, Richard Bingaman, transformed sports activities, getting around the Bruins’ basketball group.

The system has arrive a long way considering the fact that that initial year, surpassing the 700 twin earn milestone late final month.

His successor, Barry Beilharz, experienced wrestled two many years every for Muncy Superior Faculty and Bloomsburg State College or university (now College), all for the late Russ Houk just before a shoulder damage ended his competitive career. However, it didn’t close his wrestling vocation.

Suitable out of Bloomsburg, Beilharz was employed to just take in excess of the fledgling plan at Mahanoy Joint, which later merged with Trevorton to come to be Line Mountain.

Irrespective of the odds, Beilharz, like most good wrestlers, was not hurting for assurance.

He recalled that when he was employed, then superior faculty principal Warren Hassinger asked him, “What is your objective? You have to have a objective.”

Beilharz’s reply: “To develop a program than be aggressive and acquire the glory away from Shamokin.”

Shamokin, which also would merge with Coal Township to grow to be Shamokin Location, was one of the top courses in the state. In the a single-and-finished days of the postseason, the Purple Demons gained 9 person point out titles or silver medals in the condition championships among 1958 and 1968.

But when did Beilharz, now 83, know his crew experienced arrived?

“It did get a extensive time, but I did get a kid who beat (Shamokin’s) “Hoagie” Herrold,” Beilharz stated. “He was like a barn.”

Indeed, the late legendary soccer and wrestling star, William “Hoagie” Herrold, stood 6-foot-5, and weighed, conservatively, 380 lbs.

Beilharz also reported just one of his Mahanoy Joint wrestlers, Dale Wolfe — who won the District 4 title in 1965 — was 1 of all those fellas who regularly defeat the best. He claimed Wolfe upset a wrestler from West Snyder, and the subsequent 7 days another excellent wrestler from Hughesville. The following 7 days, Wolfe was unwell and wrestled with a 102-degree temperature, and misplaced to someone who won a state title the up coming week.

The status of the modest college in southern Northumberland County was developing.

“We experienced that gym packed,” explained Beilharz, who to this day owns the only unbeaten season in college heritage (14- in 1965-66).

“That calendar year, we wrestled Williamsport and Bloomsburg, and the fire marshal would have shut it down if he was there,” Beilharz reported. “People held coming in and the ticket sellers saved selling tickets. They had to set men and women in the auditorium and present it on closed-circuit Tv.”

Beilharz was assisted by the late Phil Lockcuff right until the future Corridor of Fame coach remaining for Shikellamy wherever he commenced the junior program and then succeeded the late Larry Sinibaldi as varsity coach. Substantial school art trainer, the late Don Levan changed Lockcuff and the late George Herman was also on the staff members.

Beilharz had the ball started, going 71-43-2 in 12 seasons right before resigning to come to be the higher college principal. His successor, Paul Stehman took the software to new heights, getting to be the school’s all-time winningest mentor (169-121-3 in 12 seasons).

8 other coaches, which include current mentor Chuck Johnson stored it rolling like a snowball downhill. On Jan. 20, Line Mountain picked up the 700th earn in school history by defeating Tri-Valley League foe Juniata 65-6.

On Saturday, in the Eagles’ duals match, Johnson picked up his 100th gain at Line Mountain (he earlier coached two yrs in North Carolina).

Line Mountain is the 41st software to achieve 700 wins. Since then, the Eagles have absent 11- and the all-time file stands at 711-399-6.

In the days ahead of condition team tournaments, Line Mountain gained four point out titles in the state personal tournaments and a different time completed next by one particular-50 % place.

“We did quite effectively in the 90s,” explained previous Line Mountain coach Lon Balum (37-8 in two seasons).

“The whole workforce from leading to base was previously mentioned ordinary with a couple of condition excellent wrestlers,” he stated. “They did not have team states, but I consider individuals teams were being much better twin meet up with groups.”

The Eagles have also won 11 personal point out golds and 59 particular person District 4 titles, which is tied with Shikellamy for second behind Benton (62).

Mike Martz — a previous state medalist for the Eagles, who was 111-27 in his occupation — was the coach for 97 of the wins. He was in the chair for both of those the 500th and 600th wins. Stehman coached the Eagles to wins No. 100 and 200. His successor, Dennis Erdman, landed No. 300 and former Warrior Run condition champ Chris Cooper, a 4-time PIAA medalist, led them to the 400th in the 1998-99 season. Also contributing to the overall ended up Phil Knapp (31-14 in 2004 and 2005) and Josh Mangle (7-8 in 2000).

Martz — whose good-uncle, Richard, a member of the to start with workforce, and father, Don, also wrestled for the school — stated: “I experienced a great deal of respect for Paul Stehman, who was the head mentor when I was in elementary, and then Dennis and Bryan Buddock by junior higher. Obtaining those three men to look up to was incredible.”

Erdman and Buddock each coached the junior large, and finally took about the varsity. Erdman succeeded Stehman and his teams went 85-15-1 from 1988 as a result of 1992, and Buddock adopted him and went 68-19 the future 5 several years.

Martz reported 1 of the factors for the program’s prolonged operate of success has been that so several former wrestlers have occur in and aided behind the scenes, like Mike Klinger, whose son Collin is just one of the school’s 26 100-bout winners.

“He was pretty associated and there was a ton of stability there with folks driving the seasons,” Martz reported. “Dennis Erdman was an assistant for a very long time right before he became a head coach, and there had been a good deal of things at the rear of the scenes that guy did for the plan more than the yrs.”

Stehman mentioned one of points that assisted the system develop was beginning the junior substantial program, and then putting Erdman in position to mentor these youthful wrestlers.

“You constantly want to consider your ideal gentleman and set him down there,” Stehman mentioned. “That’s how you make a software.”

In addition to Erdman, Stehman was also assisted by Bryan Balavage.

Martz recalled that Erdman told him something identical when he started coaching.

“Dennis reported, ‘You want your ideal technician performing with the junior higher,’” Martz explained.

Martz also claimed that Johnson, who wrestled at Mifflinburg Large University and Bucknell College, has been concerned with the application for 17 of the past 20 a long time, and he is also a terrific technician.

“There have been quite a few individuals above the decades that have contributed to the continued accomplishment of Line Mountain wrestling,” Erdman explained. “Paul Stehman was the greatest factor in motivating the students and mothers and fathers to get included with their sons.”

Erdman recalled getting much more than 100 wrestlers in the elementary plan in the early decades.

“It developed incredible enthusiasm within just our group,” he claimed.

He stated George Cashner begun the initially booster club, and regional businessman Fred Meckley funded the developing of the junior superior wrestling place in Trevorton.

“Prior to that, we had to go all the tables in the middle university cafeteria just after university to roll out the mat to observe,” Erdman mentioned. “Only challenge was, there was a steel pole in the heart of the cafeteria so we could not ever observe on a whole mat. When I took our junior superior wrestlers to their very first open up match, they had under no circumstances wrestled or practiced within of a full circle.

“Needless to say, we all went property early.”

Erdman agreed that the biggest element in Line Mountain’s results was the parental involvement with their youngsters.

“Those parents and their children have terrific recollections of time spent doing something favourable with each other as a relatives,” he claimed.

Erdman details to numerous highlights from his tenure, starting off with a match in between the Eagles and rival Shikellamy which was moved to Shamokin Area due to the fact of the significant group. Even at that, there was a standing-room-only crowd.

“Shik lovers were being singing ‘Dennis Erdman had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,'” he mentioned, “and the farmers conquer Shik.”

He included that no other school in the space defeat Shikellamy that yr, including condition-rated Danville, Mifflinburg and North Schuylkill.

Erdman also recalled that in 1990, Line Mountain, Danville and Mifflinburg, all competed in the very same sectional match. All had been ranked among the major Class 2A dual fulfill groups in the condition.

Erdman also noted that Line Mountain wrestled at North Schuylkill when Sports Illustrated was on hand to include it soon after then-mentor Joe Cesari had been named Countrywide Coach of the Yr.

Balum said that when he arrived on the scene from Potter County, Stehman and Erdman had set some aims of achieving large concentrations with the software.

“Wrestling is a spouse and children activity, and absolutely everyone gets associated to operate the tournaments and they get there early and stay late,” Balum reported. “Mothers and dads and older brothers and sisters assist all through the season.”

Balum, whose son Kellon gained a university-report 170 matches and two condition titles, added that there have been a good deal of common family members names on the teams, with sons whose fathers wrestled.

Balum believes that the continuing need for learning, which include introducing the Granby process to the program was instrumental in the success.

”We were being all on the exact site, from elementary to junior higher to the substantial university, and they knew the drills,” Balum said.

Johnson said the coaches realized coming into the time they wanted only six wins to hit 700.

“(Assistant mentor) Josh Phillips requires treatment of our information, and he retains me knowledgeable,” he reported.

But when the pandemic delayed the period and numerous fulfills ended up canceled, the key issue was hoping to make absolutely sure that two of their senior wrestlers would get their opportunity at 100 vocation wins.

Ian Coller arrived at the milestone past week and is now at 112 wins, and Jacob Feese has 95 wins.

“We did not know if we were being going to be capable to wrestle or how we have been heading to do factors, so we had been involved with that,” Johnson explained. “We can get the 700th the pursuing 12 months, but they are seniors, so they really don’t have subsequent 12 months.”

Johnson’s journey at Line Mountain was the consequence of conversations with a few former Bucknell College roommates, all Line Mountain standouts.

“What brought me there was three college or university roommates, Ryan Heim, Ty Rothermel and Bobby Renn. I heard about the job and them speaking up for me assisted me get employed,” he reported.

It was certainly a good employ for Johnson as well as the application.