Their non-section match against Thomas Jefferson this past Wednesday may have ended in a loss, but ultimately, the Baldwin boys wrestling team came out with the bigger win.
“We were in the locker room, we were going through our post-match talk, and then Coach Blake (Toki) looked at his phone and found out we were section champions,” head coach Gehrig Hutchison said.
With Mt. Lebanon losing its two most recent section matches, Baldwin won its first section championship since 1988.
“He announced it to the team, and the energy just went from, ‘We just lost pretty badly to TJ,’ to ‘Oh my gosh, we’re section champs and going to the playoffs,’ ” Hutchison said.
Previously, Mt. Lebanon had been number one in the section after defeating Baldwin for the Highlanders’ only section loss of the season. But Lebo went on to lose to Peters and Upper St. Claire, leaving Baldwin the section champs.
It was a difficult situation for Hutchison and the team, as the outcome was out of their control.
“At the time they had beaten us, and they hadn’t lost yet. They had two remaining matches against Upper St. Clair and Peters Township,” Hutchison said.
This is Hutchison’s first year as head coach, and the mentality that he instilled in the wrestling team helped them become section champions.
“It really came down to our new coach, Coach Hutchinson, who built us up, and we worked on everything. We were strong in every position, and everyone knew what to hit so we could win,” junior Dylan Fleming said.
Last season, Baldwin had one of the best wrestlers in Pennsylvania, Ramil Islamov. Fleming said that the team had to get used to not having him.
“Ramil was a guaranteed win last year, so we were a little worried that we did not have him,” Fleming said. “We lost Ramil, but we got freshmen like Shamil (Islamov) and Akhmed (Yusupov), so we adjusted well without him,” Fleming said.
Islamov looks like he will step into his brother’s shoes, as he is 18-3 during his freshman year, Fleming said.
Junior Colson Porada said the team is hardworking and deserves the championship. They put in a lot of effort, and he believes their dedication paid off.
“I think we support our teammates and we all worked so hard for the win,” Porada said. “Working every day at drills and working at practices, it definitely paid off.”
Every member of the team gave their all in each match this year, Porada said.
“During every match, we did our best, and we just did really well. Everyone knew their place and knew what needed to be done, so they got it done. I know that we are getting better every day,” Porada said.
Their hard work and teamwork played a significant role in their overall performance and success throughout the season.
“They all worked really hard. All of my teammates put their all during practice and on the mat. I knew that they all wanted the win as much as I did, so it was easy and fun to work together,” Porada said
The season started strong and gave the team hope early on. Junior Mikey Griffiths believed in his team from the start.
“After beating Upper St. Clair by around 15 points, I began to realize our team’s quick improvement and how far we can go,” he said. “Winning a section title has been this team’s goal since the beginning of the season. It is a great feeling to have won – especially because it hasn’t been done since 1988.”
Baldwin will have its first playoff game against Penn-Trafford at Connellsville High School on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. They will keep doing what they have been doing and hope to continue their success, their coach said.
“We’re not doing a whole lot differently. We’re still focusing on putting each individual in their best position to win,” Hutchison said.
