There was little time for Bishop McDevitt’s wrestlers to dwell on defeat following their semifinals loss in the PIAA State Team Wrestling tournament Saturday morning.
The Crusaders’ goal going into the Cambria County War Memorial arena in Johnstown was to come out of the famed venue with a trophy. Though the gold medals were out of their reach after a loss to eventual four-time champion Faith Christian Academy, third place was still in play.
But it demanded a gut-check.
Ten minutes after a grueling 39-17 loss to the top-ranking team in the nation, the Crusaders were back on the mat for their first of back-to-back consolation-round matches for the number three spot on the podium.
Between the loss and the rebound, coach Mike Nauman rallied his squad.
“It’s my job to keep these guys ready. I told them after the match with Faith Christian that they wrestled just as hard as them and that I’m proud of them,” he said. “It was about keeping them hungry.”
In the consolation semifinals, the Crusaders quickly dispatched Montgomery, 59-3, winning 12 of 13 bouts. And less than an hour later, they topped Derry Area, 42-9, to secure their second consecutive third-place team trophy.
“We all just got together after the semifinals loss and coach told us to not let the loss get into our head because we still had a job to do,” said Camden Baum, a senior at 139 lbs. “Then we prayed before the first consolation. After that, everyone did their job and wrestled with a lot of fight because the semifinal didn’t go our way. I think it brought us together and we wanted to go out and prove something after that loss.”
Baum is one of several previous state qualifiers and finalists for the Crusaders, who now prepare for individual competition with District 3 championships looming February 21 and the PIAA championships the first weekend in March.
Last season, Baum was a state runner-up at 139 and current teammate Braiden Lotier a gold medalist at 107.
“Leaving Johnstown, we’ll continue working hard like we’ve been all year. We’ll go out there at individuals and do what we have to do to win and have fun with it,” Baum said. “Ultimately, it’s a fun sport and we’re blessed to be part of it.”
A Purdue University commit, Baum said his time at Bishop McDevitt has taught him about character and discipline.
“Every day, we have to have our ties on, our shirts tucked in, be on time. All of that – plus courtesy and being a gentleman, going about your business – that’s really going to help me in college,” he said.
In the meantime, Baum and several of his teammates will set their sights on PIAA individual competition.
(Photos by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
