Spring Grove superstar caps week to remember with thrilling District 3 wrestling title

It was a different and yet familiar situation for Michael Hershey.

And one he’s been preparing to handle.

The Spring Grove senior heavyweight entered the District 3 heavyweight final Saturday on a 17-match pin streak. And yet he knew the anticipated final against Twin Valley’s Ean Winchester would not come easily — certainly not after his sudden victory win over the senior in December.

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Sure enough, it came down to the final overtime (ultimate tiebreaker) — and Hershey found himself 15 seconds from defeat after giving up an escape.

Instead, he pulled off a late reversal to earn a stunning 3-2 win that clinched the first District 3 title of his career in his final home match.

“I knew it was going to be like that,” Hershey said. “You just gotta keep the right mindset. In that moment I’m just pushing as hard as I can. I knew once I started moving him it was going to wear him down.”

Hershey was one of three YAIAA competitors to win District 3 Class 3A gold medals at Spring Grove Saturday. But he was the only first-time champ. He took third last season.

It’s been quite a week for the 6-foot-4, 260-pound behemoth. A Maryland football commit, he was named to the Big 33 Classic roster Wednesday. He won his 100th career match in the district semifinals Saturday morning.

“It’s up there,” he said with a smile when asked if it was the best week of his life.

Hershey is a man of few words. But some emotion seeped out of him following his win over Winchester. He embraced head coach Tyke Conover and proudly celebrated with him teammates.

Some of them jokingly bowed down to him in the aftermath.

“It was awesome,” Hershey said with a smile. “(Conover) knew I could do this and believed in me. It meant a lot to represent my community here.”

Even with Hershey on the brink of defeat, Conover said he expected his senior to come through.

“Michael is an exceptional individual, one of the best kids I’ve ever had,” the coach said. “He’s super focused, laser-driven. He doesn’t say much but a super-hard worker. This is supposed to be a grind. He loves that grind. Everyone thinks it’s about the pin and running through someone. It’s not. It’s about getting (a takedown).”

Spring Grove head coach Tyke Conover congratulates Michael Hershey after the senior defeated Twin Valley’s Ean Winchester in the heavyweight championship bout at the PIAA District 3 Class 3A Wrestling Championships at Spring Grove Area High School on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, in Jackson Township.

Hershey will now try to improve on last year’s seventh-place state medal.

In an age where top football players often leave early for college, he’s glad he’s stayed to finish his wrestling career.

“I just love wrestling and focus on football after that,” he said. “I just gotta keep practicing and sharpening my saw.”

Central York, York Suburban wrestlers earn consecutive District 3 crowns

York Suburban’s Tyler Adams and Central York’s Eli Long have always had a knack for accomplishing things together.

The close friends won their first District 3 titles together last season. They reached their 100th career wins at the same tournament this season.

And they repeated as District 3 champions together Saturday.

Adams became Suburban’s first two-time champ since Steve Lucchesi in 2002 and 2003. He topped Wilson’s James Garcia, 4-3, in the 133-pound finals.

Long became Central York’s second multiple-time champ along with 2019 grad Michael Wolfgram. He beat Central Dauphin’s Gavin Reynolds, 4-1, in the 145-pound finals.

The two found each other for a hug right after Long stepped off the mat.

“This was one of our goals all year but the main goal is to both be state champs,” Adams said. “Now we’re on to the third step. This is what we planned and we’re on pace for our goals. “

Adams gave up an early takedown but escaped twice to even the score. The Navy commit spent the entire second period working for a single-leg takedown but finally brought Garcia down by the shoulders to take the lead. He wrestled conservatively in the third period and accepted a stall but still won.

It was his first time wrestling Garcia in a match but trains with the Wilson senior at Chance Marsteller’s facility in Berks County.

“He likes to get to his offense and he really brought the pace a little bit,” Adams said. “I was wrestling his match a little bit. I knew it was important to get a takedown there because I didn’t want it to come down to the final seconds.”

Long faced a familiar opponent but not the one he thought he’d get.

The Central York senior expected to get Gettysburg’s Gabe Pecaitis in the final. The two competitors met last year for the district title and last week for the sectional title. But Pecaitis lost in the semifinals and then suffered an injury in the consolation bracket.

So Long faced Reynolds, who he beat last season in the District 3 semifinals. Long led 2-1 entering the third period and then reversed Reynolds for a commanding win.

“Going to bed Thursday I thought I’d be wrestling Pecaitis Saturday. But I was confident either way,” Long said. “I knew Reynolds wouldn’t get out of position. I rode him out in the second period but I was confident if I reversed him it would end the match. I didn’t want give up an escape.”

Now both wrestlers will try to make it further at the state tournament than last year. Long won an eighth place state medal while Adams came up empty.

Both want to reach the top of the podium.

“It was a tough ending last year but that gives me a lot of motivation,” Adams said. “I put in a lot of offseason work to be higher up on that podium.”

Three YAIAA competitors earn silver

Northeastern’s Elijah Hewitt made it further that he had in the past, but he couldn’t quite clinch his first District 3 title.

The junior reached the 121-pound finals by pinning Red Lion’s Jackson Orrell. And he found himself matched up with Gettysburg freshman Myles Grossman , who beat him in last week’s sectional final by one point.

The bout was tied entering the third period, but Hewitt started on top and gave up an escape He just missed a takedown in the final seconds. He lost, 3-2, after only scoring two escapes.

A year after he finished fifth while dealing with a broken hand, Central York’s Carter Davis reached the 160-pound final. He lost, 8-0, to Central Dauphin three-time District 3 champ Ryan Garvick.

Dallastown senior Isaiah Feeney reached the 172-pound final after not getting to the district podium last year. He nearly won but lost, 3-2, to Wilson’s Blaise Eidle. Feeney nearly got the winning takedown multiple times in the third period before giving one up with 39 seconds left.

YAIAA state wrestling qualifiers

121: Elijah Hewitt, Northeastern; Jackson Orrell, Red Lion

133: Tyler Adams, York Suburban; Mason Harvey, Red Lion

145: Eli Long, Central York

152: Wyatt Dillon, Central York

160: Carter Davis, Central York

172: Isaiah Feeney, Dallastown

285: Michael Hershey, Spring Grove; Micah Smith, New Oxford

Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, [email protected] or on Twitter at @bad2theallibone.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Spring Grove superstar caps week to remember with thrilling District 3 wrestling title