Sam Sherlock has been working his upper body hard these days, which should make him a big 133-pounder when he arrives at Penn State this summer. But if Sherlock had his way, he would have worked every muscle group this past winter. Sherlock, a heralded lightweight wrestling recruit who signed with the Nittany Lions last November, is spending the second part of his senior year at West Mifflin High School trying to make the best of a wayward situation. Sherlock tore his ACL during the Beast of the East Tournament, ending his hopes of becoming a two-time PIAA Class AAA champion. Sherlock underwent surgery less than two weeks after sustaining the injury. He now rehabs the knee twice a week and performs upperbody lifts every other day. “Right now after some workouts I’m sore, but it’s nothing major,” he said. “I’m getting my movement back.”

Sherlock’s ordeal included some freakish moments. He wrestled through the entire Beast of the East, finishing second in the prestigious event after a 3-2 loss to Delaware’s Nick Schenck in the 130-pound final. Sherlock returned to western Pennsylvania and continued practicing with his teammates for a week-and-a-half. He said he thought the knee was sprained. But the swelling never subsided, so Sherlock received an MRI. After conferring with Penn State coaches, he opted for season-ending surgery. “Right when it happened I talked to them and they wanted me to get surgery so I could be ready for next year and the years to come,” he said. Sherlock’s plight resembles the one facing any senior who experiences a major injury. He hung around his West Mifflin teammates and offered guidance to some of the Titans’ young wrestlers.

The postseason proved a difficult time. Sherlock attended the opening rounds of the District 7 Championships, but couldn’t watch the finals. He then couldn’t bring himself to attending this month’s PIAA Class AAA Championships in Hershey or the Dapper Dan Classic in Pittsburgh. Sherlock, a state champ at 125 last year, compiled a 114-13 career record. He was considered among the favorites to capture the Class AAA 130-pound crown, which was won by McDowell’s Steve Spearman. InterMat ranked Sherlock the nation’s 21st best recruit before the season. “I was hoping to become a two-time state champ and everything looked pretty good at the beginning of the year,” he said. “It was tough to deal with.”

Sherlock received comfort from watching the Nittany Lions. He attended Penn State’s home meets against Illinois, Northwestern and Michigan State, which have helped motivate Sherlock during the rehab process. “Right now everything is getting ready for next year and being 100 percent,” he said. Sherlock said he expects to return to a mat in either late May or early June. The decision to undergo surgery might allow him to compete for the 133-pound spot this fall. “I should be fine for coming out and wrestling next year,” he said. Sherlock, like the other members of Penn State’s 2010 recruiting class, will enroll in summer classes. Assistant coach Casey Cunningham said Penn State’s staff communicated with Sherlock throughout the season. “He’s another kid that has the right attitude,” Cunningham said earlier this month. “We’re excited to get him in the room. It’s going to be a little bit still. But he’s a competitor. He’s going to make good gains when he gets into a room where he’s challenged every day.”

Altons on Dream Team

Central Mountain stars and Penn State recruits Andrew and Dylan Alton aren’t done with their senior seasons. The Altons were selected to participate in the 14th annual USA/Cliff Keen Dream Team Wrestling Classic on April 10 at Elmhurst College. The event matches a United States all-star team against Illinois’ best seniors. Andrew will face Hersey’s Demetrios Mitchell at 145 while Dylan wrestles Marengo’s Joey Moorhouse at 152. The Altons also wrestled in the Dapper Dan Classic, with Andrew winning and Dylan losing. Former Bald Eagle Area star and current Penn State sophomore All-American Quentin Wright wrestled in the 2008 Dream Team Classic.

Pennsylvania wrestlers dominate rankings

InterMat released its final high school rankings last week and it’s no surprise Pennsylvania led the nation with 39 wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of their respective weights. Pennsylvania’s prowess includes six top-ranked wrestlers: Andrew and Dylan Alton at 145 and 152, respectively; Council Rock South’s Josh Dziewa at 135, Blue Mountain’s Josh Kindig at 140, Central Dauphin’s Marshall Peppelman at 160 and Wyoming Seminary’s Mike McMullan at heavyweight. Bellefonte’s Mitchell Port, who captured a state title earlier this month, ended the year ranked third at 125 behind Ohio’s Logan Stieber and Wisconsin’s Jesse Thielke.

Still wrestling

Bellefonte freshman Garrett Poorman went 3-1 and finished second in the 13-14 heavyweight division during this past weekend’s Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Championships in Wilkes-Barre. Poorman lost to Mifflinburg’s Nazer Mironenko 1-0 in the finals. State College’s Erik Galloway finished eighth at 130 in the senior division during this past weekend’s National High School Coaches Association Championships in Virginia Beach. Galloway also placed eighth at the state championships. J.R. Wert, who moved from Bellefonte to Georgia after December’s Powerade Tournament, captured an NHSCA freshman title at 112. Wert went 23-0 and won a Georgia state title for Morgan County High School.

Thanks to Guy Cipriano and the "Centre Daily Times" (State College, Pa.) for the article