ADVERTISEMENT

A little District 3 Banter

PerryLion1997

Well-Known Member
Oct 8, 2016
108
74
1
27
Landisburg Pennsylvania
So this weekend is the first time in as many years as I've attended the Pa District 3 AA tournament that it will not be held in Hershey. Central Dauphin East will now hold the individual tournament and in my opinion it's going to be an extremely tight venue. What are some bigger gymnasiums in the district 3 area? My idea would be to send AA district 3 to Hamburg, as they have two separate gyms to wrestle in.
 
Landisburg, eh? For what it's worth, I think the countryside around West Perry/Landisburg is my favorite outside Adams County. Very beautiful. Enjoy today's sunshine, buddy.
 
Sorry for derailing this thread, but I'm going to anyhow. I can't see West Perry in print, or hear the name, without thinking of one of the funniest events at any sporting event that I've ever been to.

Back in the day, I was the manager (gopher) for East Juniata's track team. We arrived at West Perry High School, and stepped off the bus to hurricane force winds. The team proceeded to the center of the track, and began their stretching routine.

During the stretches a random person went into one of the port a potties that they had sitting up on a Hill. Shortly after that, the wind took over, and all of a sudden, one of the track team members yelled, "It fell over!" Now, with the entire track team looking on, out crawled the unfortunate soul. They quickly scampered off, looking around to see if anyone had noticed. O, boy, did we ever.

I have matured a great deal since then, and would never consider laughing at someone's unfortunate circumstance like this. You can't prove that I'm sitting here snickering as I write it.

PerryLion, If that was you, you don't need to admit it. Just know that that story has been told dozens of times over the years. Hopefully, by now, we are laughing with you, not at you.
 
Sorry for derailing this thread, but I'm going to anyhow. I can't see West Perry in print, or hear the name, without thinking of one of the funniest events at any sporting event that I've ever been to.

Back in the day, I was the manager (gopher) for East Juniata's track team. We arrived at West Perry High School, and stepped off the bus to hurricane force winds. The team proceeded to the center of the track, and began their stretching routine.

During the stretches a random person went into one of the port a potties that they had sitting up on a Hill. Shortly after that, the wind took over, and all of a sudden, one of the track team members yelled, "It fell over!" Now, with the entire track team looking on, out crawled the unfortunate soul. They quickly scampered off, looking around to see if anyone had noticed. O, boy, did we ever.

I have matured a great deal since then, and would never consider laughing at someone's unfortunate circumstance like this. You can't prove that I'm sitting here snickering as I write it.

PerryLion, If that was you, you don't need to admit it. Just know that that story has been told dozens of times over the years. Hopefully, by now, we are laughing with you, not at you.
That's a truly funny story! It's fine to derail this thread. The winds do go crazy around the school. I graduated in 2015 and I never participated in track. What year do you think you saw this happen?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Str8DBLz
That's a truly funny story! It's fine to derail this thread. The winds do go crazy around the school. I graduated in 2015 and I never participated in track. What year do you think you saw this happen?
It was either '81 or '82. Did Al Ream retire before you were there? He was my coach.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: PerryLion1997
So this weekend is the first time in as many years as I've attended the Pa District 3 AA tournament that it will not be held in Hershey. Central Dauphin East will now hold the individual tournament and in my opinion it's going to be an extremely tight venue. What are some bigger gymnasiums in the district 3 area? My idea would be to send AA district 3 to Hamburg, as they have two separate gyms to wrestle in.
I thought back in the 80’s they held it at Shippensburg university , back then I wasn’t thinking of capacity
 
  • Like
Reactions: PerryLion1997
In AAA sectionals, I saw that Clayton Ulrey of Lower Dauphin got beat by Nichter of Chambersburg.

Is this likely to be another year that Lower Dauphin does not claim their first state champ (despite some great wrestling tradition)? Other state contenders at 160? (Is Kibe from Mifflin Cty. at 170 for post-season?)?
 
  • Like
Reactions: PerryLion1997
In AAA sectionals, I saw that Clayton Ulrey of Lower Dauphin got beat by Nichter of Chambersburg.

Is this likely to be another year that Lower Dauphin does not claim their first state champ (despite some great wrestling tradition)? Other state contenders at 160? (Is Kibe from Mifflin Cty. at 170 for post-season?)?

I was pretty surpised to see that result. Ulrey won 11-7 earlier this year dominating the neutral action until Nichter bomber him for 4. The younger Blumer and Stefanik brothers are at this weight as is Luca Augustine whom Nichter beat this season but has been ranked on a national level
 
I thought back in the 80’s they held it at Shippensburg university , back then I wasn’t thinking of capacity
You are correct. Back then, the D3 tournament ran over 2 weekends. If memory serves, AA wrestled elsewhere the first weekend and then moved to Shippensburg for the second week. AAA wrestled both weekends at Shippensburg.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PerryLion1997
In AAA sectionals, I saw that Clayton Ulrey of Lower Dauphin got beat by Nichter of Chambersburg.

Is this likely to be another year that Lower Dauphin does not claim their first state champ (despite some great wrestling tradition)? Other state contenders at 160? (Is Kibe from Mifflin Cty. at 170 for post-season?)?
Kibe is at 170. I think Ulrey gets that title to break the ice. I think he'll change the result at districts and states.
 
  • Like
Reactions: royboy
Yup, it was. And before that, in the 70's, it was at the Farm Show Arena in Harrisburg...i remember my cousin wrestling there like around 1974...is that old building still around?
Hahah the Farm Show Arena? Yeah...it’s still around. Home of the Harrisburg Heat!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shrubber
Hahah the Farm Show Arena? Yeah...it’s still around. Home of the Harrisburg Heat!
Back in the day, District 3 used to be part of the SouthEast Region along with District 1. For some reason, D1 had its finals on a Friday night, and D3 had its finals on Saturday night. So after we won District 1, we went to the D3 finals to see who we were wrestling (one and done era).
I went twice. Seems to me, once the D3 finals were at Steel-High HS. The other finals we went to were at Franklin and Marshall.
 
1. Love Perry county... My son camps near Landisburg (Up near Chick's:)) I camp near Shermansdale (Lupfer's Grove)
2. I remember Al Ream when I was at Juniata (Dang I'm old)
3. I also remember going to Shippensburg (not sure if for Districts or Regionals) in 1975 or 76 (Dang I'm really old)
 
  • Like
Reactions: PerryLion1997
1. Love Perry county... My son camps near Landisburg (Up near Chick's:)) I camp near Shermansdale (Lupfer's Grove)
2. I remember Al Ream when I was at Juniata (Dang I'm old)
3. I also remember going to Shippensburg (not sure if for Districts or Regionals) in 1975 or 76 (Dang I'm really old)
Speaking of Perry County and D-3 wrestling reminded me of Newport High school wrestling, which has a great history. Some excellent teams, excellent wrestlers (4 PIAA champs), and great coaches (going way back, Ken Whisler and Al Kline had some outstanding teams, and before them Bob Craig had his first teams before moving on to Cedar Cliff for a great career).

Some details here:
https://newportwrestling.wordpress.com/archives/
 
Two of Newport's best kids I used to follow. I saw Sherm Hostler win states in '64, a great match against a kid from Erie Strong Vincent (which is a middle school now). I used to play racketball with Andy Zook's college roommate. Zook was NCAA Div III champ, I think. I heard some interesting stories about that time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: danoftw
Two of Newport's best kids I used to follow. I saw Sherm Hostler win states in '64, a great match against a kid from Erie Strong Vincent (which is a middle school now). I used to play racketball with Andy Zook's college roommate. Zook was NCAA Div III champ, I think. I heard some interesting stories about that time.
Zook wrestled both Pete Morelli and Clay Fink at states.
 
-Zook was NCAA Div III champ, I think. I heard some interesting stories about that time.

Zook (for Millersville in 1977), Eric Mast from Mechanicsburg (twice for Elizabethtown College - 1974 and 1977) and Craig Helmuth from Chambersburg (for Gettysburg in 1975) were all District 3 wrestlers from the early to mid 1970s that won DIII national titles. Zook was OW in 1977. In fact, Zook came in 3rd at 126 in 1975, when Helmuth won the weight class.

All three were at either 118 (Mast) or 126 (Helmuth and Zook).
 
Last edited:
Zook (for Millersville in 1977), Eric Mast from Mechanicsburg (twice for Elizabethtown College - 1974 and 1977) and Craig Helmuth from Chambersburg (for Gettysburg in 1975) were all District 3 wrestlers from the early to mid 1970s that won DIII national titles. Zook was OW in 1977. In fact, Zook came in 3rd at 126 in 1975, when Helmuth won the weight class.

All three were at either 118 (Mast) or 126 (Helmuth and Zook).

I was at the District 3 finals the night that Zook beat Helmuth. Great bout. Then a couple weeks later, Helmuth won states and Zook took a 3rd. Helmuth was at Gettysburg 4 or 5 years after me (even the same weight class). And my ex-wife went to Millersville, so the circle is complete.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Cbl50
Speaking of Perry County and D-3 wrestling reminded me of Newport High school wrestling, which has a great history. Some excellent teams, excellent wrestlers (4 PIAA champs), and great coaches (going way back, Ken Whisler and Al Kline had some outstanding teams, and before them Bob Craig had his first teams before moving on to Cedar Cliff for a great career).

Some details here:
https://newportwrestling.wordpress.com/archives/
Our little county with a whopping 3 wrestling programs has a really decent history of wrestling. Be on the lookout for West Perry in the next few years, the team is on the rise.
 
You are correct. Back then, the D3 tournament ran over 2 weekends. If memory serves, AA wrestled elsewhere the first weekend and then moved to Shippensburg for the second week. AAA wrestled both weekends at Shippensburg.
First weekend of AA was at Conestoga Valley High School
 
ADVERTISEMENT