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OXFORD — In tournament wrestling as in life, a high school sophomore generally is a boy among men. The 189-pound weight classification typically favors the strength and maturity of the upperclassmen.
But there are outliers and Michael Spielman of Strath Haven High School certainly is that. The super sophomore proved himself a man among older men Saturday with a gritty performance, earning him the 189-pound championship at the PIAA Class 3A Southeast Regional at Oxford Area High School.
When the dust settled, the baby faced Spielman looked like he was ready to wrestle another tournament just for the heck of it. That after a stellar showing in a competitive weight class.
Spielman had methodically disposed of a senior, a hotshot sophomore, and a junior flirting with 100 wins on his way to the title and a No. 1 seed in the state tournament that begins Thursday at the Giant Center. No matter what happens in Hershey, Spielman has made a name for himself, for the Panthers’ program and for Delaware County wrestling.
Spielman is the first Delco sophomore to win a regional since Hunter Catka of Sun Valley claimed the 220-pound crown in 2017-18 on his way to a 34-1 record and the first of two state championships. Stop me if you’ve heard this but Catka, too, was a young man among older men who were shaving regularly in those days.
Please don’t take this out of context. There was only one Hunter Catka. Even his younger brother, Ryan, was unable to duplicate the state titles culled by big brother despite an incredible skillset. Hunter arguably is the greatest Delco wrestler of all time.
All we’re saying is Spielman, just 15 years old, is for real. Sophomores don’t have drivers licenses. Seniors usually do, not to mention a plan. Spielman, in his own way and with his own technical style, did something that evokes memories of greatness.
Panthers coach Anthony Gilliano has seen a lot of wrestlers in his day, including the great Chase Barlow, who was a multisport star. Barlow won 124 matches in a spectacular four-year career that included fifth and seventh place finishes in the state tournament at Hershey. He didn’t win a regional until taking the 160-pound title as a senior.
Spielman also is special. He is 38-1 this season and with 63 wins and counting, has a shot to be the winningest wrestler ever at Strath Haven.
“He’s been around,” Gilliano said. “He was a 25-match winner as a freshman, and we had a tough schedule last year. He made the regionals, won a match, and it was not a surprise. And then he put in a year’s worth of work in the offseason literally every single day. You hear about kids putting in work. He actually did it on the mat and off the mat. So, this isn’t a surprise to anybody that knows him. Maybe to the district because he was a little bit unknown. But we’ve had the privilege of watching him work and get better.”
Like the upper classmen, Spielman wrestles in tournaments throughout the year and trains with various clubs including the Black Sheep Wrestling Club in Concordville.
For a teenager, Spielman’s focus is above reproach. Polite and respectful like a lot of local wrestlers, he is so locked in on the task at hand that he’s able to block out all the outside noise. That should help when he competes in the 189-pound classification at states, where he’s a No. 1 seed. There are 10 seniors, five juniors, three sophomores and one freshman in that grouping.
Deep down, Spielman knew Saturday would be a good day. The hay was in the barn. All that remained was to enjoy the grind, which is something he’s learned to embrace. Spielman synced up his headphones, tuned into the Deftones and readied himself for a region full of wrestling talent.
“I did not know about anyone else here,” Spielman said. “I just knew I was ready. It was Deftones on Saturday. It got me ready to go as much as I had to.”
Alternative metal from the 1990s and early 2000s? Full of energy, relentless, and ready to work all night … just like Michael Spielman.
“The future is bright,” Gilliano said. “He’s the only sophomore from our program to win (a regional). Our big guys are tough. They give him good looks every day in practice every day. He has good practice partners like Nick Farabaugh. He puts himself out there. He’s not just staying at our house. He’s getting tough competition year-round. He goes to big tournaments; he wrestles good kids and he’s never settled for anything. He’s always working.”
Hunter Catka’s 2018 wrestling championship was one for the ages, one for Sun Valley and one for Delco. That came on his second trip to the states, the first appearance coming as a freshman. Spielman’s introduction comes later this week. And he’ll be as ready as any super soph can be.
Contact Bob Grotz at rgrotz@delcotimes.com
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