Nazareth sports fans have gotten used to an athlete named Stefanik saving the day for the Blue Eagles over the last four years.
On the football field or the wrestling, senior Travis Stefanik’s talent and intensity have burned bright in leading his school’s teams to success.
Based on the PIAA 3A team wrestling final, Blue Eagle boosters can stay accustomed to such Stefanik starring turns for the next three years, at least – thanks to a different Stefanik.
Freshman Nathan Stefanik may have stepped out of the very long shadow cast by his remarkable older brother Saturday afternoon at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Nathan’s 4-2 defeat of Bethlehem Catholic senior Luca Frinzi at 145 pounds, an opponent the Blue Eagle had lost to just last week in the District 11 final, quite literally saved Nazareth’s bacon and allowed the Blue Eagles to rally from a 15-point deficit over the last four bouts for a 30-29 win on criteria and Nazareth’s second PIAA team title, exactly 10 years after its first.
If freshmen such as Nathan Stefanik offer any indication, Nazareth won’t be waiting 10 years for its next state title, either.
Ask Princeton-bound Travis about his brother and a special sparkle comes to his eyes. Travis Stefanik had mentioned earlier in the season how special it was to play football on the same field with Nathan, and the bond may even closer in wrestling.
“I am so proud of him,” Travis said. “I was talking to him all match about how he could beat Frinzi (who’d topped Nathan 3-1 in D-11 final) and to help him be able to do it. I told him if he could get a takedown he could win the bout. And once he pulled that off I knew we had a pretty good chance to win the match.”
The flipside is that had Nathan lost, Nazareth would have almost no chance of winning, needing three pins in the last three bouts just to force a tie – and that was not happening even with Sammy Sasso and Brock Wilson wrestling (Sasso won by technical fall and Wilson 8-0).
Plus, Nathan Stefanik took the mat with Becahi riding a tsunami of momentum after senior Luke Carty’s 12-second pin at 138, that followed junior Jarred Papcsy’s fall at 132 in 1:27, that left the Golden Hawks up 29-15 and seemingly in control of the match.
Nazareth either won at 145 or was done.
So, no pressure, Nathan, then.
“I was a little nervous,” said Stefanik, now 17-12 on the season. “But once I started wrestling and got in my rhythm I was good.”
The key moment came late in the second period with Stefanik up 1-0 via an escape. He and Frinzi got into a scramble at the edge of the mat which Stefanik turned into a takedown with 23 seconds left in the period.
“Once we got in the position we did I was able to funk him over and get the takedown,” Stefanik said.
The takedown allowed Stefanik to survive a Frinzi third-period reversal still ahead 3-2; he would escape for the final margin.
“Nathan stopped their momentum after those pins,” Travis Stefanik said.
No wonder a reporter found Nathan carrying the PIAA team trophy afterward. He deserved the honor. It marked quite a change from the D-11 result where Stefanik was held to one escape.
“The last time I was going on what he did and reacting to him.” Nathan Stefanik said. “I knew I could beat him if I wrestled my match.”
A match that made Nazareth’s state title possible – another shining Stefanik moment.
Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradwsports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.
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