Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week
Name: Bill Bowlen
School: Jefferson-Morgan
Year: senior
Sport: wrestling
Bowlen’s week: Bowlen came into the PIAA Class AA Southwest Region Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the 195-pound weight class and won four straight bouts to capture his first title.
He began the tournament with a 16-1 technical fall over Jerry Moore of Blairsville and followed that with a 10-4 decision over Austin Barber of Greater Johnstown in the quarterfinals. He won a tighter bout in the semifinals, 3-1, over Clayton Green of West Branch, with a takedown with 1:00 remaining in the match. Bowlen won the title with a dramatic 1-0 decision over Logan Fisher of Huntingdon. Bowlen made a second-period escape stand.
“Every week is a new goal,” Bowlen said. “I’ve tried so hard to win this tournament the last two years. This was a big achievement.”
A cooperative agreement: Bowlen has spent four seasons as a starter for the Rockets while attending nearby Carmichaels High School. He wrestles at Jefferson-Morgan through a co-op agreement between the two schools.
“It’s very interesting because in every other sport, we’re rivals with (Jefferson-Morgan), he said. “We’re cross-county rivalries. For me to team up with them, I have a great relationship with the guys I wrestle with and the coaches. It’s not really a big deal to me.”
But there is one drawback.
“It (stinks) to drive over there for practice,” he said with a smile.
State title dreams: Bowlen’s victory in the Southwest Region brought him a better draw in the PIAA Championships, which begin today at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Bowlen received a first-round bye in the preliminary round and will wrestle the winner of the preliminary-round bout between senior Keegan Connelly of Allentown Central Catholic and senior Brody Moore of Berlin-Brothersvalley. Connelly is a fourth-place finisher in the Southeast Region with a 26-9 record. Brody Moore was in Bowlen’s bracket at the Southwest Region but the two didn’t meet. Brody Moore finished sixth and is 25-15.
“We were trying to look at the brackets and try to figure it out, but any way you look at it, I’m going to have a tough kid,” he said. “I’m just going at it as hard as I can and wrestle the best that I can. I want to go out there and take it one at a time. I want to bring home the gold.”
Compiled by Joe Tuscano