Maturity, mental growth lead Northern Lebanon junior to wrestling breakthrough

It’s a bit unclear whether confidence helped him mature, or maturity gave him confidence. Either way, Sam Wolford’s winter season was one of transition, transformation, and transfiguration.

That blend of confidence and maturity took the Northern Lebanon junior all the way to the brink of a state wrestling championship.

“I thought I had a pretty good season,” said Wolford. “I won a lot of stuff. It just got better as the season went on, just realizing I’m good was the hardest part. Kind of like, ‘There’s no way these kids are training harder than me.’ It was a matter of me just stepping on to the mat and knowing I’m going to win.”

It’s been nearly three weeks now since the scholastic portion of Wolford’s junior year came to an end at the PIAA Wrestling Championships at Hershey’s Giant Center, and that time has given him an opportunity to take a step back and consider what he accomplished. That period of reflection has provided him with some perspective.

“Everybody wants to become great and win states,” said Wolford. “But people don’t see the work that goes into wrestling. I wake up early in the morning to work out. No one sees what it takes to become great. That’s what I’ve been doing, and I almost got there this year.”

In the early days of March, Wolford finished as the state runner-up in the Class AA 114-pound weight class. In the championship match, Wolford dropped a tight 4-3 decision to Freddy Bachmann of Faith Christian.

With the result, Wolford ended his 2024-25 campaign with a 53-5 overall record. His career record at Northern Lebanon currently stands at 142-26.

As a sophomore, Wolford finished fourth in the 107-pound weight class at the PIAA Wrestling Championships. He also qualified for states as a freshman but fell one win short of a medal.

“It’s a different environment at states,” said Wolford. “When you look around, everyone’s good. The thing that helped me the most was going in there with my best friend (Northern Lebanon senior superstar) Aaron Seidel. He helped me a lot.”

“With Aaron, it was definitely a confidence thing,” added Wolford. “He was telling me before every match, ‘You got this.’ We were both on the same page. We were winning the same matches at the same part of the brackets.”

Against Bachmann in the final at 114, Wolford gave up an early take down and fell behind early. Despite his best efforts, he was never able to make up the deficit.

“When the whistle blew, I just wanted to get my nerves out really quick by giving 100 percent,” said Wolford. “It probably wasn’t the best idea. It opened a window for Freddy, and he got that takedown. After he got that takedown, he stayed on the edge (of the mat). If I was on the attack, he’d hop out of bounds.”

Wolford had reached the 114-poud championship match with three straight victories at states, outscoring his opponents by a combined margin of 41-9. Prior to that, Wolford had been crowned the champion at the District Three Class AA wrestling meet at Central Dauphin East and he came in second to Bachmann at the Class AA Southeast Regional tournament at Bethlehem Freedom High School.

“This year was probably one of my biggest growing years,” he said. “I unlocked my mental stuff. Before, I doubted myself. I was afraid to lose. I fully unlocked my mindset. I proved so much to myself.”

On Dec. 28-29, Wolford experienced a light-bulb moment at the annual Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic. There, he won a stacked 114-pound bracket with a 7-3 victory over Emilio Albanese of Emmaus in the final.

As Wolford’s confidence grew, so did his consistency.

“It (the confidence) came from winning one of my dream tournaments,” he said. “Over these past two years, I’ve learned to stay humble and stay confident. I can figure anything out. Wrestling has taught me to stay strong and to problem solve.

“I’ve grown as a wrestler. I love to reach little kids. I feel more comfortable telling people what’s right and what’s wrong. In practice, I help some of the less experienced wrestlers. It’s just taking more of a leadership role.”

Wrestling has been a priority for Wolford for some time now, but it’s not the only priority in his life. Actually, he maintains a hierarchical list of priorities that fluctuates with the seasons.

“I put family first and then wrestling second in season, and school,” he said. “Winning that state championship is my top priority. During the season is the time for grinding.

“I suck at any sport that involves a ball. I tried them and I’m absolutely terrible. The thing about wrestling is the bond. I feel like the wrestling spirit is stronger than in any other sport. I like winning and I like wrestling.”

Because of its importance, Wolford has a hard time imagining a life without wrestling.

“I absolutely do want to wrestle beyond high school,” he said. “When the season’s out, I focus on my grades and shoot my grades up. I’d love to go to college. I’ve talked to a lot of colleges, and I’d like go to Division One.”