×

Super 32 proves to be a struggle for another Hidlay: Trent finishes fourth

GREENSBORO, N.C. — This is one instance in which Trent Hidlay didn’t want to follow in his older brother’s footsteps.

The nation’s top-ranked 170-pound high school wrestler dropped a pair of matches in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday and finished fourth at the Super 32 tournament.

A year ago Hidlay placed third at the tournament. He followed that up by winning a PIAA Class 3A championship at 160 pounds.

The senior’s path in Greensboro is similar to the one that his brother Hayden, who is now a redshirt freshman wrestler at North Carolina State, took in the Super 32. He followed up a third-place Super 32 finish as a junior by finishing fourth as a senior.

“Historically speaking, this hasn’t been a great tournament for us,” Hayden said after the second of his brother’s losses on Sunday. “Part of it, we’re probably not peaking at the right time, but some of the out-of-state guys are.”

Trent Hidlay cruised through the opening day with lopsided wins over New Jersey’s Victor Jorge (20-5), Virginia’s Andy Aldridge (16-4) and Ohio’s Brady Chrisman (11-4).

Things got a bit more difficult on Sunday, beginning with fellow Pennsylvanian Robert Patrick of Ligonier Valley. A two-time state runner-up in Class 2A, Patrick took a 1-0 lead in the second period, but the pressure that Hidlay applied from the outset finally paid off a with a late takedown. He added a third-period escape and another takedown in his 5-3 victory.

The first upset came in the semifinals, where Minnesota’s Patrick Kennedy — the eventual champion — won a tight match 3-1 in overtime. The tournament skips the traditional 30-second periods where each wrestler gets his choice in overtime and goes straight to an ultimate tiebreaker. Because Kennedy scored the first point in the match, he had his choose in overtime and took the bottom position. A quick reversal gave him the victory.

“Whenever guys wrestle Trent, they’re going to give him their absolute best match,” Hayden Hidlay said. “I think that’s what you saw. The kid hand fought really well. It was hard for Trent to get to some offense. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”

After a 10-5 victory over New York’s Grant Cuomo in the consolation semifinals, Hidlay suffered his second overtime loss.

He was tied 1-1 with Emil Soehnlen, who had his choice in overtime. Like Kennedy, Soehnlen chose bottom. Hidlay dropped to a leg when Soehnlen stood up, but was called for stalling with 15 seconds remaining in the overtime period. When Hidlay dropped to a leg a second time, he was called for stalling – this time with 1 second remaining in the overtime, and the 1-point penalty gave the match to Soehnlen.

Hayden Hidlay didn’t complain about the call.

“I think, at this point, you can’t really blame the refs,” he said. “It could have gone either way.”

Hayden said closes losses are just a part of wrestling and that Trent will have to move on from Sunday.

“It’ll hurt,” Hayden said. “But that’s what comes with this sport. You have the guts to go out there one-on-one and put your talents against someone else’s. Some days, it’s just not your day.”

Despite the setbacks, Trent Hidlay will be favored to win another state title this season, and he’ll have the attention of wrestling fans across the nation when he announces his college decision, which likely will come in the near future.

“Trent’s a competitor,” Hayden Hidlay said. “He’ll fight back from this. He’s obviously not in a great state of mind right now. But, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from him, he always comes back for more. You’ll see a really fruitful season for him this year.”

Five other wrestlers from The Sentinel’s coverage area competed in the Super 32. Four from Mifflin County — Derek Burk, Christian Fisher, Trey Kibe and Logan Wise — were in it, as was Mount Union’s Josh Boozel.

Kibe split his four matches at 152 pounds, and Boozel finished 2-2 at 113. Burk and Fisher each went 1-2 at 120 while Wise was 1-2 at 132.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $3.92/week.

Subscribe Today