Calvin Barrick wasn't the last man on the mat for Boiling Springs, but he may have been the most important for his team during the PIAA Team Championship quarterfinal round.
The Bubblers were in a tight team battle with District 5 champ Chestnut Ridge, a scrappy and balanced team that has performed well in its first trip to states. The Lions held a slim 13-10 advantage and were looking to extend that lead heading into 220 and 285, the strongest part of their team.
Barrick had other ideas.
The Lions trotted out Dan Albright – he had a 26-2 record – to get the job done. The two wrestlers were grid-locked 0-0 after the first period.
Barrick was on top to start the second period and locked in a cradle and registered a fall in 3:06.
“He came in with two losses, and he has three now,” Bubblers head coach Rod Wright said. “I told him we need some of that senior stuff, and he went out and did it.
“[Albright] went down, and Calvin locked up that cradle. That was huge.”
Said Barrick, “I had no idea about the guy. I'm a senior, and coach said I had a job to do and I went out and did it. That guy was as strong as an ox, so I guess I beat the ox.”
Barrick's win tipped the match in his team's favor. The Bubblers went on to secure a 32-25 victory to earn a semifinal date with Reynolds Friday night at 8 p.m.
The Lions earned pins at 285 and at 106 for a 25-16 lead, but the Bubblers had the foursome of Korbin Myers, Grant Bond, Kyle Shoop and Andrew Mellott coming up.
That group didn't disappoint in racking up 16 points. Mellott finished the run off with a major over Colby Hillegass.
“This is pretty awesome,” Barrick said. “I definitely needed a win to get us started. We knew we were probably going to lose heavyweight, but it all worked out.”