By ERIC KNOPSNYDER
Greater Johnstown debuted its new wrestling mat last week, and coach Gary Radnoti believes that he already has the wrestlers to come up with plenty of wins on it.
Two super sophomores certainly have that look for the Trojans.
Gervon Simon and Malcolm Harris, both of whom started as freshmen a year ago, are off to strong starts this season.
“They’re the basis of many years of success for this team,” Radnoti said. “We have a real young team, which makes for a bright future for the Johnstown wrestling program.”
Harris, a 119-pounder with a 12-2 record this season, said that he and Simon are looking to elevate the program, which finished 23rd at the 28-team Richland Duals over the weekend.
“That’s what we’re trying to do,” Harris said. “We’re trying to bring back the program. We want to make sure people understand that Johnstown aren’t just pushovers. Theyre not going to push us around. We’re coming back. We’re a dynamic duo.”
While Harris and Simon might be Johnstown’s two most visible sophomores, they aren’t the only ones on the team.
“Those two front our young runners, but we actually have about 13 of them,” said Johnstown assistant Quinteen Robinson. “They’re all together, and they all understand what hard work is. They’ve been on elementary teams together. We’re finally getting the full circle. This year, we’re going to keep battling, stay in matches, and they’re understanding how to wrestle varsity matches, getting that experience. Looking at those two, they see, ‘Hey, they’re the same age as us. They came up a year earlier, it worked out for them, and they’re working hard,’ so they kind of model off of those two. I’m looking for big things in the future. Next year, I think from the beginning, we’ll be rolling.”
Harris and Simon have been rolling from the start this season. Simon is 21-0, and has dominated most of his opponents.
The soft-spoken Simon is taking it all in stride.
“I’m undefeated right now, but I’ve got to stay composed,” he said. “I’d like to keep going through the regular season and through districts undefeated.”
Simon won 19 matches last season as freshman, which he believes has been critical to his success this season.
“Last year, it was a huge learning experience,” Simon said. “I was 14 wrestling 18-year-olds and 17-year-olds at 160, which is a very tough weight class. ... If I hadn’t moved up last year, I don’t think I’d be undefeated right now.”
Simon is the son of Geroy Simon, the Johnstown graduate who is a star in the Canadian Football League, but it’s his stepfather, Robinson, who has helped him become the wrestler that he is.
“My stepfather, Quinteen, he taught me everything I know since I was 5, 6,” Simon said. “He taught me everything I know from wrestling to baseball to football. Everything basically goes to him, everything I can accomplish.”
Harris also comes from a wrestling background. His brother Will was a regional champion for Johnstown in 2007.
The younger Harris won 21 matches a year ago, but didn’t get to wrestle in the postseason because of disciplinary action.
“It was kind of hard,” he admitted. “I slipped up, did something dumb, but this year, it’s going to pay off.”
Harris isn’t a textbook wrestler, but his height and flexibility give him an advantage over other 119-pounders.
“The only way I can define it is maybe as a ‘funk wrestler,’ ” Radnoti said. “He does a little bit of funk here and there.”
Harris laughed at that description and offered one of his own.
“I say I’m unique,” he said with a chuckle.
Radnoti wouldn’t argue that point.
“He does a lot of stuff that other wrestlers couldn’t pull off,” Radnoti said. “He’s longer and lankier this year. He does a lot of rolls and has some combinations that wouldn’t work for the average wrestler. He has a feel for the sport.”
Though Johnstown competes in Class AAA, two of Harris’ two losses this season have come to some of the top-ranked wrestlers in Class AA. Penn Cambria’s Evan Link is first at 112 in the latest edition of the Pennsylvania Wrestling Rankings while Blairsville’s Adam Weinell is 11th at 125 pounds.
Robinson sees no reason why both Harris and Simon, different as they may be, can’t continue to improve.
“They both work pretty hard,” he said. “I’ve been working with them since third grade. Gervon’s my stepson, so we’re definitely close, of course. And Malcolm, I pretty much take him on as my other son. They train hard, and they deserve everything that they’ve been getting. And they’re good kids, too. Malcolm’s my wiry one. Gervon’s the more conservative one.”
