Jordan Wood remains an ardent student of wrestling.
Even while busy cementing his already-unquestioned stature locally as the class of the sport.
The Boyertown sophomore has been a veritable class act from the moment he stepped out on the mats at the tender age of eight. A successful tenure with the Boyertown Youth Wrestling Club, and perfect season with the Boyertown Junior High-East program, set the stage for his emergence on the high-school scene last year ... a scholastic career that remained on the upswing this past winter, capped by his repeat selection as The Mercury's All-Area Wrestler of the Year.
"You don't get this type of kid often,' Boyertown head coach Pete Ventresca said of Wood, the class of an underclassman-heavy Bear lineup that dominated the local mat scene this year. "We're pleased to have him, and we're enjoying him.'
The 2013-14 season was one long encore for Wood: A second-straight year of 40-plus wins (41-2), repeat individual championships in the Pioneer Athletic Conference and District 1-West tournaments, a second championship-final appearance in the AAA Southeast Regional tourney ... and another 220-pound silver medal in the PIAA Championships.
This time around, Wood's quest for state gold was stopped by Coatesville's Michael Boykin in a second 5-2 decision in a week's time. The first, coming in the Southeast Regional title bout, prevented Wood from defending the championship finish of his freshman season.
At the same time, it galvanized his continuing quest for excellence.
"That my individual goal,' Wood said about achieving gold-medal status at the state level. "There are a lot of goals I have for the team, but this is one thing I want to get.'
To that end, Wood maintains an unwavering focus on mastering his sport of choice.
One recent afternoon following school found him and Boyertown teammate Gregg Harvey working out in the wrestling room at the Boyertown Area YMCA's William S. Hollenbach Center in New Hanover Township. It's part of a weekly off-season regimen in which he wrestles and lifts weights four times.
"I spend 15 hours a week at it during the off-season,' Wood said, "and a lot more during the season.'
Participation in freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments around the country - particularly during the summer months - is another part of that regimen. It's exposed Wood to some of the country's top wrestling talents, and the moves and strategies that put them atop the sport.
"Watching wrestling is the best way to learn a bunch of moves,' he said. "I learned the lumberjack slam from watching college wrestling.'
"Jordan is intrinsically motivated,' Ventresca added. "He got a lot of things on his own, but he's also learned things from us (coaches). Jordan is like a sponge: He picks up things here and there.'
It's been that way since Wood and longtime friend/teammate J.T. Cooley joined the BYWC while still in grade school.
"J.T. Cooley ... we were like brothers when we were little,' he recalled. "We wanted to try it.
"The first couple years, I didn't like it. But then I was second at the Eastern Nationals when I was 8 years old. That's when it became fun, and I stuck with it.'
Complementing Wood's mastery of the sport's techniques has been a leadership style that impacts his Boyertown teammates in a positive manner.
His second year as a team co-captain, Wood factored heavily in a 2013-14 campaign that saw the Bears sweep the Pioneer Athletic Conference's regular-season and tournament championships. They went on to claim team titles at the AAA District 1-West and Southeast Regional tourneys, in addition to winning the District 1-AAA Team Duals championship.
"It's a fun experience ... something that comes to me,' Wood said about his co-captaincy, a role he assumed during his freshman season. "The team has been awesome, the way they respond ... like a band of brothers.'
"He's a natural leader, even as a freshman,' Ventresca added. "Jordan makes everyone better. He's an example of how hard work can benefit you. He's vocal, but he also leads with his actions.'
The post-season tourney phase in 2014 saw Boyertown produce nine PAC-10 champions, five district titlists and a pair of regional champs in seniors Eddie Kriczky (132) and Jordan Wertz (195). Wertz would go on to join Wood in a podium finish at states, scoring a seventh-place medal while Wood picked up his second silver.
"Everyone realized their potential to do great things,' Wood said. "We're going to do better next year, and hope to do great things.'
One downside in Boyertown's otherwise heady ride through the regular season came at the state level in the team duals tournament. The Bears continued their dominating run with a 50-18 victory over Wyoming Valley West, then tasted defeat as a team for the first time in a 32-23 loss to Greater Latrobe.
A 54-14 romp over Father Judge got Boyertown back on the winning track, but it proved short-lived when a 33-21 loss to Parkland eliminated the Bears in the third consolation round.
"It was a disappointment,' Wood noted, "but it will be a new tournament next year. We're going to improve, work harder next year.'
Conversely, a championship finish in the Beast of the East Tournament was a particular joy for him. Wood pinned his way to the 220-pound championship bout at the University of Delaware, then rolled up a 10-1 decision on Zack Chakonis of Don Bosco Prep (N.J.), heading Boyertown's 12th-place finish in the prestigious tourney.
"Winning the Beast was a big goal of mine,' he said. "I was happy to get it done, to wrestle well and come out of it.'
The 2014-15 season will offer Wood and his Boyertown teammates the opportunity to move even further up their ladder of achievement. An already-formidable schedule will become even more so with the team participating in the high-profile "Escape The Rock' Tournament hosted by Council Rock South.
For Wood, the quest to win a PIAA gold medal will go hand-in-hand with the achievement of another wrestling milestone. With an 87-4 record for his scholastic career to date, the 100-win plateau is very much within reach.
"I want to keep getting better,' he said. "High school is another stepping stone. I want to do great things in high school.'
