After tearing the labrum in his left shoulder at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs last July, Jordan Wood didn't know when he'd be back on the wrestling mat for the Boyertown Bears this year if at all.
Throughout the regular season, he took the attitude that it would happen when it happened.
The 220-pound junior finally got back into action in late January. And from then on, he was unstoppable, despite still not being back to full strength.
He helped the Bears win the District 1-AAA duals tournament for the second straight year and went on to a third consecutive Pioneer Athletic Conference individual tournament championship and district and regional titles.
He completed his fabulous season by winning the gold medal at the PIAA Class AAA individual tournament in Hershey.
He went 20-0 during his abbreviated season with 13 pins and was Boyertown's wrestling representative on the PAC-10 all-academic team. And for his remarkable efforts, he is also the Reading Eagle's Tri-County wrestler of the year.
In the long run, the injury might have actually helped Wood in a couple of ways.
"My freshman and sophomore years, I had bumps and bruises coming into the postseason," he said. "This year, other than my shoulder, the rest of my body was rested and ready to go. I was ready to get back on the mat."
After winning by a forfeit in the district duals quarterfinal match, Wood wrestled for the first time all season in the semifinals and earned a 12-1 decision against the eventual state seventh-place finisher. He followed that with a pin in 12 seconds in the finals.
"Definitely, I had confidence I could do that this year, even with a shoulder that wasn't totally there," he said. "I'm still not back 100 percent. For a while, I've been 90 percent, just trying to get confidence back in the shoulder.
"It helped my mental toughness a lot and keeping a positive attitude no matter what happens. That's going to help me get through so many different trials."
Boyertown coach Pete Ventresca wasn't certain that Wood could return to action any time this year. But he wasn't surprised, either.
"I wouldn't say I was 100 percent sure," said Ventresca. "It was a pretty severe injury. I was optimistic because Jordan works so hard at everything, and rehab was not an exception."
Athletic ability and motivation were also factors in Wood's ability to take first place at states after finishing with silver medals the two previous seasons.
"He's a fantastic athlete," Ventresca said. "For a guy his size, there's very few guys in the country or world who can move like him. He moves like a lightweight.
"He's intrinsically motivated. It comes from inside. It's not something you can coach. He works harder than any other kid I've ever had. He's so motivated. He's very athletic. He's quick on his feet. He's smart. He's coachable. And he's in great shape."
There is not much more that Wood can accomplish when he returns to high school competition for the Bears in his senior year.
"More team points," he said.
But he can continue his development on a national level and beyond before then. Last year, he won the silver medal at the Cadet World Championships in Slovakia.
Now he's getting ready to hit the road again.
"I'll be training a lot internationally to wrestle freestyle," he said. "Turkey in May the team trials in Ohio."
