CAMP HILL, Pa. — This weekend kicked off the start of the winter sports season across the Commonwealth.
Typically, when you think of winter sports, you think of indoors - not in this case. Camp Hill made history by hosting the first-ever outdoor wrestling match in Pennsylvania.
Instead of wrestling under the spotlight, the Lions hosted Newport outside in the Lion's Den, the school district's football stadium.
“I actually didn’t think we would pull it off. This is why it’s never been done," said Chad Gallaher, Camp Hill's head wrestling coach.
The coach's hesitation is all thanks to the unpredictable Central Pa. weather.
However, with the temperature in the 50s, the Lions and Buffalos made history by being the first to have a high school wrestling match outside in the Keystone State
“It’s so cool. I was kind of worried about being cold, but it’s not bad at all once the adrenalin gets pumping. You’re good," said Mason Messick, Newport senior wrestling at 152.
Cainan Benner adds to the excitement of the day with a pin.
“He was tough, but I guess I found him on his back and I got the pin," said Cainan Benner, Newport junior wrestling at 160.
The outdoor match has been something Gallaher has wanted to do for several years.
“This is incredible. This is absolutely incredible. Win or lose, we accomplished the mission that we wanted to," Gallager said. "Both of these fine wrestling programs got a lot of attention and the stands were filled like it was a big football game."
Some wrestlers nearly missed the chance to be a part of the history; up until last weekend, Camp Hill's football team was set to play in the playoffs.
“We knew that if we won that past week, we wouldn’t have been able to wrestle in this match. It was a quick turnaround for us football players," recalled Noah Doi, Camp Hill junior wrestling at 145. "Only a week of practice. We did our weight certification a little late, so we had to wrestle a little heavier than we wanted to, but it’s all good."
Everything ends well when you get to start the season with a win, as Doi is now on track to reach 100 wins as a junior.
The sun went behind the clouds when varsity took to the mats. Towards the end, people had to wipe the mat to try and clear some of the condensation, as well as keep it a safe circle for the student-athletes still competing.
Pennsylvania is already one of the top states in the country for wrestling, but Camp Hill's game has now set the Keystone State on another level.