SPRING MILLS — Back in the 1960s, Penns Valley High School had two undefeated wrestling teams. The 1963 and 1966 teams both racked up 11-0 records under head coach Joe Hammaker.
On Jan. 18, 11 members of these undefeated teams and Hammaker were honored at a match against Huntingdon. Herb Bierly, Max Dinges, Ed Frye, Irv Heckman, Marty Ilgen, Vernon Jodon, Bob Mothersbaugh, Harold Rudy, Bob Weber, Wayne White and Barry Williams walked onto the mats to a standing ovation from the capacity crowd in the Penns Valley gymnasium.
Six other members who were unable to attend were also recognized, as were seven members who have passed away over the years. The teams produced several district, sectional and regional champions, and Penns Valley’s only state champion, Dinges.
The 1963 team was the school’s first undefeated team in any sport. The 1966 team had four sectional champions — Ilgen, Jack Riegel, Sam Reish and Williams. Ilgen and Reish were also named district champions that year.
Hammaker was a high school wrestler in Hollidaysburg, then went on to Lock Haven State Teachers College (now Lock Haven University), where he placed fourth in his weight class in the NCAA tournament in 1958.
Hammaker took over the Penns Valley wrestling program in 1960, and gradually improved it until, in 1963, just three years into his tenure, he coached the school’s first and only state champion wrestler, Dinges, at 180 pounds.
The high point of the 1962-63 season was the match with State College. The Little Lions had amassed an incredible 64-match winning streak that spanned several years, and were putting it on the line against the ever-improving Rams. According to Hammaker, in a previous interview, the State College gym was filled beyond capacity, with people sitting or standing on nearly every square inch. Electric fans had to be brought in to ventilate the room, since the walls were steaming up. Wrestlers and spectators alike were sweating and cheering, as emotions ran high.
When the match was done, the Rams came away with a solid 29-18 victory, snapping the Little Lions’ winning streak, in a stunning upset that established the Rams as a bona fide wrestling powerhouse in central Pennsylvania.
In 1965-66, the Penns Valley wrestlers enjoyed another undefeated season, their second in a four-year span under Hammaker’s guidance. That team featured a group known as “The Big Seven,” who were the wrestlers in the top seven weight classes (from 133 pounds to heavyweight), who gained a reputation for disposing of their opponents in rapid succession to secure wins for the Rams. Their strength and prowess on the mats greatly helped to earn 11 consecutive wins for the Rams that year.
Hammaker was named District Six Coach of the Year in 1963 and again in 1966. In 1967, he coached Penns Valley wrestler Reish to his third consecutive District 6 title, a feat never equaled by any Rams wrestler before or since. Hammaker served for 11 years as Penns Valley’s varsity wrestling coach, then later coached the junior varsity and junior high teams before retiring in 1993.
Announcer Jamie Felker read a letter from Dave Marshall, a member of both the undefeated teams.
“It was a great honor to be a part of two undefeated teams at Penns Valley,” Marshall said. “The team members were the greatest bunch of sweat and muscle, and championship high school athletes.”
Marshall praised coach Hammaker, and noted his demands for team loyalty. “When he said jump, we were to respond, ‘How high?’ If he asked us to run through a brick wall, we were to respond, ‘How big of a hole do you want?’” said Marshall. “As a coach, he had the rare and envious quality of being able to motivate excellence and accomplishments from his wrestlers.”
Hammaker addressed the crowd, speaking of what it takes to be undefeated.
“Undefeated is tough. It’s a challenge — it’s not an easy task, and every one of these guys understood what it took to be undefeated. They knew the role they had to play, and they were able to meet the challenge, and they ended up being undefeated,” he said. “These guys are very deserving of this tonight, and they certainly were great guys to work with, and great guys to coach.”
