Rib injury to keep Boyertown star Wood from defending PIAA title
NEW HANOVER >> Jordan Wood’s high-school wrestling career has ended.
About two weeks, and two medals, short of what many anticipated.
It was confirmed Wednesday Wood sustained a lower-chest injury during the District 1-AAA West tournament last weekend. The Boyertown senior was injured during the 220-pound championship bout with Conestoga’s Kade LaMarre, though he completed the bout and scored a 6-4 decision.
“It’s a freak injury,” Boyertown head coach Pete Ventresca said of the rib-and-cartilage damage Wood sustained. One side-issue of the cartilage tear is a tendency for the rib to pop out of place just from simple movements and tasks.
“I know I did it during the finals,” Wood said against the backdrop of the Boyertown team’s practice for the upcoming Southeast AAA Regional tournament. “Something wasn’t right.”
Wood saw several doctors earlier this week in determining the diagnosis.
“When the rib pops out, you can’t move,” he said. “It was bad enough I had to stop the match and take a break.”
“It’s very, very painful,” Ventresca added. “You can’t move very well.”
A number of scenarios were discussed in the aftermath of the injury, among them use of cortisone and novocaine for the pain. In the end, the decision to have Wood rest the injury for four to six weeks — the normal prescription for such an injury — prevailed.
“It was in Jordan’s best interest to get healthier,” Ventresca said. “You don’t want it to affect his future.”
The injury-related shutdown will prevent Wood (42-1) from seeking a fourth regional medal — he is the Southeast AAA’s defending 220-pound champion, and he won gold his freshman season — and fourth at the state level. Wood won the PIAA championship last year, after two years of silver-medal showings, and had been a four-time Pioneer Athletic Conference and District 1-West titlist.
“He’s arguably the best wrestler in District 1,” Ventresca said. “He’s been through adversity and injuries before, and this is another one he’ll be fighting back from.”
Wood’s state-title junior year saw him work back from a shoulder injury sustained during the past summer. He came back to record a 20-0 record en route to state gold, and his high-school career record stands at 149-5 … 101 of them off pins.
“Everybody in the sport knows what it’s about,” Ventresca said. “The nature of it is aggressive, physical. Injuries go with it.”
It’s believed, though, the injury will not impact Wood’s future in the sport. He signed a national letter of intent (NLI) back in November to Lehigh University, where he plans to undertake studies in bioengineering and wrestle for the Mountain Hawks’ NCAA Division I program.
Wood was at the Hollenbach YMCA Wednesday afternoon, watching Boyertown’s 12 other regional-qualifying grapplers participate in a joint practice with wrestlers from Upper Perkiomen. He plans to be with the team at Souderton High School this weekend, and at Hershey next week with any Bears who qualify for the state’s ultimate individual competition.
“I’m going to be matside, helping them reach their goals,” he said. “I don’t want them to win because I’m hurt. We have 12 guys with a shot at winning states, and I want them to do it for themselves.”
Wood’s season-ending injury leaves classmates like Gregg Harvey, Lucas Miller, Tommy Killoran, Brody O’Connell and Garrett Mauger leading Boyertown’s bid to win a third straight Southeast AAA Regional team title, and to improve on last year’s fourth-place showing in the AAA ranks.
“The guys who are in the senior class … they feel awful I’m done,” he said. “But I’ll be there for them.”
