Connect with us

Wrestling

Mercury All-Area: Daniel Boone junior Tucker Hogan stays grounded and determined throughout undefeated, state championship season

Daniel Boone junior Tucker Hogan, the Mercury All-Area Wrestler of the Year. (Evan Wheaton - MediaNews Group)

One month after reaching the pinnacle of high school wrestling, Daniel Boone junior Tucker Hogan is keeping his feet on the ground and head out of the clouds.

That down-to-earth approach is one of the reasons Hogan said he was able to become his school’s first PIAA wrestling champion and complete a perfect 2022-23 season. It earned him the Mercury All-Area Wrestler of the Year award for the second straight season.

“I was definitely flying high for one to two weeks,” Hogan said. “But now it’s sunk in and people go back to ‘you’re just Tucker’ now. The state title is cool but I don’t think that really defines you as a person. I don’t want to let myself act differently because I’m a good wrestler. I think that I should just act like everybody else.”

Hogan’s actions on the mat definitely spoke louder than his words. He completed a 44-0 season and was forced to go the distance in just 10 bouts. In addition to two forfeit wins, Hogan had 20 falls and 12 technical falls.

Daniel Boone’s Tucker Hogan gets his arm raised after beating Northern York’s Cole Bartram, 4-0, the 189-pound final. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

Hogan racked up three straight technical falls in the PIAA Tournament before defeating Cole Bartram of Northern York 4-0 in the Class 3A 189-pound championship bout. Hogan credited the little things with helping him complete one of the biggest seasons in Berks County history.

“I think consistency was the theme all year,” Hogan said. “Showing up to practice consistently even though you don’t want to go some days you’ve got to go, and sometimes you’ve got to double practice. So I think consistency is the main thing.”

Hogan was consistent enough to defeat Bartram for the second time in two weeks in a championship match. At the South Central Regional two weeks prior to the state championship bout, Hogan downed Bartram 5-3.

Hogan said he was aware wrestling the same opponent for a state championship was a pitfall that had tripped up plenty of other wrestlers.

But he put that concern and reduced mobility due to an injured left knee out of his mind when he took the mat for the biggest bout of his career – so far.

“I treat every opponent the same if they’re a first-year wrestler or a returning state champ,” Hogan said. “I think you should go out there with the same mindset no matter who they are. I knew what I was capable of doing.”

Daniel Boone’s Tucker Hogan. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

Hogan and his father, Daniel Boone coach Jim Hogan, knew Tucker’s potential before he wrestled his first varsity match. As a freshman, Tucker went 18-3 during the COVID shortened 2020-21 season and just missed earning a trip to the trimmed-down state tournament.

Fueled by the desire to win a state championship, Tucker Hogan began working out at Alvernia University with Chance Marsteller, an All-American who won four PIAA titles during an undefeated career at Kennard-Dale. Tucker Hogan worked out there with Owen J. Roberts brothers Dean and Dillon Bechtold.

Dean Bechtold, a freshman, lost to Hogan in the semifinals and finished sixth at 189. Dillon Bechtold, a junior, was the runner-up at 215.
Jim Hogan, who wrestled at Bloomsburg University, said he had no second thoughts about sharing the coaching of his son.

“Be good at what you do but have better people surrounding you,” Jim Hogan said. “That’s exactly how I see Chance. I would be a fool not to try to dip into his knowledge as a wrestling coach. He’s wrestling at a world level. I wouldn’t be doing my job as a father not bringing Tucker to Chance. I’ll share.”

Tucker Hogan went 44-2 during his sophomore season but had his state championship dreams derailed with a semifinal loss. He bounced back to finish third.

That loss and Tucker Hogan’s continued training with Marsteller allowed the Hogans to share a special moment March 11 in the Giant Center. The emotions were hard for Jim Hogan to hide, even as Tucker walked off the mat like he had just won any other bout.

“If you’re competing at the state tournament you’re among the few healthy young men who are able to do that,” Tucker Hogan said. “I know the amount of work that the guys put in to get there so I think it’s disrespectful (to celebrate).”

Daniel Boone’s Tucker Hogan scores a reversal against Northern York’s Cole Bartram in a 4-0 win in the 189-pound final. (Nate Heckenberger – For MediaNews Group)

Plus, Tucker Hogan knows from experience that many of those same wrestlers are now putting in the extra work in an attempt to improve from state medalists to state champions. Hogan realizes his 106-5 career record and state championship won’t mean a thing to his opponents next season.

“I think everybody who was at the tournament has the same goal now and that’s to win it next year,” Tucker Hogan said. “For me, personally, it’s just to keep working and doing what I’ve been doing. I know the other people are. I know what it feels like to lose there. It definitely drives you more than winning. I’m still hungry.

“You should still think of yourself as the underdog is a big thing to do because you should never get comfortable. When you get comfortable, I think that’s when you see a lot of top names fall off.”

Tucker Hogan’s name will forever be on the walls of history at Daniel Boone. With only one season left, he is weighing his options about where to continue his wrestling and academic careers.

He said that decision could come sometime this summer. But for now, Tucker Hogan has returned to consistently working hard in an attempt to reach the pinnacle of high school wrestling again next season.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

More in Wrestling

situs slot gacor provider terbaik agen toto slot terpercaya 2023 agen toto togel terpercaya 2023 situs toto togel pasaran resmi terbaik bandar toto macau pasaran resmi toto togel bandar toto slot gacor 4d 2023 bo togel online pasaran terlengkap sepanjang masa bo toto slot terlengkap sepanjang masa situs toto togel 2023 bet 100 perak daftar toto slot dan toto togel 2023 bermain toto togel dengan bet hanya 100 perak daftar toto slot bonus new member terpercaya bermain toto slot pelayanan 24 jam nonstop situs toto togel terpercaya situs toto togel online terbaik winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto unsurtoto unsurtoto unsurtoto winsortoto winsortoto winsortoto rasa4d rasa4d rasa4d gampangtoto gampangtoto gampangtoto winsortoto unsurtoto gampangtoto rasa4d bungtoto bandar toto togel terbesar hadiah 4d 10 juta daftar winsortoto situs toto terbaik winsortoto situs toto slot gacor dengan toto togel terbaik winsortoto situs toto terpercaya bet 100 perak winsortoto agen toto togel dan situs toto slot 4d winsortoto situs toto togel online deposit 10rb winsortoto situs toto togel online resmi hadiah 4d 10 juta winsortoto agen toto togel online terpercaya winsortoto agen toto slot dan situs toto togel resmi winsortoto situs toto togel 4d terpercaya winsortoto bandar toto togel dan toto slot winsortoto situs toto togel online resmi terbesar winsortoto situs toto togel dan agen toto slot terpercaya winsortoto situs toto terpercaya beragam bonus winsortoto situs toto terpercaya toto togel dan toto slot gacor winsortoto situs togel online dan slot online terpercaya winsortoto situs togel online hadiah terbesar winsortoto agen toto togel bonus harian terbesar winsortoto agen togel online terlengkap bet 100 perak winsortoto situs toto togel 4d dan toto slot 4d terbaik winsortoto situs toto togel dan toto slot terpercaya winsortoto bandar toto togel online terpercaya 2023 winsortoto agen toto togel 4d dan toto slot 4d winsortoto agen toto togel online banyak bonus terbesar winsortoto situs toto terpercaya bonus new member winsortoto situs togel online resmi terpercaya pasaran terlengkap winsortoto situs toto togel online 4d terpercaya situs toto togel deposit pulsa tanpa potongan winsortoto situs toto slot pasti slot gacor winsortoto situs toto slot dan toto togel hadiah terbaik winsortoto situs toto terpercaya permainan resmi dan terpercaya winsortoto situs toto resmi bonus new member 100rb tanpa potongan winsortoto toto slot gacor dan togel online resmi terpercaya winsortoto situs toto toge online terpercaya di Indonesia winsortoto toto togel online bonus new member terbesar winsortoto agen toto togel resmi hadiah 4d 10 juta terpercaya winsortoto toto togel online hadiah 4d 10 juta bet 100 winsortoto situs togel online terlengkap dan terpercaya winsortoto situs togel online resmi dan toto slot gacor winsortoto situs toto togel dan agen toto slot gacor winsortoto situs toto togel permainan toto togel dan toto slot winsortoto situs toto terpercaya bonus menarik winsortoto situs toto togel online terpercaya winsortoto bandar toto togel dan toto slot terpercaya winsortoto situs toto togel online terlengkap dan terpercaya winsortoto situs toto togel online winsortoto situs toto terpercaya togel online dan slot online resmi winsortoto situs toto dengan permainan togel 4d dan slot 4d winsortoto situs toto terpercaya permainan togel online terlengkap winsortoto situs toto togel terpercaya permainan resmi winsortoto situs toto togel resmi bet 100 perak tanpa potongan winsortoto agen toto togel dan situs toto resmi winsortoto toto togel dan toto slot terpercaya dan terbaik winsortoto unsurtoto gampangtoto bungtoto rasa4d titi4d ltdtoto bobatoto bobatoto situs toto togel slot situs bandar toto togel slot terpercaya titi4d titi4d login titi4d daftar titi4d slot titi4d togel situs titi4d titi4d login titi4d daftar titi4d titi4d togel titi4d slot situs titi4d agen titi4d bandar titi4d