Laurel Highlands wrestler not afraid to branch out alone
Tri-State Sports & News Service
Ian Edenfield spent most of his sophomoreyear at Laurel Highlands recovering from a broken foot. The injury occurred during the eighth weekof the Mustangs football season and kept Edenfield from competing in his other two loves: wrestling and baseball.
“The injury was really rough,” said Edenfield, who had been wrestling since he was in kindergarten. “I went to practice every day and just sat there and watched my teammates.I missed it so much. I was mad because I knew there was no way I wouldreach 100 [career] wins.”
Edenfield returned for his junior year with high hopes, but was soon blindsided by something completely different.
“I remember the date. It was Nov. 17,” said Chris Edenfield, his father. “The school board voted to drop the sport of wrestling due to low participation.”
“It was very frustrating,” Ian Edenfield said. “I had been wrestling since I was 5 years old. I did not want togive it up.”
The decision was just as painful for Chris Edenfield because of his tiesto the program.
“I served as head wrestling coach from 2007 until 2010,” said Chris Edenfield, who has also been a member of the Mustangs football coaching staff since 2002. “I was also helping with the youth program. At one point, we had 50 kids in the youth program and 20 on the junior high team. When I stepped away, there was no recruiting in the lower levels.”
One year after the elder Edenfield stepped down as head coach, the school board voted to drop the program. After two years in limbo, the program was reinstated for the 201314 season, just in time for Ian Edenfield’sfreshman year.
Edenfield moved up to the varsity that season and started as a freshmanat 195 pounds. He placed sixth in the Class 3A Section 2 tournament andfinished with a 22-10 record.
Then came the injury that ended his sophomore season before it started, and the school board’s decision to discontinue the program for goodone year later.
At that point, the Edenfields realized the only way Ian could continue his wrestling career was to compete asan independent athlete.
“The first person I called was Frank Vulcano [Jr.],” said Chris Edenfield, referring to the chairman of the WPIAL wrestling committee. “I’ve known Frank since I was 12 years old. He told me what to do and what papers I had to fill out. He helped us through every step of the process. If it wasn’t for Frank steering us in the right direction, I don’t know what we would have done. His helpwas awesome.”
Vulcano invited Ian to compete in the Chartiers-Houston tournament, which is always held the opening week of the season. Edenfield placed second in the 24-team tournament while competing at 220 pounds.
“Ian was only allowed to wrestle in tournaments since we didn’t have a team,” Chris Edenfield said. “I picked out six tournaments with hopes of preparing him for the postseasontournaments.”
Next was the Sheetz Holiday Classic at Mt. Aloysius College and Edenfieldwon the title. He then placed secondat West Mifflin’s Steve DeAugustino Holiday Classic, first at the TriCounty tournament, third at Escape the Rock tournament and third at theBuckeye Local tournament.
“The turning point of the season for me was the Escape the Rock tournament,” Ian Edenfield said. “I lost in the quarterfinals to [Bishop McCort’s] Josiah Jones, who was a PIAA Class 2A runner-up the year before. I battled back the second day with four wins to finish third. It really started to click at that point. I knewI was on the right track.”
Edenfield entered the postseason tournaments with a 23-4 record. He won the Section 2 tournament, then became the second wrestler in Laurel Highlands history to win a WPIAL title. He then became the first in school history to place at the PIAA tournament, but fell one win short of becoming the first state champion.
“I came so close,” said Edenfield, referring to his 3-2 tiebreaker loss to UpperDarby’s Brian Kennerly in the state title match. “It was great to get that far, but I still have one goal to attain.I want to be a state champion.”
Edenfield returns for his senior yearwith that goal in mind.
“I decided to beef up Ian’s tournamentschedule for this season,” Chris Edenfield said. “He’s entered in this weekend’s [Walsh Jesuit] Ironman tournament, then going to the Beast of the East tournament next weekend. Those are two of the strongest tournamentsin the country.”
To prepare for his challenging tournament schedule, Edenfield is training with two former WPIAL wrestlers: Trinity graduate Drew Hilk and Laurel Highlands graduate ChrisPierce.
“Drew is my size. Chris is much bigger than me at 280 pounds,” Edenfield said. “Both are stronger than me.They take turns beating on me.”
He also trains with the Young Guns Wrestling Club and the North AlleghenyWrestling Club.
“I’ve been working out two days a week at each club,” Edenfield said. “Last year, I was working out with [North Allegheny’s] Jake Woodley and[Bethel Park’s] Nino Bonaccorsi. Bothwere in the state finals.”
Edenfield is also a very accomplished football player. He was voted first-teamall-Big Nine Conference on bothsides of the ball.
“Ian has played almost every position, but is being recruited as a tight end,” Chris Edenfield said. “He has football offers from California, Edinboro and Clarion, and several other schools have shown interest. He is also being recruited for wrestling by schools like Kent State, Seton Hill, EastStroudsburg and Gannon.”
And a few schools have given Edenfield the option of competing in bothsports.
“I’m going to wait until after the wrestling season to make a choice,” Ian Edenfield said. “It’s a tough decision because I love both sports. I may even pick a school that let’s me do both.”
Joe Demor, South Side Beaver (Sr., 15-7, 80-19) — Demor qualified for the PIAA tournament last year as a 145-pound junior after missing most of the season with an injury. He placed second in the