Spitko pins cancer, returns for senior season
With a winning percentage of almost 90, Stephen Spitko is one of the most-feared wrestlers on a talented Daniel Boone team.
But it is Spitko’s undefeated record against his toughest opponent — T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia — that has earned him admiration and inspired his family, teammates, friends and foes.
“No kid should have to go through that,” said Kevin Spitko, Stephen’s father. “It was painful to watch. He went through hell for three years.
“He’s gone through mentally what I could never have gone through. I just don’t know how he got through it.”
After prevailing in a three-year battle with cancer that weakened his body but not his spirit, Stephen Spitko has returned to the sport he’s loved for most of his 19-yearold life, looking to the future instead of dwelling on past struggles.
“I’ve been around wrestling my whole life,” said Spitko, a senior 126-pounder. “I love wrestling so it’s great being back.”
After missing two of the last three seasons, Spitko is off to a 4-0 start, including wins over two top-notch opponents. He’s determined to become even better than he was as an undersized freshman 106-pounder four years ago when he went 29-4 and earned a Berks County championship while winning his first 19 high school matches.
But the troubles began shortly after that breakout freshman campaign in 2016-17. Spitko mysteriously lost energy and underwent testing until he was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2017. He began chemotherapy treatments immediately at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Spitko was at CHOP for more than a month and later underwent treatments so regularly that his family decided to hold him out of the 2107-18 school year to focus solely on his health.
“It was rough,” Spitko recalled. “I had blood thinners, kidney dialysis, diabetes. It was hard to get through for me and my family.”
Spitko said the most painful treatments were getting shots in both knees with needles being inserted into his thighs.
“It was painful,” Spitko said. “It wasn’t even the shot itself, it was the stuff they put in, it just stung. That was terrible. Then I’d be throwing up four or five days after. That was rough.”
After sitting out a year and moving from the Daniel Boone Class of 2020 to 2021, Spitko returned to the wrestling team. During some trying times while still undergoing treatments, Spitko went 19-2.
“During the season I had to skip a lot of matches for treatments,” Spitko said. “It was just tough coming from a treatment and going to a practice the next day.”
Still, Spitko won his last seven matches during his sophomore season before he began experiencing pain in his side. Daniel Boone coach Jim Hogan remembers fearing the worst when he took the call saying that Spitko would be unable to wrestle in the individual postseason tournaments.
But after Spitko underwent tests, an ultrasound revealed the cancer that once ravaged his body had not returned, but he instead needed to have his appendix removed.
“We were happy to hear that’s all it was,” said Hogan, who has coached Spitko since he was a kindergartner in the Blazer Mat Club.
Because of the appendicitis and need to complete his cancer treatments, Spitko decided not to wrestle during his junior year. He took the time away from the mat to get stronger and healthier.
Spitko said he would run up Monocacy Hill and lift weights in his basement, determined to return to the wrestling mat for his senior year.
“I had to finish up with treatments,” Spitko said. “I was going through intense stuff. It was affecting me. I would have had to miss a lot. We decided that it would be safer and healthier if I took the year off.”
The threat of contracting COVID-19 couldn’t prevent Spitko from making his return for his final season. Doctors told Spitko and his family that Spitko’s immune system was strong enough to battle any possible COVID infections.
“His blood counts are much better than last year,” Kevin Spitko said. “He’s got his energy back, he’s pretty healthy. He seems to have it all back now.”
Stephen Spitko’s return has boosted the energy and enthusiasm of his coaches and teammates, especially junior 120-pounder Gavin Richard. Richard, a 2019 PIAA qualifier who also missed the postseason last year due to an ankle injury, works out regularly with Spitko.
“We’re two kids that know a lot so we can build off of each other,” Richard said. “We go hard at practice at getting better. I’ve never had anything like it. It’s the best.
“I practice with him every day so I get the real taste of how good he is. I can’t say I’m surprised because I see firsthand every day what’s happening.”
Spitko’s return is an inspirational story that carries over to the rest of his teammates, including Hogan’s two sons, JT and Tucker.
“Having him back has been a game-changer,” Jim Hogan said. “He’s a leader in the room. He’s just a great kid and he works hard. He wants to be successful.”
Spitko, who has a 52-7 career record, is looking to end his high school career on a high note before moving on to wrestle for Coker University, a Division II
school in Hartsville, S.C.
“I want to make it to the state tournament, try to get on the podium,” Spitko said. “I feel great not having to worry about treatments or feeling sick. I feel 100%.”
Spitko may or may not end his high school career with a state medal draped around his neck.
But he will leave Daniel Boone with his hand raised and a 1-0 record against the toughest opponent of all: childhood cancer.