Southern Columbia Area High School, a small, rural public high school in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, has a wrestling program with a rich history of success. The school is the sole high school operated by Southern Columbia Area School District.
Southern Columbia will be making their 8th appearance at Escape the Rock. The Tigers' best finish was 5th in 2018. Individually, Southern Columbia has crowned 9 PA state champions, garnered 54 state medals, and qualified 88 wrestlers for the PA state championships.
Southern Columbia Area High School students may choose to attend Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School for training. In 2013, Southern Columbia Area High School's graduation rate was 97%. In 2012, Southern Columbia Area School District's graduation rate was 98%. In 2011, the district had a 98% graduation rate.
The Southern Columbia Area School District offers a variety of clubs, activities and an extensive sports program. The sports programs are through the Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference is a voluntary association of 25 PIAA High Schools within the central Pennsylvania region.
Individual Achievements
The Southern Columbia eighth-grader won his seventh Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling title, becoming just the fourth wrestler to hit that mark. He joins Cary Kolat (1988 Jefferson-Morgan) and Rocky Anderson (1997 Southmoreland/Mount Pleasant) with seven. While Cortese and Anderson each made the podium in Hershey, neither ever stood atop it.
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Garcia’s family knows plenty about the PIAA championships. Gavin Garcia qualified for the PJW tournament for the first time in 2010 but did not place. He hasn’t lost a match in it since. He went 5-0 at 147 pounds this weekend in Johnstown, with falls in each of his first two matches. He beat Latrobe’s Jack Pletcher 10-0 in the quarterfinals.
He wasn’t the only Southern Columbia wrestler to win a title. Teammate Kole Biscoe captured the 112-pound championship while Dyer Stine finished second at 252 pounds.
Top Wrestlers for 2022:
- Gavin Garcia, SR, PA State 3rd, 3x PA State Medalist
- Kole Biscoe, SR, PA State Finalist, Escape the Rock Medalist
- Wesley Barnes, JR, PA State 4th, 2x PA State Medalist
- Mason Barvitskie, SOPA State 5th
- Garrett Garcia, SOPA State Qualifier, Region 3rd
- Brady Feese, SR, Region Qualifier
- Jude Bremigan, FRPJW Medalist
“Every day our team is doing a lot of extra, trying to be the best,” Garcia said.
2019 ETR 195 final - Gaige Garcia (Southern Columbia) vs Michael Baker (La Salle, OH)
“Just every year, doing the same thing,” Garcia said. “That’s the goal: four-time state champ,” Garcia said. “Everybody’s saying that PJWs don’t mean stuff. We always have arguments. Just get ready for next year.
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Team Dynamics and Philosophy
“Every day our team is doing a lot of extra, trying to be the best,” Garcia said.
Southern Columbia Area High School offers the Pennsylvania dual enrollment program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits.
Southern Columbia Area School District Administration (2014). News & World Report (April 22, 2014).
| Achievement | Details |
|---|---|
| PA State Champions | 9 |
| State Medals | 54 |
| PA State Championship Qualifiers | 88 |
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