Muncy’s Joseph Klock makes strong first-round state tournament impression despite having a torn MCL

HERSHEY: It was the first practice after the sectional tournament, and Muncy standout Joseph Klock felt the pain shoot through his knee.

The news wasn’t good. Klock suffered a torn MCL, and there were probably some around the Indians program who thought a run at a state title was over.

But not Klock. Once the pain subsided, or just got so bad he didn’t feel it anymore, the decision was easy: State title or bust.

Klock took another step toward that goal Thursday morning at Hershey’s Giant Center. There were no problems with his knee or his offense in an entertaining scramble-fest fall over St. Joseph’s Jacob Powers in 1:38 at 132.

“Not at all,” Klock said when asked about having trouble with his knee during the match. “I’m past the pain part … it’s just go out and compete.

“It was out there [about not wrestling], but I’m good to go. I’m wrestling fine and didn’t have any problems at all.”

That’s for sure.

The match started with a flurry, as Powers took a shot. Klock, who is ranked second in the state according to PA Power Wrestling, countered and had control momentarily before the two rolled out of bounds. The Indians senior was awarded a takedown, but the points were taken off the board.

Powers, ranked ninth, stormed back on the restart, and another scramble ensued. This time, Powers got a shaky takedown, but Klock reversed and put the District 6 ace on his back with 40 seconds left in the first period.

“I think I went in too excited about the match,” said Klock, who is a three-time state qualifier and placed seventh his sophomore season. “I just have to mellow myself out a little bit. I got real sloppy.

“We got in that scramble, and I got a little out of position. He ended up getting two, but you just have to get through it and keep wrestling.”

Not for long.

Once Klock, who wrestled his first three years at Benton, got Powers on his back, it was only a matter of time. He worked Powers’ shoulders to the mat and got the fall with 22 seconds left in the period to move to the quarterfinals.

“It’s sluggish, sometimes,” Klock said of the first round. “But it’s really important to turn heads early to get the next kid worried.”

That kid will be Harbor Creek’s Sam Sallot (44-2), who is ranked fourth in the state and scored a fall in 1:28 to earn the right to face Klock, who is 44-5 on the season.

“You have to take one match at a time” Klock said of winning a state title. “You’ve got to win the next one first.”