JACKSON TWP — All Gabe Miller had to do was not lose.

Well, not lose badly.

With a 30-25 lead heading into the 220-pound and final match of the night, the Seneca Valley sophomore just needed to avoid getting pinned to secure a wrestling win for the Raiders over Hempfield.

Miller wiggled out of a couple of close calls and got an escape with 15 seconds remaining in the third period of his bout with Chase Linsenbigler for a 4-3 decision and a 33-25 Seneca Valley win on its home mat Wednesday night.

Not bad for a wrestler in his first season in a singlet.

“I'm not wrestling for me. I'm wrestling for the team,” said Miller, a standout defensive end for the Raiders during football season. “I can't have my mind focused on, 'Do not get pinned. Do not get pinned,' then your mind is already off. You're gonna lose. You have to go out there with intensity and wrestle like it's the first match.”

Miller was nearly caught twice by the smaller Linsenbigler, but managed to avoid getting caught on his back.

He got a point in the second period with an unorthodox move. Miller did a flip and roll to get an escape.

He tried the move again in the third period with the score tied 3-3 and it almost cost him.

“Gabe is learning this year,” said Seneca Valley coach Kevin Wildwick, smiling. “He has a roll he likes to do and he's learning to use it in the right situations.”

Miller admitted that was perhaps not the right time to try his acrobatic escape move.

“It's not really a move that big guys at 220 can do, so I use it to my advantage,” Miller said. “I'm a little more agile than most of them. The move has its ups and downs. It works most times.”

Miller said he only has a small arsenal of moves since he is so new to the sport.

Miller last wrestled when he was 8.

“I really had no idea what I was doing coming in,” he said. “But I'm getting the hang of it.”

Miller also got a wake-up call about how physically fit a wrestler has to be.

Miller, who was a solid and muscular 222 pounds when he played football in the fall, has dropped down to 210.

He said he felt in peak physical condition during football season, but realized he wasn't for wrestling.

“Coming off of football, the lungs you need are totally different,” Miller said. “I thought I was in good shape playing football, but I would consider myself not in shape for wrestling.”

Miller was one of several close victories for the Raiders.

Heavyweight Dante Santelli started out the match with a tight 2-0 win. Jason Geyer at 106 also won a 2-0 decision and Louis Newell followed that up at 113 with a 6-5 victory.

Newell is in the process of cutting weight for the individual season that is rapidly approaching.

“He's on his descent now to 108,” Wildrick said. “I think he's feeling a little bit of the weight cutting right now.”

Alex Fischer at 145 also won a 1-0 decision.

Dustin Monoit (182) had the only pin of the night for Seneca Valley, which also received a pair of forfeit victories at 120 and 126.

Overall, it was the kind of match Wildrick was looking for.

“A lot of guys got exactly what they needed tonight. They got tough matches,” Wildrick said. “We just don't want to hang out and wait for sections to start. We want to keep getting tuned up.”

Seneca Valley 33, Hempfield 25

(Match started at Heavyweight)

106-Jason Geyer (SV) dec. Tyler Williams 2-0; 113-Louis Newell (SV) dec. Vincent Distefanis 6-5; 120-Ben Lynch (SV) by forfeit; 126-Alex Lynch (SV) by forfeit; 132-Luke Kemerer (H) maj. dec. Brennan Hayes; 138-Kris Demorest (H) pinned Nick Montalbano 4:25; 145-Alex Fischer dec. Tommy Abraham 1-0; 152-Anthony Colello (H) dec. Ty Gross 6-0; 160-Colin Choby pinned Daniel Sullivan 1:25; 170-Dallyn Wood (H) dec. Zac Cowell 6-3; 182-Dustin Monoit (SV) pinned Derek Stutzman 1:59; 195-Angelo Stevey (H) dec. Lucas Chieppor 6-3; 220-Gabe Miller dec. Chase Linsenbigler 4-3; Hwt.-Dante Santelli (SV) dec. Frederick Alfrey 2-0