Mat Royalty
JACKSON TWP — When Louis Newell broke Seneca Valley wrestling's career wins record in 2018, he shattered it.
By the time the University of Pittsburgh recruit graduated, he had amassed 156 victories on the mat, beating the previous mark by more than 20 wins.
And that record had stood for 32 years.
“I figured mine wasn't going to last long,” Newell said.
He saw Alejandro Herrera-Rondon coming.
Newell was a senior when Herrera-Rondon was a freshman. The latter piled up 46 wins and a state championship at 106 pounds that season.Herrera-Rondon recently secured his 157th career win, snapping Newell's mark with a forfeit victory against West Allegheny. He is 157-14 in his high school career — 21-0 this season — with two WPIAL titles and two state crowns in his pocket already.The University of Oklahoma-bound wrestler did not come up through the Raiders' youth program.“I went to a small private school. There were only 14 kids in my class,” Herrera-Rondon said. “We didn't have sports teams there.“But I was always into wrestling.”He began participating in club wrestling at age 7.“I began with Club OMP when it was known at Quest,” Herrera-Rondon said. “The last few years, our whole team, practically, has been doing OMP wrestling in Evans City. That's helped us all.“What I've been able to do, it's been a team effort. The dedicated coaching staff we have, the kind of athleticism that's on this team ... you can't help but get better.”Herrera-Rondon has particularly been helped by fellow senior Dylan Chappell during his prep career. Chappell, 146-25 in his career, is headed to Bucknell University.“Both of those guys are going to pass my record in the same year,” Newell said. “That's amazing to me. But that's the kind of talent in that program right now.”Herrera-Rondon and Chappell are good friends these days. It hasn't always been that way.When the two were freshmen, they battled in the room for the right to start at 106 pounds for the Raiders.“There was definitely some tension there between them,” SV coach Kevin Wildrick said. “They were highly competitive guys to begin with and they were fighting for that one spot.“They got into it pretty good.”“We really didn't like each other at first,” Herrera-Rondon admitted. “We grew to respect and appreciate each other.“I made him better. He made me better. A friendship resulted and now he's one of my best friends.”Both kept winning despite the quality of the Seneca Valley schedule improving.“That's what's impressed me,” Wildrick said. “We've done the Ironman Tournament, Powerade, King of the Mountain, Cumberland Valley ... We've made it a point to go to harder competitions. Those guys haven't slowed down.”Newell is a red-shirt sophomore at Pitt now. He was 14-14 at 125 pounds his freshman year.And he still keeps tabs on Seneca Valley wrestling.“That program becomes a part of you,” Newell said. “My former teammates and I still go to matches whenever we can.“I was pulling for Alejandro to break my record. Records are supposed to give people something to shoot for.”Newell was in the stands the night Herrera-Rondon broke the mark.Now Herrera-Rondon is geared up to push it even higher.“My ultimate goal right now is to help us win the WPIAL team championship,” he said. “But I am proud to have that record. I want somebody to eventually break it, but I want it to be a monumental achievement when somebody does.“Somebody will get there. As excited as I am about our program now, I'm even more excited about its future.”
