JEFFERSON TWP — He lost by a single point.

But that made Knoch senior Eli Reese want to lose a whole lot of pounds.

Wrestling in the 285-pound division last season, Reese's season ended with a one-point loss to South Fayette's Quinton Franklin in the “blood round” — the round where only the winner advances to the state tourney — in the WPIAL Tournament.

“That next day, I committed myself to cutting down to the 215-pound weight division,” Reese said. “Literally, I was in the weight room the very next day. I've been in there every day since.

“I weighed 265 pounds as a heavyweight. I was going up against guys 285 or 290. It was too much. I had to slim down.”

And he did.

Reese was a 280-pound offensive tackle on the Knoch football team his junior year. He was a 225-pound offensive lineman-defensive end this past fall.

“The difference in him was unbelievable,” Knights football coach Brandon Mowry said. “We needed him to go both ways this year and he did. He was by far our quickest defensive end.

“There's no way he could have filled that role for us his junior year.”

Reese broke his ankle in Knoch's final football game last year. That cost him the first month of the wrestling season.

“Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was going to have a (wrestling) season,” Reese said. “The healing of my ankle came pretty slowly.”

Once he did come back, Knoch's wrestling team was quarantined for a couple of weeks.

“I didn't have much of a regular season,” Reese admitted.

But he had enough.

When he did hit the mat this year, Reese did so as a 215-pounder. Now he's taking a 16-5 record into Saturday's PIAA Tournament in Hershey.

Guy DeLeonardis was the first Knoch wrestler to ever qualify for states, doing so last year. Reese is now the second.

“I really wanted to join Guy last year,” Reese said. “But being only the second wrestler in the 15-year history of the program to get there is pretty cool.”

Knoch wrestling coach Bob Waldron said he, Reese and Reese's father discussed and eventually made the decision to drop Reese into the 215-pound division.

“That was the way to go for him,” Waldron said. “He knew he would be more competitive at that class. The only question was if he could physically get there.

“He was so determined, so committed. He made it happen and I'm thrilled for him.”

Reese has not taken the easy path to reach the state tourney. He lost his first match at the WPIAL tourney, only to battle back through the consolation bracket and take third place. The top three from that tourney advanced to the PIAA West Class AA Super Regional.

Reese lost his first match again at the Regional, then won a pair of decisions before bowing in the consolation final. The top four from the regional advance to the PIAA competition.

“He fought off elimination I don't know how many times. He had three straight tournaments like that, actually,” Waldron said. “That's how tough a kid he is.”

Mowry agreed.

“It takes mental toughness to do what he's done,” Mowry said.

Reese shrugged it off.

“Just one match at a time. Find a way to win,” he said.

Now he will face the top-seeded wrestler in the state at 215 — Dylan Bennett of Montoursville — in the first round Saturday. A state runner-up last year, Bennett is 139-22 in his career.

“He's really good,” Reese said. “I'll just go on the mat and wrestle hard. Whatever happens, happens.”

Reese plans to attend Gannon University, major in cyber engineering and wrestle for the Golden Knights next season.

“There's a kid who's earned everything he's gotten,” Waldron said. “I'm happy for him.”