ADAMS TWP — Making up for regret is never easy. It can almost be impossible.

But Mars senior Keith Brubach is making one heck of a run at it.

Brubach was 12-7 as a 113-pound freshman wrestler for the Planets. He missed a lot of time that season due to injury.

“I feel like I could have reached 25 wins that year,” Brubach said.

Some personal issues prevented Brubach from returning to the team his sophomore year. He had been wrestling since age 8.

“I decided not to do any sport my sophomore year,” he said. “I was focusing on redefining myself as a student in school. Then, my junior year, I opted to run track and field.”

That season never happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That left Brubach out of the sports picture for two years.

“I almost pulled the trigger on rejoining the wrestling team last year,” he admitted. “I just didn't. Going to matches and watching the team ... I really missed it. I regret to this day not wrestling last year.

“When that season ended, I approached Coach (Bob Jox) and told him I was coming back for my senior year.”

That same day, he committed to it.

“He came back with a vengeance,” his mother, Melony Brubach, said. “He wanted to make it count.”

Brubach began pounding the weight room. He's been attending the South Hills Wrestling Academy in Bethel Park — run by former University of Pittsburgh coach Matt Kocher — since September.

Now Brubach is entering Saturday's WPIAL Class AAA Championships at Canon-McMillan High School as his section's champion at 172 pounds. He is the Planets' lone WPIAL qualifier.

Brubach is 16-2 this season. Three of the eight wrestlers in his weight division advance to the West Regional March 6 in Altoona.

“Keith is right in there with everybody,” Jox said. “He has as good a chance as anybody to get through.

“I'm not surprised at what he's done. I saw his attitude from the start. The kid has been all in. But I'm sure he snuck up on and surprised some opponents by how good he's been.”

While Brubach has won some matches by pinfall, the bulk of his victories have been by decision, including a 9-3 verdict over higher-seeded Manuel Santos of Seneca Valley in the section championships.

“I was able to get an upset there and I'm going to need a couple more on Saturday,” Brubach said. “I know it's not going to be easy.”

Jox said Brubach usually “just gains control of his opponent and rides him out. He's very strong, very aggressive.”

He goes to the South Hills three nights a week to train and lifted weights all through the summer.

“He's been so focused,” his mother said. “He decided he wanted something and he's gone after it. He overcame some bad circumstances and I'm proud of him.”

Despite not wrestling as a sophomore or junior, Brubach is attracting collegiate interest from Waynesburg and Penn State Behrend so far. He carries a 3.6 grade point average.

“I have interest in wrestling in college, but I haven't looked that far ahead yet,” Brubach said. “I'm concentrating on my last year of high school right now.”

And a big finish to his wrestling season.