Seneca Valley wrestling’s Zach Hill uses aggressive style to reach 100 wins
JACKSON TWP — Regarding Zach Hill’s ability to dominate opponents, the proof is in the numbers.
The senior 145-pounder for Seneca Valley boys wrestling reached 100 career wins in a match against Thomas Jefferson Wednesday night. Not counting 10 forfeit victories, he has earned 90 wins on the mat, 68 of them coming by either technical fall or pin.
“I never really set 100 wins as a goal,” he said earlier in the week. “From the beginning, I just wanted to have fun, put it all out there on the mat and strive to get better. If you do that, getting to 100 becomes a possibility.
“I owe a lot to my family and coaches. They’ve been with me the whole way.”
Entering this weekend’s Pine-Richland duals, Hill is 24-4 this season, with 10 victories by tech fall and six more via fall. He laid a good foundation for his varsity career by winning 21 bouts as a freshman.
“My initial impression of Zach was that his potential was through the roof,” SV coach Kevin Wildrick said. “He’s a great athlete, super-explosive and very fun to watch.
“Once he gets on top of a kid, he’s tough to stop.”
At an invitational at John Marshall High School (W.Va.) in December, Hill was a perfect 6-0 with two pins and two technical falls. He went 3-0 to capture the 145-pound title at the Bo Wood Tournament at Indiana High School in early January. He has combined natural talent with an aggressive mindset that’s been instilled in him.
“A big part of it is the coaching I’ve received,” he said. “I’ve been taught to keep putting pressure on my opponents, keep moving forward. You can break a guy that way and score a lot of points.”
Hill, who is weighing his options when it comes to competing in college, is hoping for a lengthy postseason run. He has finished no worse than third at sectionals the last three years, though a berth into the state tournament has eluded him.
“The key for him is to stay within himself,” Wildrick said. “He needs to realize that he doesn’t have to wrestle any differently once the postseason tournaments arrive. In the past, he would try to do more than he needed to do. With takedowns now worth three points and the ability to get (as many as) four near-fall points, it’s a lot easier to come from behind in a match.”
“I’ve doubted myself before,” Hill said. “I just need to go out and wrestle. I’ve got one more chance to make states, and hopefully, I can get there.”
