Bouncing Back: Albert Gallatin’s Tim Wallace shakes off regional loss, rolls to state semifinals

HERSHEY: Albert Gallatin’s Tim Wallace can’t explain his upset loss in last week’s Southwest Region finals to Butler’s Christian Sequete.

And really, he doesn’t care at this point.

It happens. The mark of a good wrestler is dealing with the setback and regaining the right frame of mind five days later for the PIAA Wrestling Championships at Hershey’s Giant Center.

Wallace has done better than that. He’s not only bounced back, he is making a strong statement to the rest of the 182-pound field.

On the heels of Thursday’s first round pin of West Scranton’s Jeremy Seymour, Wallace finished off a thunderous pancake fall in 34 seconds to stick Cathedral Prep’s Luigi Yates and blast into Saturday’s semifinal round.

“The day after, it was like, ‘this doesn’t matter anymore,’” Wallace said. “It’s about next week, so I just had to bounce back.

“Bouncing back … that’s what my coaches preached to me all week in practice. They tell me I’m the better wrestler. That [loss] put such a big drive in me. I just wanted to be at the top of the podium this year, and I’m working hard to get there.”

Yates, ranked No. 2 in the state by PA Power Wrestling, won’t argue the point after his quarterfinal bout with Wallace, who is ranked seventh in the state and boasts a record of 36-3 on the season.

Early in the match, Yates tried a standard dump. Wallace went lights out and pancaked his opponent for a quick fall and a semifinal berth.

“Coming here, it’s zero wins and zero losses,” said Wallace, who is vying to be his school’s first state champion. “It doesn’t matter. Anyone can be beaten.

“I just wanted to come here and wrestle my hardest. I know I’m better than a lot of kids, a better wrestler technique wise, not strength wise.”

Next up is a semifinal bout opposite Thomas Jefferson’s Max Shaw, a 5-2 winner over Delaware Valley’s Andrew Kidd.

“I feel pretty good wrestling, right now,” Wallace said. “My weight is good, and I’m just going to get back after it tomorrow.”