Exeter Twp.'s Austin DeSanto Realizes Dream in Stunning State Title Victory

HERSHEY: All of the early morning workouts. Every extra minute on the bike or in the wrestling room. All of it for one reason: To prepare for Spencer Lee.

It’s all Exeter Twp.’s Austin DeSanto thought about since Lee teched him in the state finals a year ago. All the extra training for this one moment.

Even DeSanto had trouble describing it afterward. The loudest crowd in PIAA Wrestling Championship history by many accounts. And then the unthinkable: The Upset.

DeSanto won.

Wrestlers, coaches and fans were still buzzing an hour after DeSanto pulled off, arguably, the biggest moment in PIAA Wrestling Championship history. He fought an injured Lee for six minutes and came away with a stunning and jaw-dropping 6-4 decision.

Sure, Lee entered the match wearing a hefty knee brace on his right leg, which, according to his coaches and father Larry Lee, was for a torn ACL. But that doesn’t take away from how far DeSanto came in the last year and what he accomplished.

“He was coming in trying to win four times, so I kind of feel bad for him,” DeSanto said. “But at the same time, I’m excited for myself.

“I worked every day after that tech fall to beat him. I got my dream. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I really don’t know how to explain it. I wish he would have been 100 percent, but it’s pretty awesome.”

DeSanto finished his season with a gaudy 53-0 mark and a stellar career record of 188-7. The Eagles senior was fifth in 2015, second a year ago and earned gold Saturday night.

In doing so, DeSanto, who dropped from 132 to get Lee at 126, did more than complete personal achievement. He became the first wrestler in school history to stand at the top of the podium and made the wrestling world do a huge double take on social media.

“I give Austin all of the credit,” Exeter Twp. head coach Jonathan Rugg said. “He set a goal two years ago. He’s been asked about it, been questioned about it and he’s never wavered.

“He worked extremely hard all offseason and never forgot that state final [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][from a year ago]. It was always in the back of his mind, and sometimes, it was was in the front of his mind. He just worked hard to get it.”

Continued Rugg, “It was a great win for him, great win for our program, great win for our school. He’s the first in school history, and you just hope it’s a springboard to more medals.”

DeSanto pushed the pace during the bout, but it wasn’t the same as the 2015 version of this matchup. The movements were more controlled, thought out and had more purpose.

Lee was struggling with his lateral movement and pushing off because of an injury that occurred a month ago. He spent most of the time resting before biking. And yet, he still managed a 2-0 lead on a takedown in the second period.

DeSanto let Lee up to start the third and fell behind 3-0, but he picked up the attack again and took the Franklin Regional stud down with 1:10 left.

DeSanto let the laboring Lee up again and scored again with 30 seconds left to tie the match at 4. Score didn’t matter at this point … DeSanto wanted to be in his best position — on his feet — and was going for the win.

The crowd was whipped into a frenzy. DeSanto pressed Lee, finally, earning a takedown in a bang-bang move at the buzzer. Some say the clock expired, but after a conversation between officials, the takedown stood.

“Last time, I was very frantic, super frantic,” DeSanto said. “I was faking, reaching and using too much energy. I had to calm down. I can take down kids in high school and make a lot of mistakes. Against him, I can’t do that.

“I went to the left because that was his bad leg, but I needed to move my hand more. It’s Spencer Lee, so I give him all of the credit in the world. He came out here and worked his ass off and still went for it.”

DeSanto, who later said “Spencer is a World Champion for a reason, and that guy is a badass for even wrestling,” finished off an improbable run. One that will be remembered 10, 20 and 30 years from now. He knocked off a wrestler many believe to be the best in Pennsylvania wrestling history.

Such a moniker is still in play. Lee, a three-time World Champion in freestyle, finishes with a career record of 144-1 with three state titles and a runner-up finish. But even his greatness couldn’t overcome an injury, DeSanto and a raucous crowd on this night.

“At first, we thought it was something more minor,” Larry Lee said. “Then, when we went in and had the MRI done, it showed he had a torn ACL. So, he stayed off the mat for a couple of weeks and let the injury go quiet, where it calmed down a little bit. Then, he started biking.

“We went in an met with Dr. James Bradley [surgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers], and after the MRI was read, he said, at the time, he would clear him to compete. Once he cleared him, I gave him the chance to finish his run.

“He went through so much. He knew it would be a tough one, but he didn’t want his career to end in the doctor’s office, and I’m proud of him for making that call.”

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