Northern Bedford adds girls wrestling

    Most people who attend a wrestling match at Northern Bedford County High School drive up or down Route 36 on their way to it.

   In something that’s purely coincidental but also somewhat fitting, you’ll be taking that same-numbered roadway to find the newest, and numerically similar, sanctioned girls wrestling program in Pennsylvania. On Tuesday night, Northern Bedford became the 36th official girls program in the state after receiving unanimous formal approval at the district’s regular board meeting.

   Locally, NBC joins Chestnut Ridge in sponsoring girls wrestling at the varsity level. The two District 5 schools each added their names to a growing list of girls teams within five months of each other.

   “I’m excited to hear that Northern Bedford has added girls wrestling,” said Ryan Spring, a District 5 representative on the SanctionPA task force. “I figured they would be at some point because of the strong girls’ youth program they have put together over the last several years. To see it happen for the high school girls already competing for Northern Bedford, and for those to come up in the future, is outstanding.

   “I’m also proud of the task force’s work over the last two years. Together, we’ve worked hard through the Covid pandemic and other challenges to get 36 schools on the map and receive the PIAA’s emerging sport status. 

   “During my time covering boys wrestling for the Bedford Gazette, I saw such passion for the sport from so many in this area. I had no doubt that wrestling on the girls’ side would be well-received here. That was a main reason in joining the task force when Brooke (Zumas) and Chris (Atkinson) were seeking others from around the state to put this together. Having two of the 36 make their home in Bedford County is pretty special given that we’re part of the smallest district in Pennsylvania.”

   As aforementioned, Northern Bedford has built a solid foundation with its girls youth program. Many of those young ladies have enjoyed tremendous success. That includes current high-schoolers Jordyn Fouse and Raegan Snider.

   At the 2022 MyHouse PA Girls state tournament last month, Fouse won the 130-pound championship while Snider placed sixth at 136. Fouse has been a household name to those close to the sport for years, and she has also gained national recognition is being ranked in or near the top 10 of her weight class across the country by USA Wrestling.

   That pipeline of talent should only continue to happen for Northern Bedford with the success shown by Fouse, Snider, and others that so many times is seen as a harbinger of future accomplishments.

   “Dave and Jen Fouse were the ones who started the girls (elementary) program at NBC,” said veteran Black Panthers’ boys coach Brian Dutchcot, who oversaw three girls on the high school team and four in junior high this past season.“I’m sure their vision one day was to see a varsity program.”

   Statewide, of the 36 official girls wrestling programs, Northern Bedford becomes the 21st school to approve a team since the start of the 2021-22 academic year.