Clarence wrestler Schwab excited about getting to states

As the top seed in the 152-pound weight class for the Section VI state qualifier, Clarence sophomore Nate Schwab felt good about his chances of claiming a championship.

But that sure didn’t take away from the excitement when his hand was raised after the first-place match.

“It feels really good; I don’t know how to explain it,” said after stepping off the top of the podium on Feb. 10 at the University at Buffalo’s Alumni Arena. “I was confident coming into it, but I’m excited.”

He’ll be one of four Red Devils at the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championship this weekend at the Times-Union Center in Albany.

Schwab punched his ticket to the state tournament with a workmanlike 4-1 decision of Terrance Acker of Grand Island in the finals.

“I just kept pushing the pace — he was backing up a lot, but I just wanted to push the pace make him work for it and just get my points when I could,” he said.

Schwab helped Clarence to the team tournament at the state-qualifier, the latest in a long line of accomplishments for the Red Devils this season.

According to the preliminary pairings, Schwab will open at states against Steve Azzano of Section V’s Wayne High School. It’ll be his first taste of the big event, but Schwab is hoping to find some success.

“I’d like to place, maybe in the top five or top six,” Schwab said. “And then in a couple of years, hopefully I can win it all.”

Schwab sure knows a thing or two about getting on the podium.

He also claimed championships at the Section VI Class AA Tournament as well as the Lockport Invitational, second at the ECIC Championships and Teike/Bernabi Spencerport Invitational and fourth at the Matthew Marino Invitational at Webster Schroeder.

Now it’s on to the big one. Schwab is one of four Red Devils at the state tournament, joining Ryan Burns (106 pounds), Jake Weber (160) and Nate Ward (175).

And the way things have gone this season for the Red Devils, don’t count any of them out.

“Lots of times the hardest part about the state tournament is getting there,” Clarence coach Jason Chase said. “Once you get there, anything can happen. I think all four of our guys that are going have a legitimate chance to get on the podium.”