Buckwalter clan meets at KOM wrestling tourney

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – Central Mountain’s longstanding King of the Mountain wrestling tournament stands as something of a reunion of sorts for former local wrestlers who return to Clinton County each December as coaches from out of the area; these include former wrestlers at Central Mountain, Lock Haven, Bald Eagle-Nittany and Sugar Valley high schools and Lock Haven University.

But it was a unique family reunion this past weekend at the KOM. Central Mountain assistant wrestling coach Doug Buckwalter welcomed back his two sons, now following their father in the field of coaching. They are older sibling Tyler and younger sibling Blaze.

Tyler and his wife Maddi live in Stow, Ohio with their two children Sadie who is one and Colton who is a little over a week old. He teaches Elementary Physical Education and is head coach of the Stow-Munroe Falls team. Blaze and his wife Kayla live in the Pottstown area. He teaches Middle School Physical Education and coaches in the Boyertown school district.

Father Doug, now back as an assistant with the Wildcat program, is well respected in the coaching fraternity across the state. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame, Class of 2016. Buckwalter retired as a head coach after the 2014-15 season, amassing a career mark of 307-78-3 in stints at Lock Haven High School and Central Mountain High School. He continues as a teacher at Central Mountain.