First Posted: 12/24/2014
TUNKHANNOCK – Thor Balavage is putting up big results for an otherwise struggling Scranton Prep wrestling squad, but it is little things that have made the difference.
The junior from Avoca won his first 13 bouts of the season, claiming a Lackawanna League Tournament title and going all the way to the final of the 26-team Tunkhannock Kiwanis Tournament before losing to a returning state placewinner.
“If anything, it’s trusting the system that coach (Marty) Flynn has put in place for me,” Balavage said. “Taking the calisthenics and stuff that doesn’t look as important from the outside as the moves you learn, I’m learning that the push-ups and small stuff make a big difference.
“If you do commit to a system and try to do everything perfect, it’s part of the bigger picture. I just understand that more.”
Balavage went 15-14 as a freshman and finished fourth in the District 2 Class AA tournament. Last season, he improved to 29-10, pinned nearly half the opponents he took the mat against and went to the district final.
The start of the 2014-15 season proved that Balavage has made great strides from that impressive sophomore season. Disregarding two forfeits, he pinned nine of his first 11 opponents, putting away his first three in 1:38 or less.
The Lackawanna League moved its tournament up in the schedule, placing it before dual meet league competition this season.
Balavage used the early-season test to confirm the extent of his progress. In a rematch with Wallenpaupack’s Kyle Hartman, who had defeated him early in last season’s tournament in February, Balavage turned around the result with a 9-4 victory in the 220-pound final.
“After losing to Hartman last year, there was a lot on the table for me,” Balavage said, “knowing how important this tournament would be for me if I could win it.
“It showed how much I have come back and how much I have learned since last time I wrestled him.”
Scranton Prep hit the new year with a 1-6 record. The Cavaliers finished just ninth of 13 teams in the league tournament and 19th at Tunkhannock.
Balavage’s record stands far above the rest of his teams; however, he said teammates have played a role in his success.
Ivan Balavage, Thor’s freshman brother, is second on the team in wins and pins. He is 9-6 with eight pins while wrestling at 170, 182 and 195.
Senior Jonathan Martines’ 4-4 mark at 152 and 160 ranks as fourth-best on the team.
They provide the necessary workout partners on the mat in practice.
“My brother is a big key to my success,” Thor said. “He is one of the more experienced wrestlers in the room along with Jonathan Martines.
“Those two are really the ones that are chasing me every week and pushing me. Who wants to say that they lost to their little brother in practice? And who wants to say that they lost to a 152-pounder? Those two are the ones pushing me, keeping me moving forward all the time.”
The start Thor Balavage has put together so far gives reason to look forward to his possibilities in February when the season switches from a team to an individual emphasis for district competition and beyond.
