Greensburg Male Athlete of the Week

Joey Walters

School: Greater Latrobe

Class: Junior

Sport: Wrestling

Notable: You might say Joey Walters had a fairly good Saturday at the Derry Duals.

Greater Latrobe's outstanding 130-pounder knocked off a pair of high school wrestling's thoroughbreds and earned this week's male athlete of the week honors.

Walters shut out defending PIAA Class AA champion Dane Johnson of Shady Side Academy, 5-0 and later thumped defending Westmoreland County Coaches Association champion and National Prep Champion Brock Livorio of Kiski School, 7-4.

"I did pretty well, I guess," said Walters, who compiled records of 32-9 and 33-8 in his freshman and sophomore seasons for the Wildcats. "I like to have the opportunity to wrestle tough competition."

The way Marc Billett, the Wildcats' long-time coach sees it, Walters did better than "pretty well."

"He did an outstanding job, no doubt about it," Billett said. "Joe is totally dedicated to wrestling and he really personifies what you want from a kid, regardless of the sport. He works very hard in the offseason, but even above all that, he's an excellent student."

Walters has finished third and second his first two years in the WCCA tournament (losing last year in the finals to Livorio); he's been second and first in the section and finished fourth in the regionals, one match from making the trip to Hershey for the PIAA tournament.

"I really want to get up there and place," he said.

"I definitely think he's state material," Billett said. "He's been a match away both years. He definitely can take the next step."

Walter (4-1) is joined on Greater Latrobe's team by younger brother, Ryan, who is 5-0 as a sophomore at 112.

"He's actually the one who got me into wrestling," Joey said. "He talked me into going with him when he signed up. It's great having him on the team. It's made us bond."