Legend hangs up his shoes

[MKPSU91]

Legendary local wrestler Wade Schalles set to retire

Wrestling legend Wade Schalles began his incredible odyssey in the sport by winning a PIAA state championship at Hollidaysburg Area High School in 1969. He feels that it is only fitting that he should wrap it up here. The PIAA Class title won by Schalles at 154 pounds in 1969 kick-started his...

www.altoonamirror.com

 

[PSU Mike]

Nothing more fun as a spectator than watching a master pinner.

 

[BWFight]

Nothing more fun as a spectator than watching a master pinner.

I knew a guy that was a competitive fisherman. He was a Master baiter.

 

[Dogwelder]

I knew a guy that was a competitive fisherman. He was a Master baiter.

I knew a guy who handled lettuce at McDonald’s. He was a master shredder.

 

[Dogwelder]

Nothing more fun as a spectator than watching a master pinner.

As a kid, I once put a big burly spider in a jar with a skinny long-legged spider. I assumed the big spider would slaughter the skinny one. Within the first ten seconds, the skinny spider climbed on top of the big spider, and stayed there, long legs folded, safe, for over an hour. That skinny spider was not literally a pinner, but he was *like* a master pinner atop his opponent.

(Regarding the spiders, I got bored and dumped them both out into the yard.)

 

[SleepyLion]

As a kid, I once put a big burly spider in a jar with a skinny long-legged spider. I assumed the big spider would slaughter the skinny one. Within the first ten seconds, the skinny spider climbed on top of the big spider, and stayed there, long legs folded, safe, for over an hour. That skinny spider was not literally a pinner, but he was *like* a master pinner atop his opponent.

(Regarding the spiders, I got bored and dumped them both out into the yard.)

Skinny won by rideout.

 

[El_Jefe]

Skinny won by rideout.

And that bored @Dogwelder to the point he dumped them into the yard.

 

[86PSUPaul]

Skinny won by rideout.

And burly was trying to gas skinny from bottom. Which strategy was best for the long term? We will never know because @Dogwelder got bored and called it….

 

[PAgeologist]

As a kid, I once put a big burly spider in a jar with a skinny long-legged spider. I assumed the big spider would slaughter the skinny one. Within the first ten seconds, the skinny spider climbed on top of the big spider, and stayed there, long legs folded, safe, for over an hour. That skinny spider was not literally a pinner, but he was *like* a master pinner atop his opponent.

(Regarding the spiders, I got bored and dumped them both out into the yard.)

Stalling on top for a parallel ride.

 

[PSU Mike]

And burly was trying to gas skinny from bottom. Which strategy was best for the long term? We will never know because @Dogwelder got bored and called it….

Burley was skinny.

 

[SkiSkiSki]

Skinny won by rideout.

Skinny was stalling on top. @Dogwelder refused to call stalling.

 

[Shifty15]

As a kid, I once put a big burly spider in a jar with a skinny long-legged spider. I assumed the big spider would slaughter the skinny one. Within the first ten seconds, the skinny spider climbed on top of the big spider, and stayed there, long legs folded, safe, for over an hour. That skinny spider was not literally a pinner, but he was *like* a master pinner atop his opponent.

(Regarding the spiders, I got bored and dumped them both out into the yard.)

Obviously the bigger spider wrestled at tOSU!

 

[PSUAllTheWay]

As a kid, I once put a big burly spider in a jar with a skinny long-legged spider. I assumed the big spider would slaughter the skinny one. Within the first ten seconds, the skinny spider climbed on top of the big spider, and stayed there, long legs folded, safe, for over an hour. That skinny spider was not literally a pinner, but he was *like* a master pinner atop his opponent.

(Regarding the spiders, I got bored and dumped them both out into the yard.)

But how much can the big spider deadlift???

 

[BigFella235]

On the topic of Wade, a few years ago I had a message board interaction with an old Clarion teammate of Wade’s, Chuck Coryea, and picked up a couple of stories. I posted them on the rivals board, but with that board now being defunct, I’ll add them here:

“Wade was the first to get 100 pins in college. For his 100th, we were wrestling Lock Haven at home (at Clarion) and his opponent was Alan Fricke (I think), a pretty tough guy but not anywhere close to Wade's level. There was a lot of pre-press about the event so the gym was packed, well over 3000 (but we always got that back then).

Some of his frat bothers convinced him to pin the guy on a small X on the mat which was to be in front of the stands where his frat sat. So before the match our student athletic trainer (Mark Demyanovich) taped a couple of athletic tape strips in the X about two feet inside the circle, small but enough to see if you knew it was there. Keep in mind that neither Bob Bubb nor assistant coach Greg Johnson (a 3 time ncaa champ) knew this was happening and quite possibly the only ones that were kept in the dark. And to stop a rumor I heard over the years - this was not a fund raiser for a charity; it was simply frat boys gone rogue.

When the match started, Wade gets a TD and starts dragging Fricke toward the X (really!). As he inched there, the crowd gets crazy. And each time Fricke manages to get away, there is a collective groan. Each time he got a tight cradle on him and starts to drag the body, Bubb is going nuts..."Why don't you just pin him?...". An aside, after the 1st period, Alan asked Wade, "Am I your 100th?" - we all thought that funny. Also, this is when the coaches learned what is happening - Johnson asks and learns the truth from our teammate, Bill 'Elbows' Simpson (another ncaa champ) and then tells Bubb. Coach is furious and turns beet red but knows there isn't much he could do. So finally, Wade gets the pin on the X in the 2nd and the place goes wild.

Post script: They announce the milestone and Wade takes cheers with Coach Bubb shaking his hand and grimacing, non too happy. The school photographer gets that shot and ironically, the bell of the white tuba (we always had a pep band then) frames Wade's head like a halo. The school paper used that shot with the caption "St. Wade" - something we continued to tease him (but he loved it) all year.

That is the real deal the best I can remember.”

 

[BigFella235]

Part 2:
“Wade and I, as well as others from Clarion, had wrestled for the Erie YMCA (Tom Canavan) a number of times. We would catch rides with Tom or meet his entourage at the various tourneys and wear the Erie Y uniforms but we always pay our own entry. So for a few years, we had a local Clarion business man that created our own summer team (predecessors to today's more organized/sponsored clubs) and he provided transportation, travel expenses and entry fees (not so coincidentally, Wade and I had summer jobs in his factory). We had a lot of talent with many Clarion and Lehigh guys (e.g. Lieberman bros).

Tom Canavan was a bit upset because this was the first real organized competition he got in western PA and the big summer gig was always the Erie Open, Tom's baby. This was a big/tense showdown and his biggest guns were all the Carr brothers - Fletcher, Joe and Jimmy at that time; Nate was still very young. The match in question was Joe Carr vs Wade. One of the hecklers was an older Carr brother (Ed?) that wasn't wrestling. He was right on the edge of the mat. The referee was Ray Hartlee. He kept taunting Wade and mocking the team name, "Mean Machine" (the business guy had a thing for the original Longest Yard movie). I am not sure what was the last thing the elder Carr said but Wade had enough and as bigredscoach says, he took a few steps and kicked him right in the face. Of course a fight resulted and people had to pull them apart. Years later, Ray Hartlee told me he had no idea how to handle this since DQ'ing Wade would have escalated things and he had heard what that guy finally said - he felt Canavan should have controlled the crowd (e.g. his Carr friends) better. But in the 70's and summer tournaments, politics ruled the day. Regardless, the match went on and Wade won (as did the Mean Machine!).

That was a shorter story than the X. So here is a quick one that isn't as dark - and Wade was the primary instigator but as usual, sort of got away with it.

Halloween Eve night in 1973 as I was walking back to my dorm, Wade and Craig Turnbull drive by and stop to give me a ride. But we take a detour to Coach Bubb's house (around 9:00 at night). I stand watch while Craig and Wade pull out the battery from Bubb's Jeep and hide it under his deck. Then the put in a pumpkin (they did attach the cables to the step!). On campus the next day, the story spread fast of how Bubb is on a mission to discipline the culprits. We three are very nervous. Practice starts that night and coach starts with a story about respect and how it is important. So to prove it, he has Craig and Wade step out for a "Special" practice to be the only people to practice that night. He had Don Rohn (ncaa champ @134) and Greg Johnson (assistant but was 3 time champ @118) rotate on Craig all night. For Wade, it was Bill Simpson (ncaa champ @167 and me). Somehow, Bubb never figured out I was there. Our instructions were to go all out for the minute we were out there and take no prisoners. On my first time out, Wade locked in tight and warned me to fake it or he would out me. So while poor Craig was getting killed, Wade had one tough minute and one breather (but faking it is as tiring as the real thing). Craig never said a thing during practice but he did make a point to let me know how upset he as after practice. Sadly, the only thing we missed is seeing coach's face when he tried to star his Jeep that morning.”

 

[creamery freak]

Part 2:
“Wade and I, as well as others from Clarion, had wrestled for the Erie YMCA (Tom Canavan) a number of times. We would catch rides with Tom or meet his entourage at the various tourneys and wear the Erie Y uniforms but we always pay our own entry. So for a few years, we had a local Clarion business man that created our own summer team (predecessors to today's more organized/sponsored clubs) and he provided transportation, travel expenses and entry fees (not so coincidentally, Wade and I had summer jobs in his factory). We had a lot of talent with many Clarion and Lehigh guys (e.g. Lieberman bros).

Tom Canavan was a bit upset because this was the first real organized competition he got in western PA and the big summer gig was always the Erie Open, Tom's baby. This was a big/tense showdown and his biggest guns were all the Carr brothers - Fletcher, Joe and Jimmy at that time; Nate was still very young. The match in question was Joe Carr vs Wade. One of the hecklers was an older Carr brother (Ed?) that wasn't wrestling. He was right on the edge of the mat. The referee was Ray Hartlee. He kept taunting Wade and mocking the team name, "Mean Machine" (the business guy had a thing for the original Longest Yard movie). I am not sure what was the last thing the elder Carr said but Wade had enough and as bigredscoach says, he took a few steps and kicked him right in the face. Of course a fight resulted and people had to pull them apart. Years later, Ray Hartlee told me he had no idea how to handle this since DQ'ing Wade would have escalated things and he had heard what that guy finally said - he felt Canavan should have controlled the crowd (e.g. his Carr friends) better. But in the 70's and summer tournaments, politics ruled the day. Regardless, the match went on and Wade won (as did the Mean Machine!).

That was a shorter story than the X. So here is a quick one that isn't as dark - and Wade was the primary instigator but as usual, sort of got away with it.

Halloween Eve night in 1973 as I was walking back to my dorm, Wade and Craig Turnbull drive by and stop to give me a ride. But we take a detour to Coach Bubb's house (around 9:00 at night). I stand watch while Craig and Wade pull out the battery from Bubb's Jeep and hide it under his deck. Then the put in a pumpkin (they did attach the cables to the step!). On campus the next day, the story spread fast of how Bubb is on a mission to discipline the culprits. We three are very nervous. Practice starts that night and coach starts with a story about respect and how it is important. So to prove it, he has Craig and Wade step out for a "Special" practice to be the only people to practice that night. He had Don Rohn (ncaa champ @134) and Greg Johnson (assistant but was 3 time champ @118) rotate on Craig all night. For Wade, it was Bill Simpson (ncaa champ @167 and me). Somehow, Bubb never figured out I was there. Our instructions were to go all out for the minute we were out there and take no prisoners. On my first time out, Wade locked in tight and warned me to fake it or he would out me. So while poor Craig was getting killed, Wade had one tough minute and one breather (but faking it is as tiring as the real thing). Craig never said a thing during practice but he did make a point to let me know how upset he as after practice. Sadly, the only thing we missed is seeing coach's face when he tried to star his Jeep that morning.”

Hey BigFella235, I heard a story a few years back at the PSWC banquet about Wade. The story goes that Wade had several of his teammates po'd at him, and he's kidnapped and taken to a cabin. The guys duct tape him to a chair and feed him apples. Coach Bubb had an inkling about Wade not being at practice, and he told the team 'to get him there or else!'

I just want to know if you were in on this gag?

 

[tullfan68]

Wade was the original funk wrestler not Ben!!

 

[BigFella235]

Hey BigFella235, I heard a story a few years back at the PSWC banquet about Wade. The story goes that Wade had several of his teammates po'd at him, and he's kidnapped and taken to a cabin. The guys duct tape him to a chair and feed him apples. Coach Bubb had an inkling about Wade not being at practice, and he told the team 'to get him there or else!'

I just want to know if you were in on this gag?

Not I haha. I’m sure Chuck Coryea was in on it though haha