Haddon Township's Wolf is on a mission

Chris Wolf rarely seems in a hurry on the mat.

The Haddon Township lightweight is a highly polished wrestler who relies heavily on his technique. He specializes in counter moves, "scoring off [opponents'] mistakes."

Calm, cool, and under control. That's Wolf in competition.

But in a larger sense, this season is different for the latest standout in an extended family that has formed the foundation of Haddon Township wrestling for most of the last decade.

Wolf is a senior. He's been wrestling for 12 years. Sometime in March, he will wrestle his final match for the Hawks and maybe his final match ever.

So while he remains as measured as ever on the mat, Wolf said he also senses the "urgency" of the ticking clock on his scholastic career.

"It's definitely a lot different being a senior," Wolf said. "You know it's your last year. You step on the mat and you want to give it everything you've got."

Wolf is off to a sensational start to his senior season. Wrestling mostly at 132 pounds, he is 14-0 with 10 falls, including nine in the first period.

He won the 132-pound title at both the Pine Barrens and Bart Payne tournaments and looms as a strong contender to capture to Region 7 title as well as grab a spot on the podium as a top-eight finisher at the state tournament in Atlantic City.

"He's a very talented kid with a good work ethic," Haddon Township coach Brian Farnham said. "He seems at ease, focused, ready to try to do something special as a senior."

Wolf was third in Region 7 as a sophomore at 106 pounds. He wrestled well in Atlantic City, finishing seventh in the state.

Last season, Wolf was second in Region 7 at 113 pounds. He didn't place in Atlantic City, a "huge disappointment" that continues to drive him.

"Every time I step on the mat, it's in the back of my mind," Wolf said. "I think about it a lot. It makes me want to do everything I can to get back there and get back on the podium."

Wolf said he has been comfortable making the jump from 113 pounds as a junior to 132 pounds as a senior. He's even wrestled a few matches this season at 138 pounds.

"I feel a lot stronger," Wolf said. "I grew so I knew I would be moving up, spent more time in the weight room to get stronger. It [132] is a good weight for me. I feel healthy."

Wolf has a patient style that's similar to that of his cousin, Steve Nelson, one of the best wrestlers in Haddon Township history. Steve Nelson was a two-time Region 7 champion who was fourth in the state as a junior and second in the state at 170 pounds as a senior in 2012.

"I rely a lot on my technique," Wolf said. "I've been to a lot of camps, been taught a lot of things. I try to use what I've learned on the mat."

Said Farnham: "Chris probably has more offense than Steven. Steven was just so good on top. Chris is so good on his feet."

Wolf said wrestling has been a big part of his family life. Chris and his brother, Tim, who graduated from Haddon Township in 2013, grew up competing in the sport with their cousins, Brian and Steve Nelson and Jason and Mike Martinak, a sophomore 106-pounder for the Hawks.

All six wrestlers competed for Haddon Township.

"It was the best thing to have family and friends involved in the sport," Wolf said. "It made the sport so much more fun, and our moms are sisters, and they are all close, so it's been something that's been part of our family for years."

Wolf is not sure whether he's going to continue his wrestling career in college. He said he's undecided about his future, having applied to a few schools at which he would be likely to wrestle and to a few at which he would not be likely to compete.

That uncertainty only adds to his determination to make the most of his final season for Haddon Township, since it also could be his final season on the mat.

"I'm wrestling with a lot of confidence and a lot of urgency," Wolf said. "I want to put everything I have out there to try to get it done."

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