Norwalk trio enters wrestling HOF

NORWALK — Time is fleeting. The last time Ethan Hernandez, Alec Maloney and Gabe Phillips were inside Norwalk High School for an official wrestling setting, they were preparing for the 2020 state championships. "It makes you wish you could have realized what you were doing when you were in the moment in high school," Maloney said. "To really appreciate the damage we were doing … time flies so quickly when you're having fun. You don't realize it quite as much while it's happening." The former star trios were honored prior to Wednesday's home match against Northwestern and Orrville. They were given plaques and inducted into the program's Hall of Fame, which honors past inductees in the wrestling room behind the mezzanine level of the home side bleachers at NHS. "I'm happy it's all three of us," Phillips said. "It's either all three of us, or none of us. We all went through it together. We pushed each other and were there for each other all the way through. Us three going in together … it just makes sense." The three were easily the most successful wrestlers in any one class at NHS. They combined to post a 507-80 record (.864 winning percentage) with seven league titles, seven sectional titles, four district championships and 10 state tournament appearances. They combined for five Division II All-Ohio medals in those 10 trips to state. "It's a really nice honor," Hernandez said, "I definitely think we did a lot for the program — and we had a great time. My coaches and friends, we had a great time and made a lot of great memories. It's nice to come back and relive it tonight. "I haven't seen Coach (Chris) Estep since that week of state four years ago. It's nice to see everyone come together again and bring those moments back to your mind." From 2017-20, Hernandez finished with a 193-18 record for the Truckers. He was a four-time league champion, a four-time sectional champion, and a two-time district champion (and four-time placer). He was third at the state championships as a sophomore in 2018, then became just the third NHS wrestler in the last 53 years to wrestle for a state title, where he finished runners-up. Hernandez has one more year of school left at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a design major at the Ivy League school, where he also wrestled for three years. Maloney finished his career with a 169-32 mark at Norwalk. He won a conference title and three sectional championships, and was a three-time district placer. In his three trips to state, he placed third as a junior in 2019. "It's nice to be back and see how far the program has come," Maloney said. "It's nice to put your time back in the program and watch these guys grow up and be something." Maloney has one more semester left at Kent State University. He has plans to move to North Carolina to work as a field engineer for a civil construction company after graduation. "It means a lot to receive this honor, and I wouldn't trade it for anything that I am able to do it with two of my lifelong friends," Maloney said. "I plan on them being around and close to me as long as possible." Phillips finished with a 145-30 mark for his career. He was a two-time league and sectional champion, and a two-time district champion while placing three times to advance to state. He placed fifth and sixth at state as a sophomore and junior. "I've been back a few times already, because I like to come up and wrestle with the boys whenever I can," Phillips said. "Being back, it feels like a regular Saturday. I try to come back as much as I can, being around the program, it never leaves you." Phillips wrestled at Cleveland State University, where he recently graduated. He works as a project manager for Progressive Insurance. Hernandez, Maloney and Phillips are forever linked by their successes on the mat, but also for an upside down time period as seniors. Just hours before they were to leave for the state championships in March 2020, the tournament was canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Days later, school was canceled for the remainder of the year. Hernandez was a projected state champion in his weight class, while Phillips was 30-0 and a projected finalist, and Maloney was again a projected placer. "We still talk about it," Phillips said. "Yes, I accepted it and it is what it is. It's high school wrestling, so you have to look at it that way in the grand scheme of life. But … It hurts to lose that opportunity. You come to peace with it, I guess, but it still grabs at you sometimes." Maloney acknowledged it impacted his two friends more than him. And, he said, there were nearly 700 state qualifiers across the three divisions in the same situation as them. "It stung, for sure, because it was our senior year at state that was taken away from us," he said. "But there were hundreds of other kids in our same situation, live with it, move on and just look back on what could have been." Added Hernandez, "It happened, and we can't do anything about it. There was no doubt in my mind what we were going to do. We were focused, ready to go and in the best physical and mental state of mind. But it's done and over with, and life goes on, as they say." While the reminders are there, Hernandez also appreciated looking down from the top of the home side bleachers as the NHS team warmed up for two matches. "I still think about missing that chance when I'm up here and helping out the kids," he said. "But looking down there, it's cool to see again. I haven't seen this in four years. "It's great to see our program chug along and try to get better every day. That's all I care about … kids are still showing effort and trying to learn."