WOLVICH – Nate Lubon may not have made a big first impression, but he certainly knows how to make a lasting impression.
Although he never went out on the carpet three years ago before joining the Kingsway Regional High School team, the junior made his way to the top of the awards podium at his first district competition last weekend.
Lubon won the 113-pound title in the 28th round, making a 37-second drop in the final.
“For the first time in the constituencies, I managed to do it well,” said Lubonsky. “It’s definitely good.”
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This was certainly not the case when he became acquainted with wrestling in his freshman year.
A converted footballer, Lubonsky did not know any course of the fight before he was successfully recruited by physics teacher Ben Lloyd to join the team.
According to Kingsway head coach Mike Barikian, at first it wasn’t pretty.
“If we had to cut that year depending on appearance, I could prune it in the first week,” Barikyan said. “But then you watch him, see how he appears every day and just get to work.
“The main thing in this sport is that guys who want to work can still achieve a high level of success. The struggle became Nate’s business. Of course, this is a difficult sport, but it is unique in the sense that if you put in the time, you will really be able to recover.
Lubon fought only a few junior college matches that season, but it didn’t matter. He got hooked, left the field and spent the whole working day concentrating on the fight.
“At first, of course, it was difficult to learn all the movements, try to learn to finish and how to get out of it,” said Lubonsky. “I’ve never done this before and I’m going against kids who have been fighting for a long time.
“But I really started to enjoy it. I liked the separate side. The team welcomed me and helped train me. “
Lubonsky followed this, even joining the wrestling club “Seagulls” to work in the off-season. His technique began to smooth out, and his strength continued to grow.
While his skills were still a bit crude, Lubon had invaded the university a couple of times, but mostly struggled at junior university again last season.
However, the further development of Lubon prepared the ground for an even more important role in the big club this winter.
Lubon knew there would be an open seat at 113 and he was willing to drop more than 20 pounds to get to it.
“I knew that if I worked to this weight, I would be able to get a place only for myself,” said Lubonsky. “It wasn’t fun, but I (lost weight) right, and with all the accomplishments I’ve experienced lately, it’s worth it.”
Earning the starting role, Lubon early made a few pieces, missing six of the first eight fights. He even took a record of losses (8-9) in the districts.
However, the record doesn’t matter when it comes to the postseason, but the lessons learned in these regular season matches have definitely had.
“Tougher matches have really helped me,” said Lubonski, who picked up his game in a neutral position and at a height over the past year.
This is a typical Lubon, Barykyan believes.
“He doesn’t come with any expectations,” the coach said. “It’s like, ‘The only thing I know is what you tell me, so I’ll do it as best I can and work the way I can.’
“It’s really nice when you see Lubon make his way in the main lineup and then see how he’s also succeeded. It was very cool to watch. “
Lubon showed a dominant performance in the constituencies, winning his first bout by a technical drop before knocking out two pins on the way to the title.
The road from here will not be easier. On Friday night in the quarterfinals of the 8th region, the junior will meet the best seeded Jared Bruner from Eastern. Bruner is expected to fight for the state title in the first weekend of March.
But for Lubonsky, who predicts the future career of the pilot, according to his coach, the sky is the limit.
“He will be very successful in what he wants,” Barikyan said.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story to tell, contact him or her at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with digital subscriptions.
