Northern Tier Sports ReportThe Towanda Wrestling Hall of Fame will be inducting three new members on Friday, January 17 as they host Canton. Those members are Gerald ‘Jass’ Sheets, Cody Wheeler, and Clay Charlesworth.
Sheets is a member of the Class of 1987 and comes in as a wrestler, contributor, and coach.
Jass Sheets was a strong 4-year letterman and solid contributor to Towanda Teams that began the Black Knights resurgent transition back to league and sectional prominence in the mid-1980's.
During his senior season, in 1986-87, Jass captioned his team to their first North Section Team Title in 22 years. Jass capped off his 68 win career, 30 of which came by fall (most using his trademark double arm-bar sit through), with a North Section Title at 126 pounds.
After graduation, Jass has become a stalwart figure in the Towanda Wrestling community. Jass has been actively involved in developing generations of Towanda wrestlers with his 30 plus years' service to the Towanda Youth Wrestling Program and his 10 plus years of volunteer coaching with the Towanda Black Knights high school and junior high programs.
Wheeler is a member of the Class of 2011.
Cody Wheeler put together one of the most dominant 4-year careers in Black Knight Wrestling history. In his time in the "Black and Orange" Cody was a lightweight force.
Winning 149 bouts with m69 by fall. Cody won 3 North Section Titles, 2 District IV Championships, 2 Northeast Regional Championships, and qualified for the P.I.A.A. State Championships 3 times finishing 3rd as a Junior and runner-up his senior year.
Cody wrestled on Towanda teams that won 96 dual meets including captaining the 2010-2011 team that won a school record 31 matches on their way to finishing 4th in the P.I.A.A. State Dual Meet Tournament.
Cody bookended his career by playing a vital role his freshman year on Towanda's N.T.L., North Section, and District IV Duals Championship Teams and leading his team his senior year to a repeat performance of all three. Cody concluded his stellar wrestling career as a 4-year letterman at Division I, Lock Haven University.
Charlesworth is a member of the Class of 1991.
Clay Charlesworth was a lightning quick, predatory takedown artist who dominated opponents on his feet.
On his way to 2 Section Titles, 68 career wins, and 119 takedowns during his time winning 4 varsity letters between 1988 and 1991. Clay helped usher in one of the more dominant periods in Black Knight Wrestling history.
In Clays time in the Knights line-up, he was instrumental in helping Towanda win 2 League Titles and 3 of 4 Section Team Titles.
In his senior year, Clay captained a team that won 17 dual meets setting a then team record for wins and was one of a record seven Towanda Section Champions, a team record that still stands to this day.
During one of the most dominant individual seasons in Towanda history (1990-1991) Clay suffered a debilitating knee injury that took a month out of his season leading up to the Section Tournament.
The injury, and subsequent surgery recovery, cost him the chance to compete at his fullest in the District Tournament and prevented him reaching his full potential.
