ACTION JACKSON: Brookville Senior 215-Pound Wrestler Zimmerman Works on Being Better on His Feet, Attack During Trip to Fargo, ND, in Offseason


BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Jackson Zimmerman was searching for a way to be better on his feet on the wrestling mat.

He went to Fargo, N.D., to find it.

(Photos courtesy of Molly Zimmerman)

Wrestling in one of the biggest freestyle wrestling tournaments in the country, Zimmerman’s goal was to improve his attack. Even though he was injured in his first match in Fargo and didn’t fare well, the senior on the Brookville wrestling team said he believes he accomplished his mission.

“One of my big flaws in the regular season last year was I didn’t have a good attack on my feet,” Zimmerman said. “I had trouble taking people down and that’s a lot of what freestyle focuses on, one-your-feet wrestling. You’re not on the mat very much in freestyle. It certainly helped me develop a couple of shots that I feel comfortable enough to use at a higher level this season.”

He’s already put what he has learned on display for the Raiders.

Zimmerman, now wrestling at 215 pounds, is 6-0 with five pins in the early part of 2022-23.

lutons_485x75_20160128204935
District 9 wrestling coverage on D9Sports.com is brought to you by Luton’s Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning.

Last year, Zimmerman was 24-7 with 16 falls at 189 pounds. He was runner-up in District 9, third in the region and went a disappointing 1-2 at the PIAA championships.

It’s served as motivation for Zimmerman to make his final season on the mat at one of the most storied wrestling programs in Pennsylvania his best.

Going to Fargo was a way for him to do that.

He was exposed to some of the best wrestlers in the nation and the world. He admitted, it was an eye-opener for him.

“I learned a lot about how there is a lot better kids around than just in Pennsylvania,” Zimmerman said. “Wrestling just doesn’t end here. Even the people who are on top of Pa. don’t necessarily end up on top of the rest of the world, or the rest of the country. But at the same time, it showed me how good Pennsylvania was because you’d watch some of the Pa. kids juts run through the bracket. They were certainly were a lot more successful Pennsylvania kids out there than any other state.”

Zimmerman has a lot of great Pa. kids in his own wrestling room.

Brookville is a perennial state power on the mat and Zimmerman said he feels extremely lucky to be a part of that.

“(Dave Kepfler) in my eyes, and I think a lot of other people’s eyes as well, is one of the best coaches in the nation,” Zimmerman said. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s been around for a long time. If you gives you some kind of advice on something, you should listen.”

Zimmerman said he thinks the coaching he has received gives him a huge edge on the mat, especially at his new weight of 215.

It’s one of the more challenging weight classes because of the spread of wrestlers with size and strength.

Zimmerman takes advantage of his quickness and his nearly flawless technique.

“I think anyone in our wrestling room at Brookville under Coach K is going to be more technically sound than early anyone else in the state,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman said he is also wrestling more at ease this season.

He’s not sure why. Perhaps it is because he is a senior. Perhaps he is wiser. More confident in his skills.

Whatever the reason, it’s welcome.

“Most of the pressure is off and there’s not a lot of the older kids that I have looked up to and tried to do well for them,” he said. “It’s just me trying to bring my whole team behind me and also do well for myself, because that’s the one thing that I think has been holding me back in the past. I’d put so much pressure on myself.”

Wrestling at Brookville comes with its own set of pressures.

Expectations there are sky high.

“Obviously, everyone tries to block it out,” Zimmerman said. “But the reality is that it’s pretty hard to do. It’s really a strong mental game to be able to block it out.”

Zimmerman hopes to wrestling in college. He’s still mulling over his options.

Zimmerman also had a big fall on the football field for the Raiders.

He got a lot more work after starting quarterbacks Charlie Krug and Easton Belfiore both were lost for the season with injuries.

Brookville revamped its entire offense to focus less on the pass and a lot more on the run.

Zimmerman flourished, rushing for 1,125 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The Raiders shook off a 1-4 start to finish 6-6, winning a playoff game over Karns City before falling to Central Clarion in the D9 Class 2A title game.

“I knew from the beginning of the year that I was gonna have to have a strong season, and I knew that I could have a strong season.” Zimmerman said. “Most of what I did came from the offensive line and the work they put in. I put in a lot of work. The coaches put in a lot of work. Everyone around me was also working extremely hard.”

Zimmerman said he was extremely proud of the team and how they turned around their fortunes on the fly.

To him, it was kind of like getting a clutch reversal on the mat to pull out a tough decision.

“That’s something I’ll remember for my entire life,” Zimmerman said. “How we started off not so hot and then just seemed to get things figured out and battled the whole way back to the district final.”


Copyright © 2024 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited.

Comments are temporarily closed. A new and improved comments section will be added soon.