Sportsbeat Top 10: Somerset defensive end Rowan Holmes

SOMERSET, Pa. (WTAJ) – Rowan Holmes is a dominant wrestler for Somerset with two PIAA Championship medals under his belt. It’s also easy to see that the Lehigh wrestling commit’s skills translate from taking down wrestlers to tackling quarterbacks.

Last year, Holmes was named to the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference’s first team as a defensive end.

“It’s tackling, you (taking a) shot is the same as getting on a tackle in the backfield,” Holmes said.

With the Somerset star solidified as the anchor of the defensive line, it’s changed how teams have played against the Golden Eagles.

“What we’ve run into over the past year was most teams would actually try to run away from his side,” Somerset head coach Jeff Urban said. “It was tough for us to play balanced defense because he could dominate one side of the defensive line and force teams to become one-dimensional.”

Holmes certainly isn’t a one-dimensional football player in his own right. He was named second-team All-Conference as a running back and was also an honorable mention as a punter.

“It was a laughing joke for everyone that I’m a half-decent punter,” Holmes laughed. “I enjoyed playing all positions.”

“He’s also a dominant running back,” Urban said. “He plays with such quick feet and his balance is phenomenal.”

This offseason, Holmes has been recovering from knee surgery but has gained 30 pounds of muscle to help him terrorize offenses and get prepared to wrestle at the Division I level.

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“You never want to say an injury is a blessing, but he’s been able to train so much harder with his upper body,” Urban said. “He’s up to 230 pounds and he’s as strong as he’s ever been in his upper body. He’s going to be a handful for teams this year.”

Somerset opens its season at Chestnut Ridge on Saturday, August 24.

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