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Falconer’s Peru Receives Division I Mat Scholarship

Falconer Central School senior Jacob Peru, seated center, made it official Monday when he signed his national letter of intent to attend Binghamton University on a wrestling scholarship. Joining him at the table, from the left, are Diane Peru, grandmother; Paul Peru, father; Vicki Lundsten, mother; and Bonnie Benner, grandmother. Standing are Jeff Jordan, principal; Dan Morales, assistant wrestling coach; Drew Wilcox, head wrestling coach; Travis Hummel, assistant wrestling coach; and Steve Penhollow, school superintendent. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

FALCONER — Jacob Peru won 45 of 46 matches during the 2015-16 wrestling season and posted a New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship at 182 pounds.

With his senior season about to begin in a couple weeks, the Falconer Central School standout will try to repeat those gaudy accomplishments knowing that his college destination has been determined.

Binghamton University it is.

”After my state title, they were sending me letters and asked me to come on my official visit,” Peru said Monday evening. ”I went on my visit and I liked it a lot and I liked the guys on the team. It was like I’d known them my whole life, so I fit right in.”

The recipient of a full scholarship, Peru will likely compete at 184 pounds while pursuing a health science major with designs on one day becoming a physical therapist.

Jacob Peru celebrates after winning the New York State Public High School Athletic Association 182-pound title in February at the Times Union Center in Albany. P-J file photo

”It’s a pretty special thing for us and our program,” said Falconer coach Drew Wilcox. ”I know this was at least a goal of his dad’s from the get-go. I always believed it could happen.”

“At the same time, there were hiccups throughout his career and there were thoughts that maybe this isn’t going to happen.”

But after entertaining opportunities from a host of Division I schools, Peru decided Binghamton was the right fit.

”It’s a surreal situation for me,” Wilcox said. ”That was one of my goals, I guess, as a coach to have kids that were capable of wrestling Division I. To have one is an awesome experience, and I’m really looking forward to following him and, hopefully, being able to get to a bunch of his matches.”

The Bearcats, coached by Matt Dernlan, won 11 matches last season and return all but one starter from its regular lineup in 2016-17. Steve Schneider leads the large group of returners. A junior, Schneider, qualified for the NCAA Championships at 184 pounds last season and will be Peru’s workout partner next year.

Jacob Peru is in control at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championships in February. P-J file photo

”I’d like to be redshirted,” Peru said. ”I’d like to get a year under my belt before I really start competing. I just feel the experience helps a lot more.”

His experiences as a Golden Falcon put him among the best to ever wrestle at the school.

In addition to having his name at the top of the Wrestling Review of Western New York’s rankings all last season, Peru claimed individual titles in the Section VI Division II state qualifier at Jamestown Community College; the Section VI Class C Wrestling Championships; the Patrick J. Morales Memorial Wrestling Tournament; the Niagara Frontier Wrestling Officials Tournament; the Southern Tier Wrestling Officials Association Tournament; and the Harold Jarvis Memorial Wrestling Tournament.

By season’s end Peru had claimed a state title, the first at Falconer since Jacob Schaus did it in 1994 and was the recipient of the The Post-Journal Co-Wrestler of the Year.

For all those accomplishments, Wilcox said he is convinced he’ll leave a lasting imprint on the Binghamton wrestling program, too.

”He’s got all the God-given tools to be a good wrestler,” he said. ”Second, he hates to lose. It doesn’t matter what he’s doing, he can’t stand to lose. I think that’s a positive thing for him. His will to win and probably his feel on the mat is pretty impressive.

Wilcox continued: ”I think he has the ability to do special things (like) being an All-American in college and being a national champion in college, and I think the guys at Binghamton can help him do that.”

Among Wilcox’s most cherished Peru memories occurred at the Niagara Frontier Wrestling Officials Tournament last season.

”Our youth program got invited to wrestle matches against kids from Buffalo,” Wilcox recalled. ”When (Peru) was wrestling in the finals there were about 20 or 30 little Falconer kids just sitting by the mat cheering him on. He pinned the kid in the first period and when he came off the mat they all kind of swarmed him, and it kind of showed what he means to those kids.”

Calling him the ”face of the Falconer program,” Wilcox said Peru’s legacy has yet to be determined.

”Some of the success we’re going to be having next year, the year after and 10 years down the road, he’s going to be a huge part of that whether he realizes it or not.”

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