Well, another wrestling season is in the books, and while Zoe Furman didn’t take the top prize, she, her family, and girls’ wrestling did Montgomery proud. Furman ended up taking silver at the PIAA state wrestling tournament at the Giant Center in Hershey in a tough final match where she faced Aubre Krazer of Easton. Krazer, a senior and one of the best female wrestlers in the country, ended up taking Outstanding Girls Wrestler as well as her third PIAA title and capped her career with a record of 101-1.
Furman, along with Jenna Houseknecht (106#) and Emily Murphy (124#) should hold their heads up high as they took the girls’ team title with one silver and 2 bronze medals. In addition to being a community affair in Montgomery, wrestling seems part of the Furman family DNA, with both parents, Jodi and Max, and their sons, Trace and Gage, all taking part.
Dave: Montgomery wrestling was well represented in the postseason this year, specifically girls wrestling. Please tell me what you think were the major contributing factors to this success.
Max: The biggest contributing factor is the unity throughout our entire wrestling program. I believe Montgomery is unique in that our boys’ and girls’ programs at all levels, high school through elementary, are mutually supporting. Because we are such a small school, we must share resources and that includes coaches. All coaches teach the same fundamental technique as our boys’ varsity coaches, Denny Harer and Jason Guffey. This allows our wrestlers to be coached by more than one coach. This was incredibly evident during the state tournament when we needed to enlist the help of our boys’ Junior High Head Coach, Rob Cross, to help us on the floor because we had more girls competing than we could cover down on. A great problem to have! One other big difference this year was our implementation of daily strength and conditioning. Montgomery hired Coach Rhyle Strausbaugh over the summer to oversee the strength and conditioning program. His programming was a huge pillar in our successful season, increasing our wrestlers’ overall strength and mobility and staving off nagging injuries.
Jodi: The girls made the commitment to buy into our team philosophies from the beginning of the season. The philosophies were much greater than just wrestling, they included health/wellness, mindset, nutrition, family, and team concepts. They put themselves through the daily grind in order to make everyone in the room better, which resulted in a Montgomery Lady Raider Wrestling Team State Champion.
Dave- Run me through States and the journey of Zoe, Jenna Houseknecht, and Emily Murphy.
Max: The entire experience was amazing for our girls, our team, and our community. We went 4-0 on the first day, with every girl moving on to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Then, we finished the first session in first place in the team race. Each of the girls battled through the nerves of wrestling in the Giant Center during their first match but ultimately came out on top.
Day two began with the second session in the morning. Jenna and Zoe both won to move into the semifinals and secure a 6th place or better finish. Emily and Briella Walk both lost to drop to the consolation rounds. Emily lost to the eventual champion. Briella lost her next match and was eliminated from the tournament. Both of her losses were to eventual state placers. Emily began her epic run back through the consolation bracket by winning two matches to finish the day and secure a place on the podium. Jenna battled but fell to the eventual champion in her semifinal bout. Zoe won in the semifinals by pinning Haley Smarsh, a returning state runner-up. Zoe controlled the match from beginning to end in a dominant fashion. The team ended the day in 5th place.
Day three began in the morning with both Jenna and Emily winning in the consolation semifinals to move into the 3rd and 4th place match. Jenna’s match for 3rd was a re-match of the quarterfinals, which she won by a last-second reversal. It is hard to beat someone twice in the same tournament, especially when they are close matches, but she found a way. Emily’s 3rd place match was against Anaiah Kolesar from Northeast Bradford. This was a revenge match, as Kolesar had beaten Emily in the finals of the Central Regional Tournament the week prior, giving Emily her first loss of the season. Emily dominated the match and finished the match by throwing Kolesar to her back for the pin. Emily and Jenna’s effort solidified the team title for us. Zoe wrestled that evening in the finals against Easton’s Aubre Krazer, the 3x returning state champion. Zoe drew first blood by scoring a takedown in the opening 30 seconds, but Krazer quickly took control of the match and overwhelmed Zoe, eventually finishing the match by technical fall with one-second remaining.
Ultimately, the state team title was a result of the girls all wrestling for one another. We preach family all the time during practice and in competition, and the girls displayed that mantra with their overall effort. Each of them directly contributed by winning close matches and collecting bonus point wins through pins or major decisions. It was awesome to watch it all unfold.
Dave: Though you didn’t take home the title this year, you had an outstanding run this year. Walk me through your season. What went well, and what did you learn?
Zoe: This season was definitely one to remember. I’ve been to the Giant Center multiple times over the years, cheering on my teammates or coaching, but after missing last season, this was my first time ever competing there myself. Finally, getting the chance to step onto that floor and compete was an unforgettable experience. Although I didn’t take home the title, I’m proud of my progress and how I competed. I had some big wins against tough opponents, and I felt my technique and mental toughness improved a lot throughout the year. If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that every little detail matters at the highest level. The difference between winning and losing is razor-thin, and I need to keep sharpening my technique, staying disciplined, and trusting my training. With my senior season ahead, this has only fueled my determination. I’m more motivated than ever to put in the work and come back stronger for one final run.
Dave: Tell me about your other kids, Gage and Trace, and what their wrestling future holds.
Max: We had a great month with all three of our kids qualifying for the state tournament. Gage, our youngest, competed in the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Junior High State Championship. He ended the tournament with a 2-2 record however, short of placing. Trace (Max, III) had an outstanding bounce-back sophomore campaign. Like Zoe, he missed last season due to an ACL reconstruction of his right knee. We tell our kids that adversity creates opportunities for growth, and Trace exemplifies that narrative. He accelerated his rehab post-injury to return to sport in 6 months and then carried that same work ethic through football and into the wrestling room. He is a grinder that finds a way to win gritty matches. He finished the season with a 42-18 record and won some matches in the regional tournament that he wasn’t favored to advance to states. Making it to states this year was a lofty goal of his that we were beyond proud to see him accomplish. Of course, neither his mother nor I were present as we were coaching the girls’ team because our regionals were held the same weekend. But we did get to watch it on our phones and share the moment virtually. Ultimately, he wants to be the best wrestler he can be, and we look forward to seeing how much he can achieve.
Dave: You must be super proud of your kids and the other Montgomery wrestlers. Tell me what it was like to celebrate with the school and to get so much community support.
Jodi: Our family is Montgomery proud through and through. We wholeheartedly participate and try to make positive impacts on our small community. Coaching Montgomery’s youth has been just one way to feel like we are making those positive impacts on our own children and all of the other athletes. Montgomery’s wrestling and school communities have been amazingly supportive since beginning our girls’ program. Now, the support has stretched even further and has been quite amazing to witness. Being able to witness the “Hard Work Pays Off” motto has been rewarding for the family and our program.
