Darwin Brodt

Darwin Brodt ’74

Career Record: 60-6-2, 2x D11 Champ, 2x NE Regional Champ, 2x Medalist, State Champ

Tournament Championships: Easton Invitational

College: East Stroudsburg (D2 All American)

1974 – 167 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Champ, State Champ (27-0-1)

1973 – 167 lbs.: District Champ, Regional Champ, State Quarters (22-2)

1972 – 155 lbs.: District Runner-Up (11-4-1)

Darwin Brodt put together one of the most dominant careers in Red Rover history, punctuated by earning Wrestling USA High School All American honors following his 1974 state title.

Brodt stepped into the Easton lineup as a sophomore, earning a fall in his very first varsity bout. He went 7-2-1 in duals as a tenth grader before putting together a spectacular District 11 tournament. He dominated his way to the finals, 14-6, 4-0 and 10-3, earning himself a match up with state runner-up Dan Persa (Freedom) in the final. Brodt pushed him to the brink, with the competitors tied 5-5 at the end of regulation before Persa survived with a 5-2 win in overtime.

As a junior, Brodt won his first six bouts before falling in the Easton Invitational finals to Wayne Horton (Freedom), his second year losing to Horton at the Rovers’ holiday tournament. He responded by winning his final ten regular season matches, seven of those matches by fall. At the D11 tournament, Brodt left no doubt on his way back to finals, with three pins and a 5-1 decision over Harry Miller (Nazareth) to get a rematch with Horton in the finals. He emphatically flipped the Easton Invitational result, pinning the Freedom star in the first period. In Brodt’s first trip to Northeast Regionals, he made headlines when he pinned returning state runner-up Mike McCabe (Berwick) in the second period. McCabe was leading 5-4, but took bottom to start the second and Brodt clamped him in a cradle to win his first regional title and break the Easton single-season pins record (18). In his first trip to states, Brodt raced out to a 7-3 over Al Barmick (North Star) in the quarterfinals (the first time that regional runner-ups also qualified for the tournament, doubling the bracket size). However, Barmick stormed back with a takedown, two stalling points, and a riding time point to shock Brodt and eliminate him from the tournament. Barmick was soundly defeated in the third place bout by McCabe.

Brodt was elected captain as a senior of what would amount to be one of the greatest teams in Red Rover history. Brodt highlighted his early season with his first Easton Invitational championship, rolling through future state champion Gary Albright (Saucon Valley) in an 11-0 finals win and Easton set a tournament record for team points and champions. He earned a tough 4-3 win over future NCAA finalist, four-time All American, and state champ Mike Brown (Bethlehem Catholic) in mid-January. In their epic dual with Lock Haven, Brodt’s second period pin of Dennis Ramm clinched the dual for the Red Rovers. Brodt suffered the only blemish on his record with a 3-3 tie of Gary Jones (Neshaminy) in the final dual of the year. At the D11 tournament, Brodt used three falls (including a third period pin of Gary Albright) and a major decision to punch his ticket to finals, where he beat Bob Hersh (Wlliam Allen) for his second championship. At Northeast Regionals, Brodt opened with pin, then beat Hersh for the second straight week before sneaking by Sam Sallitt (Coughlin), 6-5 for his second Regional crown. At the state tournament, Brodt and the Red Rovers put on a command performance. He opened with a 7-3 decision over Roger Witmer (Lower Dauphin), then avenged his draw by beating Gary Jones 8-3 in quarterfinals. He then put an exclamation mark on his weekend with a second period fall in semis over Rick Bernardo (DuBois) and a first period pin of Jim Lohman (Mount Lebanon) to win the state championships. Easton finished first in the team standings with two champs, a third and fourth place finisher.

After Easton, Brodt went to East Stroudsburg where he was a Division II All American for the Warriors. He taught history and government at Nazareth for over 30 years and was the first Junior High coach for the Blue Eagles.