A Visit with former three-sport WPIAL champion Aaron Gatten
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Background Info: Washington High School graduate Aaron Gatten is arguably one of the top pure athletes in WPIAL history. He combined speed, strength and agility to earn four varsity letters in three different sports - football, wrestling and track. And he won WPIAL titles in all three sports. In football, Gatten rushed for 3245 yards and 46 touchdowns during his career at Wash High. He was voted to the Associated Press All-State Team three times: third team as a sophomore and first team as a junior and senior. He was also chosen to play in the Big 33 Classic. Gatten played in two WPIAL title games. Washington beat Riverside, 12-7, in 1993, his freshman year. Two years later, the Little Prexies faced Burrell and lost 14-13 in overtime. As a wrestler, Gatten won WPIAL and PIAA titles in 1995 and 1996 and accumulated a 118-13 record. As a track sprinter, Gatten won five WPIAL gold medals. He won the 200-meter dash three years in a row (1994-96), the 100 dash in 1995, and was a member of Washington's gold medal in the 400 relay in 1994. He also won PIAA titles in the 100 and 200 in 1995. Gatten accepted an athletic scholarship to play football at Penn State University, where he lettered (4) years. During Aaron's senior year at Penn State. he received the Ridge Riley Award honoring him as the "Outstanding Senior Member of the Team" who displayed sportsmanship, leadership, scholarship and friendship. Aaron Gatten's WPIAL championship experience as a football player. "We won the WPIAL title in 1993. I was a sophomore and was voted third-team All-State thta year. We played at Three Rivers Stadium. That was my first big experience with a WPIAL championship. I made a couple big playes on defense. We went to the PIAA finals that year and lost to Dallas [31-7]. Two years later, we made it back to Three Rivers for the WPIAL finals. We were 12-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state, but lost 14-13 in overtime to Burrell. We tried a two-point conversion in overtime and missed it. That was really disappointing." Gatten's WPIAL & PIAA championship experience as a wrestler "Wrestling was the most natural sport for me. I won WPIAL, Southwest Region, and PIAA titles my junior and senior year. Wrestling at Hershey in the PIAA Tournament was electrifying. I was wrestling with WPIAL stars Cary Kolat and Jeremy Hunter [a pair of PIAA four-time champions}. It was awesome. That experience is hard to duplicate." Gatten's WPIAL & PIAA championship experience as a track sprinter "Track is such a different sport. It's such an individual sport. Winning the 200 dash three years in a row in the WPIAL was the highlight. I was able to win five WPIAL titles and two PIAA titles. We also won a WPIAL team track title one year. Playing all three sports really helped me. The different attributes needed to be successful in each sport carried over to the others. That's why I was so successful. That's lost in today's athletes. There are too many athletes specializing in one sport." Gatten's thoughts on Washington coach Guy Montecalvo "Coach Montecalvo was highly influential in my high school career, both as a football and track coach. He's an intense and caring guy who is very passionate about any team he coached. I can't say enough good things about him." |