If this were a normal year, John Samy would probably be preparing to head to Hershey Thursday to compete in the state wrestling championships.

Because this year is anything but normal, an extra week was added between regionals and states in order to reduce the numbers of wrestlers at each event.

What is normally the first few rounds of the state championship tournament will now be contested at two PIAA Super Regional Tournaments, one for the eastern and one for the western side of the state.

Like all of the wrestlers still on their quest for a state title, Samy will have to get through one more week of competition to make it to Chocolatetown.

“It’s just another wall I have to get through,” said the Salisbury sophomore and PIAA Southeast Regional silver medalist.

After taking second place in District 11, Samy went to regionals last Saturday and dispatched his first two opponents in the 132-pound bracket to earn a spot in the title bout and secure a berth in next week’s tournament.

He put Archbishop Ryan’s Alex Pfeffer on his back in 2:21 in the opening round, then beat Brandywine Heights’s Nick Geary 9-3 in the semifinals to set up a rematch of last week’s district title bout against Brandan Chletsos of Notre Dame (Green Pond).

“He’s just wrestling really, really well,” said Falcon head coach Eric Snyder. “He’s peaking at the right time.”

The win over Geary in the semifinal was the one that secured a top-five finish and a place in this Saturday’s super regional at Martz Hall in Pottsville.

“I’m extremely excited,” said Samy. “I always thought as a kid how cool it would be to go to Hershey.”

Now he’s just two wins away from reaching that goal.

This weekend’s super regional field will have eight wrestlers in each bracket with the top four finishers moving on to the state tournament, slated for Friday, March 12 in Hershey.

“It’s not going to be easy,” said Snyder of Samy’s chances to advance. “It’s going to be a really competitive tournament. But if he keeps wrestling the way he has the past two weeks he has a real good chance to get through.”

Samy wants to keep doing the things that have gotten him this far in the postseason.

“I stayed light on my feet with heavy hands” he said. “My shots were crisp.”

While he’s wrestled for years and been to many tournaments and meets over the years, Samy said the regional was the highlight of his wrestling career.

“Definitely [Saturday] the biggest night of my career,” he said. “I’m excited because I wanted to represent District 11.”

That could change after this weekend’s tournament and again if Samy earns that coveted ticket to the state championships in Hershey.