Jared Groller performed the rare feat of playing a sport in every season during the athletic calendar. The 2022 Emmaus High School graduate was a standout in football, wrestling and lacrosse. He helped Emmaus football to a runner-up finish in the District 11 CLass 6A tournament and was also a silver medalist in wrestling at the 215-weight class.

For his success, Groller was voted the 2021-22 East Penn Press Male Athlete of the Year.

“My best friends are the guys that I met from playing sports,” said Groller. “I feel lucky to have coaches, mentors, administrators and teachers in our community who helped me along the way. I loved being a Green Hornet and representing our school and town. And finally, it was always fun when we beat our rival Parkland whether it was football, wrestling or lacrosse.”

The Green Hornets finished 9-4 overall on the gridiron and were 7-3 in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. They won two games in the District 11 Class 6A tournament, including a 21-14 revenge victory over Parkland in the semifinals to advance to the championship game where they lost to defending champ Freedom.

Groller was a starter on both sides of the ball. He rushed 84 times for 402 yards and 11 touchdowns as a fullback, while making 64 tackles and seven sacks from his linebacker position.

On the mats, Emmaus finished 15-10 overall in dual matches and 6-3 in the EPC. The Green Hornets finished sixth at districts. Groller wrestled at the 215-weight class and finished runner-up in the class at the district tournament.

Groller enjoys both sports but one stands out over the other.

“There are definitely things I like about both sports,” Groller said. “I like the team aspect of both. However, football is my favorite. I love the contact, making plays and playing offense and defense. To me, making a great play on defense is just as much fun as scoring a touchdown.”

So what helped make Groller the athlete that he is in a number of different sports?

“In football, I believe that my best attribute as a linebacker is my ability to quickly read the play and get to the ball,” said Groller. “In the offseason, I spend a lot of time on speed training, which helps me on offense and defense. In wrestling, my best attribute is my ability to pin my opponent. Even when I’m losing a match, I still know I have a chance to win because there is a possibility of pinning my opponent at any time. Of my 76 career wins, 53 were pins.”

Groller will now set his sights on his next chapter in life as he prepares to become a collegiate student-athlete. This fall, he will be attending Ithaca College and will be a member of the football team.

“I am looking forward to new experiences,” Groller said. “I am excited to go to Ithaca because it’s a great school in a great college town. I am excited to play football at Ithaca because I really connected with the coaching staff and they win a lot of football games. I will be majoring in business administration.”