What wrestling has meant to Aidan Gruber is about more than wins and losses.

It’s a sport Gruber gravitated to when he was younger, and one that has shaped him into the person he is today.

Gruber appreciates the ups and downs of an often unforgiving sport.

The senior recognizes his setbacks have paved the way for his successes, both on and off the mat.

One of Gruber’s greatest accomplishments came in the finals at the Schuylkill League Tournament, where he not only captured his second straight title, but also secured the 100th victory of his career.

“I think definitely all of my hard work has paid off,” Gruber said. “That was my expectation for senior year, and I really wanted to get that completed. And I’m glad that I did. That should be everybody’s goal, every high schoolers goal to get 100 wins. Just to say I got my hand raised 100 times. It’s just a good accomplishment.”

It’s one of many in Gruber’s career.

A state qualifier two years ago, Gruber has qualified for regionals each of the last two years.

As a freshman, Gruber went 12-3 during a season shortened by the coronavirus pandemic and placed third at districts - one spot out of a regional qualifying position during an altered postseason.

“If he has a full season and he’s third at districts, he’s probably at 30 wins,” said Lehighton head coach Floyd Brown said of Gruber’s freshman season. “So he’d probably have about 20 more wins right now, just estimating. But he’s had 30 wins each of the last two years, and hopefully he’ll end up with 30 this year. But if he gets close to 30 wins as a freshman, he’s probably up there in our all-time wins list.”

Despite that shortened freshman season, Gruber owns a career record of 107-24 and appears well on his way of reaching the 30-win mark for the third straight season with a record of 26-4. As a sophomore, Gruber went 35-11, placing second at districts and fifth at regionals to qualify for states. He posted a 34-6 mark last season, and was third at districts.

The path to his 100th win ended up working out perfectly. Gruber entered the Schuylkill League Tournament with 98 wins, and had a bye into the semifinals, where he won by technical fall before securing the 116-pound title with a pin in the first period.

“It definitely was really exciting for me, to be in that situation,” Gruber. “It was definitely a good experience and I’m very happy that it happened there, and that I was able to get the Schuylkill League championship, too. To have two of them and 100 wins, it’s definitely very exciting.”

The road to get there started the same way most young aspiring wrestlers begin their careers.

“I started in booster club, so I’ve been doing it for a pretty long time,” said Gruber. “I’m just trying to compete as hard as I can, and move forward with my career.”

At the recent Coal Cracker Tournament held at Lehighton and featuring 53 schools from across Pennsylvania - including defending Class 2A team champion Faith Christian Academy - Gruber placed fourth after taking second last season. Gruber was third at the Sam Lovello Classic and the Jim Thorpe Christmas Tournament in December. He has recorded 14 of his wins via pinfall this season, which ties a career high set two years ago.

“He’s having a really good season,” said Brown. “He had a really tough weight class (at the Coal Cracker), there were some studs in there. But he wrestled well, he was really solid. The ultimate goal is to make it to states this year. I think his goal is to medal, so this was good competition for what he’s going to see once you get past districts. And there are so many teams here from around the state, so you get to feel out the style when you wrestle other kids; see what they do, maybe even get a bout with them. It helps.”

Gruber won his first match at states as a sophomore but didn’t make the trip to Hershey last season. He knows a season - or career - could end quickly in the postseason.

Perhaps more than any other time in his career, Gruber is simply enjoying the ride, making the most of an experience he doesn’t want to take for granted. It’s an outlook he hopes to pass on to the team’s underclassmen before he wrestles his final match for the Indians - one he’s aiming to have inside the Giant Center, where he’ll finish his journey with a state medal.

“I still think I am going to come in the room after I graduate to practice a little bit and just keep wrestling, because I love this sport,” said Gruber. “And I definitely want the kids that are going to come after me to learn from me, and learn from my mistakes. And just know that anything can happen in five seconds in a match. You can be winning, and all of a sudden, you’re not. It’s just a battle. Sometimes you get unlucky, sometimes it goes your way.”

And it’s worked out in Gruber’s favor more often than not.