Gabe Erbe has never shied away from the grind or backed down from a challenge.

Erbe has shown the grit of a wrestler determined to make a name for himself.

The Tamaqua senior has carved out his own path and created a lasting legacy, one that include a milestone victory this past season.

Erbe’s perseverance has been undeniable throughout his career, and it was on display once again in the 127-pound quarterfinals at the District 11 Class 2A tournament.

The senior rallied for a 2-1 victory over Wilson’s Santino Micci for his second win of the night, and 100th of his career.

It was a pressure-packed moment, one Erbe had practiced and prepared for.

Erbe turned an early third-period deficit into a 2-1 advantage with a well-executed takedown midway through the third period, a lead he held onto through a frenzied finish in the final seconds that saw Micci nearly take the win.

“I think you just have to have a little more urgency, get the takedown,” said Erbe, who was seeded fifth. “But at the same time, take your time and make sure you get the right setup, and the right shot, and just the right takedown in general.”

After falling in the semifinals to eventual champion Aiden Grogg of Saucon Valley, Erbe bounced back with a hard fought 8-6 decision in the consolation semis to secure his spot in the top four and punch his ticket to regionals for the third time in his career.

Erbe’s freshman season was abbreviated due to the coronavirus pandemic. He went 12-8, winning the true second-place match at districts in a year when only the top two in each weight class moved on and advanced to regionals, placing sixth.

“I think his goal was to get 100 wins, and he was really aiming for that,” said Blue Raiders head coach Jim McCabe. “He saw the writing on the wall after that freshman year, that he had to get a ton of wins in three years in order to eclipse 100 wins. It came down to his second match at districts this year. But he put himself in a situation where he could get that win, at that time.

“He’s had a lot of matches, especially over the last three years, gained a lot of experience, and that experience helped him reach that goal.”

Erbe has won 26, 32 and 32 matches over the last three seasons.

He has been fourth and fifth at districts the past two years. Erbe did not qualify for regionals last year.

In addition to the work he put in on his own, Erbe also took a step back and focused on himself off the mat to move forward this season.

“I think it’s all just the mental game,” said Erbe. “My coach helped me with that this year a lot. He had me reading books about how to improve it, and how to think when you’re out there. It’s really just a mental game when you’re out there, and he helped me with that.

“I think the biggest thing was that you don’t go out there and focus to win, you just go out there and try to score the next point. And that’s how you end up winning. One of the main things that our coach says to us all the time is that you just have to trust the process.”

That mindset has helped Erbe pull through in some of the biggest matches and toughest moments of his career, whether it’s reaching his 100th-career victory, or advancing to regionals in a win-or-go-home match as a freshman.

“And he’s a four-time district placewinner,” McCabe said of Erbe, who was fourth this season. “There’s not a lot of four-time district placewinners, especially at Tamaqua. His sophomore year, he had an extremely hard consi semifinal match. He lost to Micci that year in a dual meet, and then he beat him (8-4) in the consi semifinal match to get out to regionals his sophomore year. And then he had another tough match with Micci this year at districts in the quarterfinals, and then had another tough task in the consi semifinals (to advance to regionals).

“What it comes down to is, that consi semifinal match is huge. You have to win it. And he won it two out of the last three years, and his freshman year he was in the finals at districts before winning the true second-place match, which was also like a consi semifinal match. All four years, he was placed in a situation where, if you win, you move on to regionals, and if you lose, you don’t. And that’s not an easy thing to accomplish in District 11 wrestling.”

But Erbe, who went 1-2 at regionals this year, pinning Faith Christian Academy’s Dominic Reynolds in the consolation round, and finished his career with a record of 102-48, was able to. Because he is as tough mentally as he is physically, and he’s embraced each challenge along the way.

“I just try to tell myself to do the best I possibly can when I go out there,” said Erbe. “Just leave it all out there, and that’s it.”