The ‘Godfather of Penns Valley wrestling’ Max Dinges leaves a lasting legacy on the sport

Up Route 45 and down Route 192, from Old Fort to Coburn, there’s one name synonymous with greatness in Penns Valley Wrestling —Max Dinges.

For while the list of accomplished wrestlers in the Valley is a long one, stretching back to the Magnificent Seven of the mid-60s to Cory Hazel and Baylor Shunk in recent days, none have been able to match Dinges’ feat of winning a PIAA title.

He’s the lone Ram to have reached the top of the podium, winning the 1963 180-pound title by pinning Coatesville’s Paul Hudson in 3:34 before a packed house in Rec Hall to cap a 22-0 season.

Measured against today’s win totals that might not sound like a lot, but consider in those days the postseason tournaments were all single-elimination. It was lose and go home, not drop into the consolation bracket and keep moving on. A full season consisted of eight to 10 dual meets, a holiday tournament and then the postseason.

Not that it mattered. No one could beat the quiet farm boy from Coburn who passed away on Dec. 29.

Joe Hammaker coached those Ram teams that walked tall through District 6, ending State College’s legendary 64-meet winning streak at one point.

“f you look back, we’ve had some good ones come along since Max,” said Hammaker, who was in Dinges’ corner that day in Rec Hall. “I’ve always told them if you want to be a state champion, it’s not an easy task. We had some really good kids.”

“Max was willing to learn,” Hammaker added, citing Dinges’ strongest suit. “He also had power and he was very aggressive. Those were the things that made him what he became. He developed some good moves. He had moves he could rely on at any time.”

In the PIAA finals against Hudson, Dinges found himself paired with another powerful individual.

“We told Max the one thing he couldn’t do against Hudson was to try to pin him because he’d roll through and put you on your back,” Hammaker said. “So Max went out and cradled him and pinned him.”

Don Burris, who eventually became an assistant wrestling coach at Bald Eagle Area, was in junior high at Penns Valley at the time.

‘“When he won his state championship, everyone in Penns Valley knew his name,’’ he said.

They still do.

But once he graduated from high school Dinges went right into the workforce instead of pursing a collegiate career.

“He wasn’t interested in going anywhere to college,“ Hammaker said. “He went right to work. He was just a quiet, easy-going guy who had grown up on the farm working hard for his dad.’’

Dinges also played football for the Rams, but it was his wrestling ability that stood out.

“In Penns Valley if you ask who was the best athlete to come out of the school a lot of people reference him right away,’’ said Keith Bierly, who, like Burris, was in junior high when Dinges stamped his name in the Penns Valley pantheon of greatness. “He was the ‘Godfather of Penns Valley wrestling.’ That’s the way I remember him.’’