Ed Branish

Category

Ed is a graduate of Philipsburg High School, Philipsburg, Pa., 1949. During high school, he participated in football, basketball, wrestling, and golf. Ed enrolled in Indiana State College where he earned ten letters in football, wrestling, and golf. He had his best year in wrestling as a junior, 11-2, and a second place finish in State College Tournament. Ed was unable to wrestle as a senior because of a football injury. He served two years in the U.S. Army and was an officer during the Korean conflict. Ed initiated the sport of wrestling at Towanda High School, Towanda, Pa., where he coached wrestling from 1955-1972. He also coached football and reintroduced the sport of track. He compiled a record of thirty-seven straight RTL League victories and had a career record of 124-75-2. He was tournament director of the Northern Section Wrestling Tournament for thirty-five years. He has been very instrumental in the growth of wrestling in northern Pennsylvania. Ed also broadcasts the Wrestling Meet of the Week and all tournaments from Sectional to States for WTTC Towanda. He was a PIAA wrestling official for approximately twenty years and was a charter member of the Northern Tier Wrestling Officials. Branish has been inducted into the Northern Sectional Hall of Fame, 1979; The Pennsylvania Wrestling Associa-tion State Hall of Fame, 1982; District 4 Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, 1982; The Clearfield County Sports Hall of Fame, 1994. Ed is best known nationally as the wrestling coach in the movie “Taken Down” written by former wrestler Eric Heardershal. Ed was a member of District 4 PIAA for sixteen years and is a retired school administrator after thirty-five and a half years in education.