Kooper Deputy Shows Why He’s One of Pennsylvania’s Best Young Wrestlers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gVfbJ5XDiI

New Paris P.A.— Kooper Deputy has already built one of the strongest résumés in Pennsylvania youth wrestling, and the Chestnut Ridge High School standout added another major chapter in Las Vegas by earning a spot on the U17 World Team. Competing at the Cadet World Team Trials at 48 kilograms, Deputy won the best-of-three finals over Amir Newman-Winfrey with a 10-0 technical fall and a fall in 32 seconds. It was the kind of performance that matched the confidence he carried into the event and the belief he has had in himself for years.

“Feels great,” Deputy said after making the world team. “I got second last year, so it kind of lit a fire in me to really work for that to get to win this year.” That answer gets to the heart of who he is. He does not shy away from disappointment, and he does not let it linger. Instead, he turns it into motivation and keeps moving. Last year’s Cadet World Team Trials loss to Keegan Bassett, who later went on to win the world championships that summer, became one more reason to sharpen his focus and keep pushing. Deputy didn’t treat that loss like an ending. He treated it like a step in the process.

That approach has helped him stack up an impressive list of accomplishments. He is a Pennsylvania state champion and a consistent force on the national scene. At Super 32, he has placed multiple times across different age divisions, including a recent third-place finish in the high school division in October. His earlier Super 32 success came in the middle school division, where he showed he could compete with top wrestlers long before reaching high school. “It just kind of kept stacking like that,” he said when talking about the way his career has progressed. “And then before I know it, I’ve accomplished a lot more than I thought. But each day I just come in and try to get one percent better.” That line says a lot about how he views progress: not in giant leaps, but in steady gains.

Deputy’s breakthrough at the Cadet World Team Trials was built on more than confidence. It was also about adjustment and trust in his offense. He described the best-of-three finals in detail, showing how much thought goes into his wrestling. “The first match I took him down off the bat and scored a turn,” he said. “I got him, and then the last one I kind of got caught, but I never gave up anything. So in my head, I was like, and then I finished that first match. I teched him.” In the second match, he came in with a plan. “I’m like, if I fake this head pinch, and then I’ll be able to hit a go-behind right to a turn,” he said. “And right at the start of the second match I snapped him down, faked it, and go-behind it, and that ended the match.” It was a clear example of a young wrestler who is not just athletic, but thoughtful and adaptable under pressure.

That same confidence carries over into the way he trains and the way he handles pressure. Deputy said he has learned not to overthink what opponents can do and instead stay focused on what he does best. “I just tell myself I’m the best, and it kind of blocks out all the other noise,” he said. “I’d say in the last couple years I’ve been prepared as much as I can be for everything. So it’s kind of—I’ve had a lot of confidence in every match.” For him, pressure is not something to avoid. It is something he has earned by winning and placing at big tournaments. “It’s just like I earn that pressure,” he said. “So it’s kind of like all that pressure from getting second at Super 32, winning Fargo, winning the U.S. Open. I’ve kind of earned that, so it’s just wrestling the same.” That mindset shows he is comfortable being one of the wrestlers others are chasing.

A big part of that comfort comes from the environment around him at Orchard Ridge Wrestling Club. Deputy described the setting as one without distractions, where everyone is locked in on the same goal. “There’s no distractions around here, so it’s just working all the time,” he said. “Everyone that comes in here is ready to work.” He also appreciates that the room still has a fun family feel. “Obviously we have fun, like we have a whole orchard around us, so we even run it, so it’s like cool to have no one around us, but a bunch of motivated kids come in and have fun and practice.” That balance between hard work and fun is part of what makes Orchard Ridge feel different from other places he has been.

His life outside wrestling is just as unique. He grew up around an orchard farm, and while he jokes that he does not run the whole thing, he knows enough to be useful. “I could like pick out which apple is which and everything,” he said. “I help grade them sometimes and drive the forklift.” He even explained what grading apples means: “You pick out the good ones and the bad ones, like ones that are big enough to actually sell, like the smaller ones and the not as ripe ones go as cider, and then the better ones are the ones we actually sell.” Most of the apples are sold through a shop near the farm, while some go to different stores. That kind of environment has clearly shaped his discipline. It keeps him around work, responsibility, and routine every day.

Deputy also talked about how the orchard life affects the way his family and training group stay connected. “There’s no like really anything else to do, so it’s a lot of just us and our family just doing stuff with it,” he said. “We play pickleball as a family. We play ping pong as a family. We have a pool, so we swim together.” He added that other kids often stay at the house for a few days when they come train, which helps build the bond within the room. “It’s cool to have other kids at our house to come and train and also play this stuff with us.” That kind of atmosphere is part of why he seems so grounded despite all the success.

When asked what he does outside of wrestling, he gave a few answers that fit his low-key personality. “I actually went golfing today,” he said. “I play pickleball. We got a pickleball court in our house, so those are two things that I do.” When asked about his golf game, he laughed and admitted, “Not very good. I’m good sometimes.” That honesty fits him. He does not try to make himself sound perfect. He is comfortable saying he is still figuring things out, even in hobbies. It also shows that he still has room to grow in life away from the mat, not just on it.

His wrestling style, though, is already very clear. Deputy said he is “dynamic and relentless.” He added, “I don’t just attack from one position. I can attack from multiple positions. My hand fight is dynamic, and I just relentlessly move forward, put pressure in you, and keep attacking.” That style has helped him win matches in dramatic fashion, including a comeback where he was down 4-0 with 30 seconds left and still found a way to score two takedowns and win. Even in those moments, he is thinking about the positions and what he can do better. “Dang, I could have got this leg right there,” he said with a laugh when talking about watching film. “It’s all a learning experience.” That kind of self-review is what keeps him improving.

Faith is another major piece of his identity. Deputy said his Christian faith, and specifically his relationship with God, gives him confidence before he steps on the mat. “Church and knowing that I have God every match I wrestle… that’s a confidence booster,” he said. “It’s obviously our number one.” He also pointed to John 3:16 as his favorite Bible verse, saying it reminds him of the bigger picture and the importance of salvation. That faith helps keep him centered when expectations rise. He knows wrestling is important, but he also knows it does not define him.

Now that he has made the world team, Deputy is looking ahead to Azerbaijan with excitement and focus. He said he knows the opportunity is big, but he wants to keep the same approach that got him here. “I think obviously watching some of those guys and seeing what they’re doing and then taking that in, but mostly just focusing on myself and focusing on what I do best,” he said. That mindset will matter on the world stage, where every match will bring new styles, new pressure, and new challenges. After the world championships, he already expects to shift back into folkstyle season and continue chasing titles at events like Super 32. For Kooper Deputy, the goal is not just to have one great tournament. It is to keep building a career that keeps growing every time he steps on the mat.