PORT ALLEGANY — Port Allegany senior Miska Young has dominated on both the football field and wrestling mat during his high school career, and he has the accolades to back it up.
He has earned all-state honors in football and is a two-time state qualifier in wrestling, as well as earning numerous league and District 9 honors.
Young is going to take all of the attributes that helped him excel in both and parlay them into a college career in a different sport — rugby.
He recently committed to St. Bonaventure, where he will join one of the nation’s top rugby programs.
“Basically my dad grew up in Clearfield and landed on a rugby team there out of high school,” Young said. “He played a lot in chiropractic school. He told me a lot and I watched it and got to know it through him.”
His dad is Dr. Andrew Young, a chiropractor in Port Allegany, where Miska grew up along with his mom, Ink and brother, Juuso.
With no rugby programs in the area, Miska has relied on the knowledge of the sport taught to him by his father, as well as many of the skills he developed on the field and mat.
He certainly got the attention of the St. Bonaventure staff, led by head coach Andrew Tui Osborne.
With no rugby playing experience to fall back on, the coaches at St. Bonaventure studied Young’s football and wrestling film, and liked what they saw.
“Bonaventure has a really good program and is only a half hour away,” Young said. “I got an opportunity to meet with the coaches and at first I was really nervous. Obviously we don’t have any programs for rugby, so I sent them football and wrestling film. I told them I know I can do this, I’m familiar with the sport and I can compete and be a part of the team.”
The coaching staff for the Bonnies agreed.
“The coaching staff is amazing,” Young said. “They are great people and they were very inviting and open. They showed me a practice and walked me around the facilities. It’s just a great family environment.”
Young feels the skills developed in football and wrestling will help him as he makes the transition to rugby.
“I think it definitely translates over and helps a lot,” Young said. “My wrestling and football background helps a ton. It makes it a little bit easier of a transition.I feel like the skills I acquired will help me as I continue to learn the game.”
And the coaching staff has a vision for him.
“With rugby, they have a forward pack and back pack,” Young said. “The forward pack is mostly bigger guys. They still get to touch the ball, which is kind of nice. I think with my build I’ll probably be in the forward pack.”
He will be joining a St. Bonaventure program that is one of the best in the nation.
Division 1 rugby is governed by National Collegiate Rugby. The Bonnies beat Brown in the national semifinals last season before falling to Notre Dame College in the national championship game.
Young and the Bonnies are a perfect fit, as they both operate with the game, businesslike approach.
“One of the big appeals to it is they are very businesslike,” Young said. “The guys are committed to the program, committed to one another. I knew a couple of the guys who went to the school on the team and they had nothing but good things to say. They are my type of people.”
As far as his academic future, Young plans to follow in his father’s footsteps.
“I’m going to major in Health Science and the plan is to go to chiropractic school after that,” Young said.
Young is excited about his future, and also thankful for those that have helped get him to where he is today.
“I’ve learned to give everything your all and don’t take it for granted, because you don’t have a ton of time,” Young said. “Savor it and work as hard as you can. I want to thank all of my coaches, faculty and administration for the support I’ve gotten for everything.”
