HERSHEY - It was over sooner than they would have liked.

But it was an experience they’ll likely never forget.

Lehighton’s Aidan Gruber and Northern Lehigh’s Matt Frame saw their run at the PIAA Wrestling Championships come to an end on Friday morning.

Both first-time state qualifiers, Gruber and Frame each fell in the second round of consolations inside the Giant Center.

Frame lost a 6-3 decision to Saucon Valley’s Dante Mahaffey at 215 pounds, while Gruber was pinned by the Panthers’ Aiden Grogg in 4:51.

“I definitely gained a lot of experience for how big this place is, and just a better understanding of how everything works at the state level,” said Gruber. “Just how to wrestle, how to move; you have to mix it up, and can’t do the same thing over and over again.

“Losing, I just know that I’ll be back the next two years, ready to go. I’m going to work as hard as I can this summer, and just get better.”

Grogg got a takedown and three back points in the final 0:23 of the first period to build a 5-0 lead.

After an escape early in the second period, Gruber closed the gap to 6-2 with a takedown. Grogg pushed the advantage to 8-2 with a reversal in the final two seconds of the second period.

Gruber got another takedown with 1:20 left in the third period to make it 8-4.

But Grogg turned an escape and a takedown into a pin to finish the match.

Grogg pinned Gruber in the district final, and posted a 12-0 victory over him last week at regionals.

“I think he narrowed the gap a little bit. He got pinned by him the first time, the second time he got majored,” Indians’ coach Floyd Brown said of Gruber’s previous meetings with Grogg. “This time, if you take away the first period move that isn’t a high percentage move when he got five (points) on him, it’s a tight match. He definitely closed the gap. I think he was wrestling really well with him, and if you take that five-point move away, it’s within a point or two going into the third.

“At the end, he had to try something. But he wrestled well.”

Gruber was a district runner-up and fifth at regionals this season.

It was a stellar postseason for Gruber, who picked up a prelim win on Thursday.

“I’ve seen his confidence level increase after districts and regionals,” said Brown. “Even this match today, normally he has some nerves, but he was confident going in and just had a different mindset. I’ve seen him mature a little bit just in the last three weeks with that.

“It’s great for him to get here as a sophomore, feel the atmosphere, and then junior and senior year look for medals. Obviously, we wanted one this year. But he set the stage for next year, and think it makes him hungrier, getting here, getting a win, and know what he has to do in the offseason to get ready for next year.”

Gruber can’t wait to get started.

“I’m ready to go,” said Gruber. “I could wrestle all day. It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t make it any further, but I’m still ready to go for next season.”

While Gruber is eager for the next two seasons, Frame closed out his career with a stellar run to the state tournament.

“I haven’t been doing this sport for a very long time, and I never really expected to be here, so just getting here was an accomplishment,” said Frame. “I never go into it satisfied; obviously this wasn’t my goal. But it’s all right.”

After a scoreless first period, Frame got out off the whistle to take a 1-0 lead.

Mahaffey got the first takedown near the edge of the mat with 1:06 left in the second period to go ahead 2-1.

“I know where he likes to shoot,” said Frame. “You have to keep him off your leg, and I let him on and tried to flee the mat, but he kept his feet in. That happens to me a lot. It’s disappointing.”

Another takedown from Mahaffey made it 4-2 with 0:51 left in the second period.

Mahaffey used a reversal early in the third period to build a 6-2 advantage before Frame registered another escape with 1:34 remaining.

Mahaffey previously topped Frame 8-3 at districts, and 7-4 at regionals.

“It wasn’t a match-up that we didn’t want,” said Bulldogs’ coach Scott Snyder. “It’s difficult. They have history, obviously; it’s the third time they’ve met this season. “Matty did close the gap each time they’ve wrestled. We tried to game plan, based on what had worked in the past and what hadn’t. But you don’t know until you get out there and see what happens. Things change, and they know what to expect, too.”

Frame was third at districts and fifth at regionals after not wrestling last season.

“For a guy who wrestled for four years, and to get out here and make it to the second day, and not only qualify but get a win in Hershey and put himself in a position where he could possibly get on the podium, I’m very proud of him,” said Snyder. “I don’t think he has anything to hang his head about. He should hold his head up high and be happy when he reflects on his wrestling career.”

Frame will continue his football career at East Stroudsburg University.

He helped Northern Lehigh win a district title and advance to the state semifinals during the football season.

Regardless of the sport, Frame has provided a positive example to follow.

“Matt leads by example,” said Snyder. “He’s a pretty humble, quiet kind of guy so you don’t hear too much barking out of him. But you know just by watching him go out and wrestle, and watching him go out and play football, or just the way he conducts himself in the weight room or in the hallways at school, he’s a very humble, nice kid, and a good role model for the younger guys.

“With wrestling, just seeing what he did in the period of time he was here, I think that the underclassmen that we have, it should be a good last impression on them, and I’m hoping it was a little bit of motivation for them in the future to say, ‘I haven’t been wrestling that long either ... I have two or three years left, and I can do this.’”

WHAT’S NEXT

... The PWCA “AA Coach of the Year” will be held at 1:40 p.m. today, followed by the Parade of Champions at 1:45. The Finals, 3rd, 5th, and 7th-Place Consolations for 2A will take place at 2 p.m.