Bishop McCort wrestler Jax Forrest caps high school career early, sets sights on Oklahoma State

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Senior Jax Forrest capped his incredible high school wrestling career at Bishop McCort Catholic with a fourth consecutive title in the prestigious Powerade Tournament Tuesday in Canonsburg.

His next stop? Oklahoma State University – next week.

“Powerade was his last high school wrestling competition,” said Howard Forrest, Jax’s father and a former Bishop McCort wrestling coach.

“He is graduating (from Bishop McCort) early in January. He is finishing up one of his classes. He will be heading out to Oklahoma State on Sunday. He flies out there, and he’ll start practicing out there next Monday.”

This week has been a whirlwind to Jax Forrest, who became only the seventh four-time Powerade champion.

“It’s a lot of emotions, positive, and obviously some negative with leaving my teammates. That’s sad and hard to do,” Jax Forrest said during a telephone interview Wednesday. “But knowing that there’s a future coming and it’s something that no one’s really done before is exciting.

“I’ll have a whole lot of support from the coaches down there," he said. "They kept telling me how much better I’m going to get down there. From that aspect, I’m really excited. Obviously, these last couple of days are a lot of emotions of getting these last moments in with my best friends.”

Howard Forrest said his son, who is a two-time PIAA champion and a junior world champion, will have a few options in the upcoming college semester. The family will rely on the advice of Oklahoma State coach David Taylor, the former Penn State University and Olympic wrestler, as well as the Cowboys staff.

“We’re still not 100% sure of what he’s doing yet,” Howard Forrest said. “He’s going between either grayshirting, where he’s taking a couple classes at Oklahoma State and training with the RTC (regional training center), doing some international stuff, like ranking series tournaments.

“Or, he will redshirt and compete in – or use up – his five dates (permitted during a redshirt season),” Howard Forrest said. “That’s kind of where we are now.”

At Bishop McCort, Jax Forrest posted a 140-3 record, with a .979 winning percentage, according to statistics on PA-Wrestling.com.

The talented wrestler captured Class 2A titles at 127 pounds in District 6 and in the PIAA championships in 2023-24, and won district, Southwest Regional and state crowns at 133 pounds in 2024-25 as part of a Crimson Crushers lineup loaded with elite competitors.

This season, Forrest was 7-0 competing at 139 or 145 pounds.

“It’s amazing,” Bishop McCort wrestling coach Bill Bassett said. “This group of kids, I knew from the start, was going to do things and change the sport of wrestling. I don’t know if this has ever been done before, where he graduates early – the potential – who knows what could happen in the second semester?

“To us, it’s exciting. It’s one of those things where we would love to have all of these guys in the lineup, but I’m a player’s coach, and I’m about what’s best for the kids. This is best for Jax and his future. I’m all for it.”

Forrest won gold medals in both the U.S. National Championships and Pan American Championships this year, before earning the gold medal in the men’s 61-kilogram freestyle event in the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia.

Forrest also competed in the Senior World Championships.

The Forrest family moved to Johnstown from North Carolina 4 1/2 years ago, when Jax was in eighth grade, and his older sister enrolled at Mount Aloysius College to play soccer.

“We were looking to go somewhere in the Northeast for wrestling for Jax because he had bigger goals he wanted to reach,” Howard Forrest said. “Being in North Carolina made that harder to do. There were a lot more opportunities, availability of coaches and different programs to be able to do bigger stuff, especially on the freestyle level.

“We were originally from New York. We were looking between New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Pa. made the most sense.”

Jax Forrest appreciated his time in the region and being a part of a tight-knit wrestling community.

“The wrestling obviously is awesome, and that’s what everybody sees, the accolades,” Jax Forrest said. “But what I’m most grateful for is the experience I’ve had with these coaches, my family and my friends.

“McCort has done so much for me as a school, as a wrestling team and just Johnstown in general.”

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