Route 22 crash victim was a former Central Catholic football and wrestling standout

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FROM KEITH GROLLER

It is with great sadness to read about the accident last night on westbound Route 22 that took the life of Nate Warke, a former Central Catholic football player and wrestling standout.

Warke (pictured from high school days at right) was 34.

Our most sincerest condolences and prayers go out to his family and friends.

He was an outstanding offensive lineman and linebacker on several terrific CCHS football teams in the mid-1990s with his career stretching in between the Vikings' 1993 and 1998 state title teams.

"Nate was just a good, tough kid," said current Parkland coach and former CCHS coach Jim Morgans. "He worked hard. He was always in the weight room."

In his junior season, 1996, CCHS went 11-3 and lost to Berwick in the PIAA Eastern finals at Goodman Stadium.

During his senior season, 1997, the Vikings went 12-1, and won East Penn Conference and District 11 titles before losing to Manheim Central in the state tournament.

Warke's teammates in that golden era of CCHS football included new Wilson coach and former Penn Stater Matt Senneca and great RB Komlan Lonergan.

In wrestling, Warke was 22-6 and finished sixth in District 11 as a senior.

Warke played in the McDonald's Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic in June of 1998, playing on an offensive line that included future Super Bowl champion Dan Koppen from Whitehall.

He played at least one college football season at Merrimack and later was on a SportsFest flag football championship team in 2001.

Warke was an athlete of the week for our Neighbors section on Dec. 11, 1997.  I repeat my short story on him here as a tribute to a fine young person and athlete who left us way too soon:

NATE WARKE, CENTRAL CATHOLIC -- ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Most people consider football conditioning to be brutal.

Nate Warke says staying in solid wrestling shape is even harder.

It may be tough, but the hard work is paying off for Warke.

Last week, the Central Catholic senior was named to the East Penn Conference's All-Star squad as the first team center and also began his wrestling season sucessfully with a 12-second pin at heavyweight in a match against Emmaus.

"I prefer football over wrestling, but I'm excited about this wrestling season," Warke said. "When football ended, I took two days off and then came out for wrestling. I'm still not in great wrestling shape. It's a whole new conditioning program and it's definitely tougher than football."

Warke has moved up in weight class from 189 pounds where he was the District 11 runnerup last year, losing to Nazareth's Rob Rohn.

New CCHS wrestling coach Jeff Arbushities thinks Warke, who was 21-5 last year, will step up in more ways than one.

"Nate's a stud ... a great kid," Arbushities said. "He has worked very hard in the offseason and he's much bigger and stronger. He now has a bench press of 400 pounds. We expect him to have a very good season and come away with something at the end of the year."

Warke and 189-pounder Ed Strauss give CCHS two solid wrestlers at the bottom of the lineup.

Warke is hoping to play football in college, but would consider participating in wrestling as well.