Jeff Karam admits that he has trouble separating being a coach and father when it comes to coaching his son, Luke, on the wrestling mat.

The nerves are different and there's essentially more at stake, as a piece of him is on the mat as well. It's a scenario that many youth coaches may have been in, but it becomes a different moment when the spectacle is your son wrestling in the state championship.

Fortunately for the father and son tandem, they didn't have to worry that much during the PIAA 2A wrestling championships Saturday afternoon, as Luke captured his first state gold medal following a 5-0 victory over Jonathan Gabriel of Bedford in the 113-pound finals.

It was a special moment for the Karam's, as he subtly enjoyed one of his finer coaching moments of his life, watching his son win a PIAA state championship.

"To see how he's worked over the years and to become a young man and win this gold medal is a special moment," said Karam about his son. "He set that goal for himself ever since I put him in a wrestling room and it's a feeling I can't describe."

Karam's coaching staff also knows the difference when there's a Karam on the mat and one in the corner. That's why assistant coach Randy Cruz Sr. has been an integral part of Luke's development throughout his first two-years at Becahi.

Saturday, however, Luke didn't have Cruz in the corner, as he was watching his son, Darian, wrestle for Lehigh at the EIWA tournament.

"The bad part about today is that Randy wasn't able to make it," Karam said. "Randy is really close with Luke and they work out together a lot. Randy has been texting me non-stop all day for updates. I'm glad we got through it and it's a great feeling."

For Luke, the feeling was one full of emotion.

"Considering how close I came last year to winning, to finally get a gold medal is a really special moment," he said. "It's a lot more special to win this with my dad in my corner because he taught he how to wrestle ever since I was four-years-old. "My dad is always pushing me to become better. To see him in my corner and come away with a state title is a feeling I can't really describe."

Zeke Moisey may not be Jeff Karam's son, but you got the sense from the Becahi senior that Karam has become a second father figure to the West Virginia bound Moisey.

After settling for silver medals at Hershey the past two years, Moisey finally earned the coveted title he's been dreaming of ever since he was a little kid following his cautious 9-3 decision over Josh Giorgio of Schulykill Valley.

Moisey didn't want the sour taste of losing in the finals the past two years to be a focal point in his motivation, but he certainly didn't forget about it.

"Every year is a new year, but the silvers were definitely on my mind coming into this match," Moisey said. "I just wanted to get out there and get gold this year. I have nerves before every match, but I think that helps me. Seeing Randy Cruz take two silvers and then win gold his senior year definitely helped me get through that mentally before this match."

Saturday's wrestling coronation in Hershey marked a milestone in Luke Karam's budding career and cemented Moisey's tenure at Bethlehem Catholic. With freshman Jake Riegel (106) also winning a gold medal over the weekend, the future looks bright for the Hawks to continue crowning champions, one that Luke will certainly look forward to having his father in the corner.

For Moisey, he had his father help coach him in his corner during his gold medal bout, with Karam right by his side and he voiced his gratitude for a man that he'll never wrestle for again.

"I wouldn't want to wrestle for another team," said Moisey about his time at Becahi. "People say that coach Karam does not make us better wrestlers. People who say that are not in our room to see that he runs the hardest practices every single day. Kids like Joey Gould and Stephen Maloney would not be the wrestlers they are today without coach Karam. I wouldn't be the kind of wrestler I am today without him. He's the best coach in the state."

Karam shared similar sentiments for one of the most colorful wrestlers he's ever coached.

"Our wrestling room is such a special place and a lot of people don't know what goes in there," Karam said. "To see Zeke come in as a freshman and see how he matured over the years has been great. This year, Zeke was another coach on the team. He's been a role model for the kids and a leader in the room. He's surpassed our expectations and I've been blessed to have a kid like Zeke."