Caleb Clymer never wrestles alone.

Every time he takes the mat, the Northwestern sophomore carries with him a legacy dotted with greatness.

Clymer’s brothers – Ben, Bobby and Scott – combined to win five District 11 individual championships from 2004-11. Ben and Scott, who finished their careers at Northwestern with a combined 280 wins, were also two-time regional champions and both won state titles.

That success has helped to shape Caleb, both on and off the mat.

“I got to experience that secondhand, just knowing how to be the best and what it takes to be the best,” he said of growing up watching his brothers wrestle. “With Ben and Scotty, working out almost everyday, coming home at night and running, trying to lose weight.

“It was just inspiring to me. I looked up to them, and I do so even more right now, especially with the success Ben had in college. It has helped me out so much, and watching them, I know what it takes to be the best.”

It didn’t take long for Caleb to carve his own path as a freshman, as he captured a District 11 title at 138-pounds and took second at the Southeast Regional tournament to advance to the PIAA Championships.

“As a freshman, it’s your first year and you expect to get beat up a little bit,” Caleb said of his outlook heading into last season. “But I just wanted to make it out to states. I didn’t care if I took fifth at districts, sixth at regionals and just barely got by.

“But as the season progressed and I took eighth at the Bethlehem Holiday Classic and was the first (Northwestern) freshman to place there, the goals got a little bit bigger, and I started to expect a little bit more.”

Though raw, Northwestern head coach Jim Moll knew immediately what Caleb was capable of.

“He is extremely motivated to be successful at wrestling. It’s fun to watch,” Moll remarked. “The kid wants to wrestle. He’s a scrapper and he wants to go. It’s a lot of fun.

“He’s a teenager, so sometimes he still needs that push. But he’s extremely motivated on his own.”

While certainly impressive, Caleb’s accomplishments came as no surprise to Ben, who ended his collegiate career at Hofstra University with a record of 97-39, two Colonial Athletic Association titles and three appearances in the NCAA Championships.

“He’s very fortunate. The entire family has been,” said Ben, who now coaches at Faith Christian Academy in Sellersville. “Scotty and I were fortunate that we had each other; and my dad (Scott) was a good teacher and disciplinarian and a great person to make sure you have the right mindset.”

Ben was on hand this past Saturday to watch Northwestern qualify for states with a second place finish in the District 11 Class AA team tournament.

Having been on the squad that took second at the PIAA team championships in 2007, it was a special experience for the elder Clymer.

“It’s awesome and it’s a credit to so many people that will never ask for it,” said Ben. “There are a ton of people that deserve so much credit so guys like me get to come back and see it continue, even when I’ve been at college, coaching at a new school, and haven’t been as invested in the team as a whole as much as my brothers have been.

“But I get to come back and enjoy a night like this because the coaches stayed diligent, stayed focused and the parents have continued to support the program.”

Bobby is Northwestern’s head junior high coach and an assistant for the varsity team, and Scott is frequently with the squad in the wrestling room.

Both work to make sure the future is bright at Northwestern, and both are resources Moll is thankful to have.

“They’re an awesome family, and it goes beyond wrestling,” he said. “To have them involved with the program. … they’re a wrestling family, and it’s just awesome to have them involved with what we’re doing.”