With his headphones firmly in place, Kai Clark was in perpetual motion as he prepared for his 152-pound bout against Pleasant Valley to begin.

To watch him pace, like a tiger ready to be sprung from its cage, the observer may wonder if he’s expending too much energy before his match gets underway.

But Clark, who is 12-3 on the season, said that it’s simply part of his prematch routine.

“I just like to pace myself to get myself in the mood so I can go out there and just dominate,” said Clark. “That’s what’s in my head the whole time. I just want to go out there, score as many points as I can, and just keep working at it.”

Part of getting in that mood includes his playlist which helps motivate him once he steps inside that circle. And while it’s pretty safe to assume that his playlist didn’t include Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s 1970s classic “Takin’ Care of Business,” that’s what he certainly did as he pinned James Syracuse in 1:28.

He was part of a Whitehall squad that registered six falls en route to their 49-26 win over the Bears In EPC action. The win lifts the Zephyrs record to 5-4 on the season. They followed that by going 5-0 at the Lehighton Indian Duals on Saturday.

Clark’s success this season has been the product of his relentless pursuit of his opponent, something he did against Syracuse as he warded off a potential takedown before clamping the Indian with a tight upper body tilt to get the pin.

In that pursuit, he’s not afraid to expose his back during a scramble as he looks to gain the advantage on his feet. It’s a strategy that works for him.

“I put myself in awkward positions, and I learn from it,” said Clark. “I put myself in those situations so I learn how to get out of it, and figure out how to score points off of it.”

He said that learning process will prepare him for matches down the road when he’s thrust into those situations. For now, he’s focusing on his next match as he looks to continue his stellar season.

“Just going out there and giving it my all every match,” said Clark. “You just got to go out there and you have to want it.”

Head coach Tim Cunningham said that Clark feels comfortable almost anywhere, or any position. He said that while it’s something he brings to the mat, he needs to be judicious with it when he goes against elite competition.

Clark battled injuries last year, missing most of the season. This year his goal is to make it to the regional round of the PIAA 3A Individual Wrestling Tournament. He also entertains the notion of making it to states, something that would be an amazing achievement in wrestling-rich District XI.

Whitehall was strong on its feet against Pleasant Valley. At 114, Johnny Colon employed a take-‘em-down, let-‘em-up strategy as he recorded a 23-8 technical fall over Logan Segeda.

Aiden Toussaint also demonstrated his strength on his feet as he got a 14-4 major decision over Dillon Anderson at 138.

Josh Grol did the same in his bout against Gentry Knapp, using a combination of takedown and back points to earn the 19-7 major decision.

Cunningham said that they’re working a lot on their feet in different positions, and telling them to have “a go-to concept in scoring points.” That will aid them in their matches regardless of the result.

“It’s not about winning or losing; we’re telling them don’t worry about what the score is constantly, all you have to worry about is scoring more points,” said Cunningham.

He wants that attitude through three periods, and if they focus on that aspect, the rest will take care of itself. It paid off against Pleasant Valley.

“All our guys went out there and did that tonight,” said Cunningham.

The Zephs rebounded from an early deficit to get the league win, riding a dominant stretch that saw them reel off seven straight wins starting with Izak Bright’s fall at 285 against Braden Burlew in 1:00.

Cunningham said that the wrestlers in their upper weights are coming into the room every day and working to get better. He said the focus has been to get better every day, and that’s been the message since day one.

“It’s not about winning and losing, it’s about making improvements,” said Cunningham.