It's very common in scholastic sports to see a younger brother follow in the footsteps of his older brother.

In the case of the Walters brothers of Greater Latrobe, it's just the opposite.

"Ryan showed an interest in wrestling before Joey," Latrobe coach Marc Billett said. "It's unusual to see the younger brother begin first."

Ryan Walters, a junior, first discovered wrestling while attending first grade.

"One of my friends wanted to try wrestling and talked me into joining him," Ryan Walters said. "It looked like fun, so I decided to give it a try."

When it came time for the first practice, Joey Walters decided to join his brother.

"I just tagged along," said Joey Walters, a senior. "I didn't really have a choice because my parents weren't going to let me stay home by myself."

Both brothers found wrestling to their liking and soon became hooked on it.

"We've been wrestling for 10 years," Joey Walters said. "It's hard to believe that it's already my senior year."

Joey Walters broke into Latrobe's starting lineup as a 112-pound freshman. He placed second in Section 1-AAA and came within one win of a PIAA berth after finishing fourth in the WPIAL. He moved up to 119 for his sophomore season and claimed a section title, but finished fourth in the WPIAL again.

Last season, Walters moved up to 130 and claimed his second section title. He then qualified for the PIAA tournament by placing third in the WPIAL.

"It was such a relief to finally qualify," Walters said. "It was such an incredible experience to wrestle at Hershey. I didn't do as well as I had hoped, but it was an experience I'll never forget."

Joey Walters is hoping for a second trip to Hershey this year.

"There are a lot of tough kids in the WPIAL, so it's never easy to qualify," Walters said. "The experience I gained at Hershey last year will certainly help."

Joey Walters has a 5-1 record this season, while competing at 135 pounds. He takes a 98-27 career record into this weekend's King of the Mountain Tournament at Central Mountain High School.

"I like this tournament because it gives us a chance to face kids from the eastern half of the state," Walters said. "It's a taste of what you see at Hershey. The same is true at the Powerade Tournament."

Ryan Walters may have shown an interest in wrestling first, but had to wait one more year than his brother to make his varsity debut. He competed at 103 pounds as a freshman and placed second in the section and sixth in the WPIAL.

Last season, Ryan moved up to 112 pounds and placed third in the section. He then got a taste of what his brother experienced, as he finished fourth in the WPIAL, falling one win short of a PIAA berth.

"It was disappointing to come that close to qualifying and to fall short," Ryan Walters said. "I have been to Hershey twice as a spectator. My hope is to be a participant this time."

Ryan Walters has a 5-1 record this year while competing at 130 pounds. He has a 57-28 career record.

"They have different styles," Billett said. "Joey is more of a finesse wrestler, while Ryan is more of a brawler. But neither will shy away from strong competition.

"Both enjoy the challenge of competing in a strong tournament like King of the Mountain and Powerade."

Joey Walters is certified at 130 pounds and Ryan at 125. That means both could move down a weight class for the postseason tournaments, but both will probably stay where they are.

"Joey and Ryan come from a good family that has been super supportive to our program," Billett said. "[Parents] Bev and Joe are always willing to help with our boosters. In fact, Bev was the booster club treasurer until this year."

Both brothers want to continue their wrestling careers in college. Joey Walters is close to making his choice.

"My hope if to attend West Point [U.S. Military Academy]," Joey Walters said. "I've already been accepted. I have a few more papers to sign to make it official. I will make my final decision in a week or so."