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Date: 12/23/2017 |
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| Michigan City | 63 |
| East Chicago Central | 18 |
MICHIGAN CITY — The day before Christmas Eve, the Michigan City wrestling team had 23 members on its roster in uniform and ready to compete in Saturday’s Michigan City Super Duals.
In the six-team meet, the Wolves won four out their five matches, which more than satisfied coach Roy Richards, who sees every opportunity on the mat as chance to build character and improve.
“It was a good day,” Richards said. “Being Christmas break and having 23 kids out is pretty cool. Most of these kids are from other sports that decided to join the wrestling team and make this a wrestling group. They’re a great group of kids.
“We wrestled some pretty decent competition today. There were teams we were able to handle and some teams we had to fight like heck to survive. Kids who are not our headliners came up with the big wins late against River Forest. That builds your character.”
City’s medalist on Saturday was heavyweight Oscar Potts, who went 5-0 on the day and scored pin fall in under 10 seconds in his final match of day against Jared Moore of Fairhaven.
“I'm trying to get five (pins under 10 seconds) before the end of the year,” said Potts, who also excelled with the City football team. “I’m going to get it before the year is done. I prepared on Monday and worked hard all week for today just to come out and give it my all. It pays off.
Potts, who wrestled last season but not in the postseason, said one of his goals is to advance far into the state playoffs.
“I try to make it far as I can in everything,” he said. “I played on great football team, so I’m trying to do the same for the wrestling team.”
Richards has nothing but praise for Potts for not only his athletic prowess but also is commitment to tasks that don’t show up on mat or in the book.
“He had a great football career, and it would be very easy to rest on that and not wrestle,” he said. “In fact, he came out and decided it wasn’t for him. But after two days away, he realized that it was his team and he wanted to finish.
“He’s my lifting partner when we tear down the mats. As soon as he got his pin, he ran right over and was my partner and helped his coach pick up the mats and take them upstairs.”
The Wolves' Nate Ware went 4-1 on the day with his only loss to Jonathan Wright of Fairhaven.
“He beat a kid from River Forest who is a man,” Richards said. “It was one of the big reasons why we pulled off that first match against River Forest.”
The winning team, Fairhaven, has had a wrestling program since the 1970s. An independent school which competed primarily against private and Christian schools, Fairhaven has toughened its schedule against public schools and turned some heads on Saturday.
Earning medals for Fairhaven were Robert Leake (152), Elisha Wright (160), and Jonathan Wright (170) — all going 5-0 on the day.
“These kids work really hard and they practice hard,” said Fairhaven coach Todd Wright, in his 32nd year coaching the program. “I have a really good group of kids. I told them if they work hard, it pays off.
Wright, who wrestled for Fairhaven himself and returned to coach the program after graduating college, is the father of Elisha and uncle of Jonathan.
“All the kids are dedicated and really love the sport,” Wright said. “They’ve grown up and turned the corner. It makes my job a lot easier.”
Richards said that Fairhaven’s performance on Saturday has assured them an invitation for next year’s Super Duals.
“It doesn’t benefit us to invite five teams that we can beat,” Richards said. “It meant a lot for us to invite someone who beat us in our own meet. Next year when we have this meet, they’ll be the first team we invite back. There’s a target on them, and that’s what competition is about.
“We’re tyring to get these guys to challenge themselves and be able to elevate their competition level. It’s nothing but good stuff.”
