Y2CJ41 Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 By STEVE KRAH stvkrh905@gmail.com Kenny Kerrn turned heads during his senior football season at Jimtown High School. He is hoping to do more of the same in his final prep wrestling campaign for the Jimmies. He ranks No. 2 in the 2016-17 Indiana Mat preseason rankings at 152 pounds. “There’s a lot of high expectations for me this year and a big part of that is because of my dad,” Kenny Kerrn said of Mark Kerrn, the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Famer. “He’s such a respected coach in the state. I’m kind of just in awe of seeing my name ranked second in the state. It makes me want to go in everyday and work as hard as I can and get that title under my name.” And his fall sport has definitely contributed to his winter sport and vice versa for the teen. “Wrestling helps me with football and football helps me with wrestling,” Kenny Kerrn said. “It’s a good balance.” As a running back for a 7-5 team that was a sectional finalist, Kenny toted the football 261 times for 1,563 yards and 26 touchdowns in the fall. In game against Concord, he set single-game school records for carries (38), yards (320) and points scored (32). Learning wrestling from a young age from his father and other talented coaches and JHS wrestlers, Kenny enjoyed a breakout season in the circle as a junior. A 2015-16 campaign which culminated with a seventh-place finish at 145 at the Indiana High School Athletic Association State Finals included a 45-6 record (he is 96-28 for this first three high school seasons). Along the way, the young Kerrn won titles at the prestigious Al Smith Classic at Mishawaka as well as in the Northern Indiana Conference, Elkhart Sectional and Goshen Regional. He was a runner-up at the Fort Wayne Semistate. As a team, Jimtown went 21-2 with a sectional title and runner-up finishes in the conference and the Class 2A division of the IHSWCA State Duals (the Jimmies are slated to compete in the meet again Dec. 23 at Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne). Mark Kerrn was named NIC Coach of the Year. Several of Kenny Kerrn’s wrestling teammates were also his mates on the football field. “It’s kind of fun to see how they act in one and another,” Kenny Kerrn said. While both sports are physically-demanding, the Jimmie senior who is exploring different college options that could include some combination of football, wrestling or track sees a contrast. “It’s totally different atmosphere,” Kenny Kerrn said. “Somedays in the wrestling room are just intense. It’s something you would never see on the football field. (Wrestling) can be hard-nose, just going non-stop for two hours. In football, there’s a little bit more of the learning aspect. “Coaches will stand you up and teach you the things you need to know for football. (In wrestling), it’s all hands-on and you’ve just got to drill.” Kenny Kerrn (@KennyKerrn on Twitter) explained the difference between being “wrestling shape” and for other sports, including his third prep sport (track). “You can go run seven miles everyday if you want to and still not in wrestling shape because you haven’t been down in your stance, feeling that burn in your legs. It’s a totally different thing.” Of course, there are parallels to the mat and the gridiron. “People talk all the time about how if you need help with tackle form, it’s just a double-leg takedown,” Kenny Kerrn said. “It really is if you think about it. A text-book tackle (in football) is really a blast-double for wrestling. “And keeping your head up (in wrestling) in just as important as it is on the football field.” Stay low and keep your feet moving is good advice in both sports. “You want that low center of gravity, keep you feet moving and explode out,” Kenny Kerrn said. “Running backs in college and the pros are explosive. They find a whole and explode. You look at the best wrestlers in the Olympics and stuff and they are staying low to the ground and they are exploding out when they’re taking shots.” Mark Kerrn, who is also a longtime Jimtown football assistant coach as well as being in his 25th season as head wrestling coach, said he can cite example after example of pro football players who wrestled and learned lessons that transferred well from the mat to the gridiron — things like balance as well as physical mental toughness. “Guys who wrestle aren’t afraid tote the rock or be a receiver or a quarterback — that limelight guy — because they have no fear of losing,” Mark Kerrn said. “Because there’s a chance that every time they go out on the mat they are going to lose by themselves and have nobody else to blame but themselves.” That being said, there was a brotherhood displayed during the football season that has carried over into wrestling. “We had one of the closest group of seniors (in football),” Mark Kerrn said. “And that’s carried over.” And there’s been “proud dad” moments all along the way as father has watched son. “It’s really been special watching him go from that 4-year-old bouncing around on the mat, jumping on people and not being able to take a stance then year by year getting better and better and better,” Mark Kerrn said. “He’s always been a competitor. But it really snapped last year. Something kicked in and he started doing some really great things.” The Kerrns and the Jimmies are hoping to get even more kicks this last go-round together. Click here to view the article Jimtown 138 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimtown 138 Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Hey, I know these guys! They're pretty cool... Good luck this season fellas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleb Spires Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 (edited) Kenny's huge jump was very fun to watch last year. One of the biggest surprises of the season. Would love to see him get the title this time around. Best of luck and to him and the rest of the Jimmies! Edited November 15, 2016 by Caleb Spires Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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