My son Dalton started wrestling at 6. By 8 he disided it wasn't for him. Around the 8th graid he took it up again. Even though he didn't have much success in kids he went ahead and kept wrestling in high school. From his freshmen to his junior year he pretty much wrestled jv but getting enough varsity mathches in to be a three year letterman. Thing is he never won a single varsity match. I think most people would have given up but not him. One butt kickin after another for three years wasn't enough to make him quit. Now his senior year he becomes full time varsity. I would like to say he turnd it around but for the most part more the same. From the beginning to the city leage tournament he won 3 matches so when he had to wrestle the 4 seed we had no reason to think it would be any difrent. The match started about the same as alway but than something difrent happens in the third he hits the kid with a head lock and to our suprise he pins the kid. We thought befor the tournament if he could just get a win and fill that success would be great but now hes in the semi finals. He didn't win that one but did turn around and win the next to go for third. He ended up 4th but we couldn't have been any happier. He said when they lined up for the finals match and he heard his name anounced that it was amazing and it felt real good becouse it never hapend to him before. Unfortunatly on monday he was challanged and lost so he had to wrestle 170. When he got home from practice he was so dijected that he through his 4th place medal in the trash. He told me he had no reason to show up for reginals becouse he was just going to get his butt kicked so what was the point. I told him that no matter what happend he needed to finish what he started and that you just never know. At reaginals he looses his first match but win the next and again hes in the semi finals for the second week in a row with a chance to go to state. About twenty seconds into the match he hit a head lock and as the kids going to his back Im thinking with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throte oh my god he's going to state!! I dont think there was a dry eye in our part of the stand. you see dalton is the kind of kid that would give you shirt off his back and always want to please and always puts others before himself thats why I think every body had so many tears of joy for him becouse it couldn't have happend to a nicer kid thay all genualy love him. It was as if he won a gold medal in the Olimpics. That one moment will stay with him for the rest of his life and it just gose to show you that you dont have to win a championship for you to be a part of a special momment. Oh and by the way I dug his medal out of the trsh. Thats somthing no one can take from him.

One word - awesome!

Congrats! What wrestling is really about. Good luck to him in the future and thanks for the inspiration.

I 100% agree. Wrestling is a life lesson. Coach Prichard. FYI. This my 1st post ever on the forum. Watching young kids make it to state is a awesome feeling.

That is great and he should be proud. There are many stories of making it to State, and this is one of them that is very special. You are correct in saying that no one can take it away from him. Good luck at State.

My son is a senior this year and it is his first year on Varsity. He started the season 8-8 and after the break went 19-8. It has been amazing to see his growth as a wrestler. In the blood round, he was down 1-0 with about 5 seconds left, when he was able to hit a switch and win the match 2-1 and punch his ticket to state. I was mat side for the match and it is a memory I will share for the rest of my life to whoever will listen. I do not know what State will hold for him, but to me he has shown the heart of a wrestler and regardless of his win/lose record this weekend, I know wrestling has helped to form him into a fine young man. His experiences will serve him well, when he goes into the military this summer.