The Fab Five: HHS wrestlers headed to state
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Back in the early '90s, college basketball had the Fab Five with the Michigan Wolverines. Fast-forward two decades later to 2012, and Hillsboro High School has its own Fab Five … on the wrestling mats.
This past Saturday, senior Kaleb West (31-12), juniors Brandon Carter (34-5) and Conner Johnston (25-14) and sophomores Kordell Ford (40-3) and Dillon Hunick (35-14) all reached the highest level of their sport … earning a spot in the Division II OHSAA State Wrestling Championships this weekend in Columbus.
In the Goshen Districts this past weekend, Ford won the district title at 160 pounds, going 4-0, while Carter (106) and West (145) placed third and Johnston (170) and Hunick (138) placed fourth to stamp their ticket to the state tournament.
"After a disappointing finish last season, it was nice to see Carter qualify," Hillsboro wrestling coach Nathan Horne said. "We have big expectations of Carter, and he handles the pressure well."
Horne spoke about the other four qualifiers as well.
"Dillon, being only a sophomore, had a good district tournament, and he pinned a kid who he lost to handily earlier in the season to make it to the state tournament.
"Kaleb is a senior, has a lot of talent, and again, he had a good tournament. He beat a kid that was tough.
"Kordell has a load of talent. He's a district champion, and it is rare to be a district champion. It says something to be a district champion.
"Conner had some ups and downs all year. He had a knee that bothered him and had to wrestle up a weight … and has done well."
All five of the wrestlers have put in many hours, days, weeks, months and years of work to get their their current position as some of the best wrestlers in the state. Once they realized they were headed to the "holy grail" of high school amateur wrestling, each wrestler described that moment in their own way.
"The match to go (to state) … I was just hoping to make it," Carter said. "After last year … what went through my mind … I finally made it. All the hard work and dedication this year paid off."
"It was a relief when I realized I made it to state," West said. "All the hard work paid off."
"I didn't expect to go, so when I did, it was an amazing feeling," Johnston said. "It really didn't hit me until that night. It really makes me want to work even harder next year to go to the tournament again. I've gotten this far, so I want to see how much further I can take it."
"When I realized I made it … I was just really glad because I worked really hard for it," Ford said. "All that running, all those days I was sore has finally paid off."
"The kid I wrestled to go to state … it was crazy because I didn't know if I was going to win because he beat me before in the season," Hunick said. "I just got my head through it and wrestled my hardest."
Horne, who has coached multiple state qualifiers, looked back at the year his team had, as they placed second in the South Central Ohio League, second in the sectionals and second in the district, where three SCOL teams placed in the Top 5.
"We just had a heck of a day in the districts," Horne said. "We beat kids that beat us during the season and had a good tournament. We got second to Washington Court House in the league, sectionals and district, but we upset teams at the districts where we were the underdogs.
"We just had a good district tournament. As a coach, you see kids fold or rise to the occasion, and we had a lot of kids rise to the occasion, even the kids who didn't place … they beat kids who they lost to earlier in the year."
Each season, each wrestler goes through hours upon hours of hard work to get the very best out of their abilities, and the five Hillsboro wrestlers are no different. When the season starts, every wrestler who steps onto a mat has one goal … to achieve state status … and five from Hillsboro accomplished that goal.
"I did think I could make it to state, and it's been my goal my entire high school career," Carter said. "I didn't know how tough it was going to be because it definitely was not easy."
"I knew I could do it," West said. "It was a goal of mine. What stands out for me this season isn't really a win, but a loss. I got tech falled, and that made me want to work harder and get better because I got beat pretty good, so I thought I should get better. It made me work harder."
"Ever since I started wrestling, it has been a dream, a goal, to get on the state qualifier board with all the other past wrestlers from Hillsboro," Johnston said. "I didn't think it would really come together until next year, but I worked hard, wrestled my hardest … and it was a shock, and it was great."
"I kept making it to state in the back of my mind through every practice," Ford said. "Throughout lifting all summer, all I wanted was to qualify for state. I hope and pray I place this year, but it's definitely something I work toward, and I'm proud of the ones who made it. Proud of all the hard work we put into it."
"I had it in my mind to make it to state. I tried my hardest in practice and ran as hard as I could," Hunick said. "Having everyone else pushing me in practice … I had it in my head, looking at the state placers and qualifiers in our practice room, made me want to make it so bad."
The "board" the five spoke about is a wooden board, cut into the shape of Ohio, with every member of the Hillsboro wrestling family that has qualified for the state tournament. In all, 37 wrestlers have previously had their name painted in red on the now two boards. Of those 37 wrestlers, 11 have placed at the state tournament.
Another aspect of the sport is practice, and even more practice, as the student-athletes craft and hone their skill set for many hours in a red-and-white painted room, every inch covered with wrestling mats inside the Cassner Building, the building which sits atop the entrance of Richards Memorial Field.
"We put in a lot of work year-round," Johnston said. "It's a never-ending season … we lift weights. We run hard all season, and we even practice harder. To have a team that gets second in district … we owe that to the team as a whole because we all are working hard, pushing each other every day."
[[In-content Ad]]"The best way I can describe it … It's not just a sport, it's a lifestyle," Carter said.
"You have to work hard in practice, and you have to work hard in the match because as our coaches tell us, 'You are going to have to win a one-point match if you want to qualify for state, and you are going to have to win a one-point match if you want to place at state,'" Ford said.
"It's going to take a lot of hard work and effort just to make it to state," Hunick said.
"It's a sport that not a lot of people do, or can do," West said. "We put in a lot of time, and I know a lot of other sports put in a lot of time, but we put in more with cutting weight."
Horne said all the hard work and the results gained with five wrestlers making it to the state level is a positive for the entire program and even the SCOL itself.
"It's exciting … the kids are excited about it, and we have a lot of kids coming back," Horne said. "The league is tough with Washington and Miami Trace each having five kids make it to state. We have a good wrestling league, we really do.
"Fan-wise, I don't know if it is the most popular sport, but we really do have a good league. We had three of the Top 5 in the district among 40-plus schools … our kids wrestle in a good league."
With some, not all, of the hard work out of the way, the wrestlers realize the stage they are set to take on Thursday … and they are going to enjoy certain aspects, as some have witnessed the event from the stands in previous years.
"I'm looking forward to the crowd," Carter said. "Looking up … the nerves rushing through my body. Looking up at a crowd that I never experienced in my life."
"It will be a great experience, knowing we are among the Top 16 in the state in our weight," Johnston said. "Knowing we are down there on the mat with the best state, being one of the best in the state, it's an accomplishment you can't get from anything else. I can't wait to compete at that level."
"I'm also looking forward to the crowd. I'm looking forward to the intense matches and seeing what I can do," Ford said.
"None of us have made it to the high school state … so to be a part of it, after seeing it from the stands, seeing the crowd from the mats will be different," Hunick said.
"It's going to be pretty crazy … walking out of the tunnel, seeing all the people," West said. "I'm looking forward to it."
Not only are they looking forward to the crowd and the experience, but now they are in the same spot as wrestlers they looked up to when they were younger.
"Watching the guys who we looked up to as we were younger, seeing them and imagining … wow …. what would it be like to be one of the legends down there, and that set the pace for us qualifying this year," Johnston said. "We wanted to be those guys, going to watch those matches and seeing all the glory they get from wrestling. That's what motivates us to qualify for state."
So as they prepare for the biggest moment of their wrestling careers, the five qualifiers thought about exactly why they work and put in all the time to be wrestlers.
"Cutting the weight … though hard, was definitely worth it to make it to state," Carter said as he dropped to a lower weight class this season. "I don't know if I could have made it in the weight class above, so it was a huge accomplishment for me to cut the weight and to be ranked higher at the lower weight … I have a better chance to become another Hillsboro wrestling legend, and that motivates me."
"Honestly … to wrestle, it is something in our mindset because you have to be crazy to do this sport," Johnston said. "In turn, when you put in all that hard work all year round, there is nothing that gives you a greater sense of accomplishment than putting in all that hard work and getting results from it."
"What has kept me in it the most is my stepdad (Ben Brewer)," Ford said. "He was a good wrestler and always wrestled throughout his high school life. He keeps me motivated, and I've always wanted to go to state and be what he brought me up to be. Wrestling is a challenge, and I like a challenge."
"I should have made it to state last year, but I lost my first match in district," West said. "I was really hoping to make it this year, and it felt good that I did because it would be disappointing not to make it once in four years."
Hunick also spoke about what this moment and time means to him.
"I'm just thinking about college and how wrestling is a way for me to get a scholarship," he said. "Also, I think about my brother … him being there, watching me make it to state, it was the greatest feeling in the world."
Johnston took a final look before the state championships.
"We wouldn't be this far without each other," he said. "We couldn't be here without everyone on our team and our coaches. They got us through the season strong and are still coaching us. I'm ready to get out there to see what it's like to compete with the best of the best."
The Division II State Wrestling Championships will be a three-day event in Columbus at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of The Ohio State University starting on Thursday, March 1.
This past Saturday, senior Kaleb West (31-12), juniors Brandon Carter (34-5) and Conner Johnston (25-14) and sophomores Kordell Ford (40-3) and Dillon Hunick (35-14) all reached the highest level of their sport … earning a spot in the Division II OHSAA State Wrestling Championships this weekend in Columbus.
In the Goshen Districts this past weekend, Ford won the district title at 160 pounds, going 4-0, while Carter (106) and West (145) placed third and Johnston (170) and Hunick (138) placed fourth to stamp their ticket to the state tournament.
"After a disappointing finish last season, it was nice to see Carter qualify," Hillsboro wrestling coach Nathan Horne said. "We have big expectations of Carter, and he handles the pressure well."
Horne spoke about the other four qualifiers as well.
"Dillon, being only a sophomore, had a good district tournament, and he pinned a kid who he lost to handily earlier in the season to make it to the state tournament.
"Kaleb is a senior, has a lot of talent, and again, he had a good tournament. He beat a kid that was tough.
"Kordell has a load of talent. He's a district champion, and it is rare to be a district champion. It says something to be a district champion.
"Conner had some ups and downs all year. He had a knee that bothered him and had to wrestle up a weight … and has done well."
All five of the wrestlers have put in many hours, days, weeks, months and years of work to get their their current position as some of the best wrestlers in the state. Once they realized they were headed to the "holy grail" of high school amateur wrestling, each wrestler described that moment in their own way.
"The match to go (to state) … I was just hoping to make it," Carter said. "After last year … what went through my mind … I finally made it. All the hard work and dedication this year paid off."
"It was a relief when I realized I made it to state," West said. "All the hard work paid off."
"I didn't expect to go, so when I did, it was an amazing feeling," Johnston said. "It really didn't hit me until that night. It really makes me want to work even harder next year to go to the tournament again. I've gotten this far, so I want to see how much further I can take it."
"When I realized I made it … I was just really glad because I worked really hard for it," Ford said. "All that running, all those days I was sore has finally paid off."
"The kid I wrestled to go to state … it was crazy because I didn't know if I was going to win because he beat me before in the season," Hunick said. "I just got my head through it and wrestled my hardest."
Horne, who has coached multiple state qualifiers, looked back at the year his team had, as they placed second in the South Central Ohio League, second in the sectionals and second in the district, where three SCOL teams placed in the Top 5.
"We just had a heck of a day in the districts," Horne said. "We beat kids that beat us during the season and had a good tournament. We got second to Washington Court House in the league, sectionals and district, but we upset teams at the districts where we were the underdogs.
"We just had a good district tournament. As a coach, you see kids fold or rise to the occasion, and we had a lot of kids rise to the occasion, even the kids who didn't place … they beat kids who they lost to earlier in the year."
Each season, each wrestler goes through hours upon hours of hard work to get the very best out of their abilities, and the five Hillsboro wrestlers are no different. When the season starts, every wrestler who steps onto a mat has one goal … to achieve state status … and five from Hillsboro accomplished that goal.
"I did think I could make it to state, and it's been my goal my entire high school career," Carter said. "I didn't know how tough it was going to be because it definitely was not easy."
"I knew I could do it," West said. "It was a goal of mine. What stands out for me this season isn't really a win, but a loss. I got tech falled, and that made me want to work harder and get better because I got beat pretty good, so I thought I should get better. It made me work harder."
"Ever since I started wrestling, it has been a dream, a goal, to get on the state qualifier board with all the other past wrestlers from Hillsboro," Johnston said. "I didn't think it would really come together until next year, but I worked hard, wrestled my hardest … and it was a shock, and it was great."
"I kept making it to state in the back of my mind through every practice," Ford said. "Throughout lifting all summer, all I wanted was to qualify for state. I hope and pray I place this year, but it's definitely something I work toward, and I'm proud of the ones who made it. Proud of all the hard work we put into it."
"I had it in my mind to make it to state. I tried my hardest in practice and ran as hard as I could," Hunick said. "Having everyone else pushing me in practice … I had it in my head, looking at the state placers and qualifiers in our practice room, made me want to make it so bad."
The "board" the five spoke about is a wooden board, cut into the shape of Ohio, with every member of the Hillsboro wrestling family that has qualified for the state tournament. In all, 37 wrestlers have previously had their name painted in red on the now two boards. Of those 37 wrestlers, 11 have placed at the state tournament.
Another aspect of the sport is practice, and even more practice, as the student-athletes craft and hone their skill set for many hours in a red-and-white painted room, every inch covered with wrestling mats inside the Cassner Building, the building which sits atop the entrance of Richards Memorial Field.
"We put in a lot of work year-round," Johnston said. "It's a never-ending season … we lift weights. We run hard all season, and we even practice harder. To have a team that gets second in district … we owe that to the team as a whole because we all are working hard, pushing each other every day."
[[In-content Ad]]"The best way I can describe it … It's not just a sport, it's a lifestyle," Carter said.
"You have to work hard in practice, and you have to work hard in the match because as our coaches tell us, 'You are going to have to win a one-point match if you want to qualify for state, and you are going to have to win a one-point match if you want to place at state,'" Ford said.
"It's going to take a lot of hard work and effort just to make it to state," Hunick said.
"It's a sport that not a lot of people do, or can do," West said. "We put in a lot of time, and I know a lot of other sports put in a lot of time, but we put in more with cutting weight."
Horne said all the hard work and the results gained with five wrestlers making it to the state level is a positive for the entire program and even the SCOL itself.
"It's exciting … the kids are excited about it, and we have a lot of kids coming back," Horne said. "The league is tough with Washington and Miami Trace each having five kids make it to state. We have a good wrestling league, we really do.
"Fan-wise, I don't know if it is the most popular sport, but we really do have a good league. We had three of the Top 5 in the district among 40-plus schools … our kids wrestle in a good league."
With some, not all, of the hard work out of the way, the wrestlers realize the stage they are set to take on Thursday … and they are going to enjoy certain aspects, as some have witnessed the event from the stands in previous years.
"I'm looking forward to the crowd," Carter said. "Looking up … the nerves rushing through my body. Looking up at a crowd that I never experienced in my life."
"It will be a great experience, knowing we are among the Top 16 in the state in our weight," Johnston said. "Knowing we are down there on the mat with the best state, being one of the best in the state, it's an accomplishment you can't get from anything else. I can't wait to compete at that level."
"I'm also looking forward to the crowd. I'm looking forward to the intense matches and seeing what I can do," Ford said.
"None of us have made it to the high school state … so to be a part of it, after seeing it from the stands, seeing the crowd from the mats will be different," Hunick said.
"It's going to be pretty crazy … walking out of the tunnel, seeing all the people," West said. "I'm looking forward to it."
Not only are they looking forward to the crowd and the experience, but now they are in the same spot as wrestlers they looked up to when they were younger.
"Watching the guys who we looked up to as we were younger, seeing them and imagining … wow …. what would it be like to be one of the legends down there, and that set the pace for us qualifying this year," Johnston said. "We wanted to be those guys, going to watch those matches and seeing all the glory they get from wrestling. That's what motivates us to qualify for state."
So as they prepare for the biggest moment of their wrestling careers, the five qualifiers thought about exactly why they work and put in all the time to be wrestlers.
"Cutting the weight … though hard, was definitely worth it to make it to state," Carter said as he dropped to a lower weight class this season. "I don't know if I could have made it in the weight class above, so it was a huge accomplishment for me to cut the weight and to be ranked higher at the lower weight … I have a better chance to become another Hillsboro wrestling legend, and that motivates me."
"Honestly … to wrestle, it is something in our mindset because you have to be crazy to do this sport," Johnston said. "In turn, when you put in all that hard work all year round, there is nothing that gives you a greater sense of accomplishment than putting in all that hard work and getting results from it."
"What has kept me in it the most is my stepdad (Ben Brewer)," Ford said. "He was a good wrestler and always wrestled throughout his high school life. He keeps me motivated, and I've always wanted to go to state and be what he brought me up to be. Wrestling is a challenge, and I like a challenge."
"I should have made it to state last year, but I lost my first match in district," West said. "I was really hoping to make it this year, and it felt good that I did because it would be disappointing not to make it once in four years."
Hunick also spoke about what this moment and time means to him.
"I'm just thinking about college and how wrestling is a way for me to get a scholarship," he said. "Also, I think about my brother … him being there, watching me make it to state, it was the greatest feeling in the world."
Johnston took a final look before the state championships.
"We wouldn't be this far without each other," he said. "We couldn't be here without everyone on our team and our coaches. They got us through the season strong and are still coaching us. I'm ready to get out there to see what it's like to compete with the best of the best."
The Division II State Wrestling Championships will be a three-day event in Columbus at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of The Ohio State University starting on Thursday, March 1.