Reflections On State Wrestling

As I have had the opportunity to look back on last weekend's wrestling state championships I am just overwhelmed with the amount of stories and events that played out over the two day event.  Each and every competitor embarked on their own journey and it would take endless pages to tell each tale.  Yes we have highlighted our local state champion Cole Garbett but I just could not pass up an opportunity to share a few more experiences that came to fruition during the two day event.  I do have limited space so I chose one wrestler from each school to highlight.

I will begin with Grace senior Josie Newby.  Sometimes in life timing is everything.  That has been the case for Josie Newby.  The Newby family lives and breathes wrestling.  There was very little doubt that Josie’s brothers would be wrestlers but for much of Josie’s childhood girl wrestlers were more of a novelty.  Being a high school girl wrestler was not something that most girls wanted to do.  Those that did had to compete in the boys division.  In recent years so much has changed when it comes to girls wrestling.  It all began to take a turn for Josie during covid.  Her older brother and four time state champion wanted to get some wrestling workouts in but did not have a sparring partner until he convinced Josie to step in.  Remember that thing about timing?  It was about this same time that a real push began to take place to give girl wrestlers their own division where they would not have to compete against boys.  All of this happened just as Josie was hitting high school.  It was perfect timing to set Josie on a path to being one of the trailblazers for Grace girls wrestling.  She wasn't the first girl wrestler for Grace but she soon found herself along with others carrying the mantle.  As a junior Josie made it to the district championship match placing second and qualifying for state.  Unfortunately Josie got ill just before state.  Though she would recover it had enough of an impact on Josie that she even considered dropping out of the tournament.  The illness had affected Josie enough that she was weakened going into the tournament as a result Josie did not win a single match and was quickly eliminated.  For some a season ending in a way that you had no control over would discourage them from putting in the work again for fear it would just be taken away again.  Josie disregarded that fear and went right back to work.  In her senior and final year Josie once again made it to the district championship this time winning it and qualifying for state once again.  At state Josie wrestled her way through to the semi finals.  In her semi final match Josie was beaten in a close decision.  Once again Josie needed to bounce back which she did by not losing another match and placing third at state.  Josie’s smile as she received her medal on the podium is a true example of someone not caving to adversity.

Lukky Welker is a senior at North Gem and was the Cowboys only wrestler to qualify for state.  Lukky’s wrestling journey began years ago.  Like many young kids Lukky watched high school athletes compete in sports throughout his elementary years.  These young kids look up to the high school athletes and dream of the day when they can be the ones out competing on the mats.  The Barfuss brothers from Bancroft were among the older boys that Lukky looked up to when he was younger.  The Barfuss boys were accomplished wrestlers and a good example of what Lukky one day wanted to be.  Lukky’s biggest dream was to wrestle at state in the dome in Pocatello.  Lukky began to develop his skills and work towards that goal.  Unfortunately despite his best efforts year after year he came up short of qualifying for state.  Now in his senior year Lukky was down to his last shot.  Lukky made the move to the 150lb weight class and worked his way through the season.  At districts Lukky lost in the semi finals.  If he wanted to keep his dream alive he needed to win the third place match then challenge for true second.  Lukky dug deep and accomplished just that and for the first time qualified for state in his senior year.  At state, Lukky won his first match of the tournament and accomplished his goal of wrestling in the dome.  Lukky went on to lose his next two matches and was eliminated but nobody will ever be able to take from him the fact that he was a state qualifier and he wrestled and won in the dome.

The last story from state involves Elijah Dilworth.  Elijah has enjoyed a number of successes in his wrestling career.  A year ago Elijah placed second at the state tournament an impressive feat for a sophomore competing at one of the bigger weight classes.  This year competing at 190lbs Elijah has been one of the favorites all season long to win state.  After winning his third district title Elijah was well on his way to getting back to the championship bout.  In the state tournament Elijah won his first three matches by tech falls and major decisions easily making it back to the championship match.  His opponent was Gabriel Cox from New Plymouth.  Gabriel was standing square in the way of Elijah winning the state title that he had worked so hard for.  The fans expected an epic battle between these two titans.  They shook hands and the ref blew his whistle.  In shocking fashion Gabriel made a quick shot on Elijah catching him off guard.  The whole match lasted just twenty-four seconds and Elijah was pinned.  Weeks of hard work was over in a flash.  Understandably Elijah was distraught quickly leaving the mat following the handshake and jumping the fence holding back the general public.  Elijah’s teammate Cole Garbett was set to wrestle in the next bout but that match was waiting to start for the rest of the 190lb matches to end.  After a few minutes Elijah reemerged approaching Coach Garbett as he waited with Cole.  As someone who has raised three sons that are over six feet tall and two hundred pounds it is an emotional sight to see a young man as big as a grown adult fall into his coach's arms in heartbreak.  I don't know what was said between Elijah and his coaches but I can assure you there was nothing but pure love and support in that moment.  A few minutes later Elijah shared another embrace this time as he congratulated his newly crowned state champion teammate.  Elijah still has one more year to come back and compete once again for a state title. 

I am a huge Rocky film franchise fan so I will end with a quote from there.  “The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows.  It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there if you let it…But it ain’t about how hard ya hit it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”  Keep moving forward athletes you will never regret it.