The future is looking bright for Willard senior Brady Griffin.
“Brady could possibly become the second four-time state medalist in school history, provided we get a state medal,” said Willard Head Wrestling Coach Jeff Davis.
But it is the past adventures that stick out the most for the Willard senior.
“My sophomore year in the state quarterfinals, I relive that match quite a bit. I lost that one,” Griffin said.
Not all adventures were losses, rather they were an exciting part of his wrestling journey.
“So there’s been a couple of opportunities, like Fargo [South Dakota] this Summer,” Griffin said. “I’ve been invited on Missouri’s national dual team to go down to Florida and wrestle for the scholastic duels. I’ve done that the past couple years and then there’s just certain tournaments that you can go to in the offseason.”
From Florida to Colorado…wrestling has taken him all over the country. Griffin and his mom have even started their own side quest.
“So her I think the first time we were in Ohio she was like ‘Brady we’re like 30 minutes away from this lake’ and I was right after weigh-ins, so I just gotten food and I was happy. I was like, ‘okay’. So then it just kind of started there.”
They have seen three of the five great lakes: Ontario, Erie and Michigan. It might have been more so his mom’s idea, but Brady lives in the present. He is not one to take things too seriously.
“He’s a dork,” Davis said.
Even right before matches.
“A lot of guys like like to pump themselves up…I just talk and like to goof around,” Griffin said.
Griffin is in the heaviest weight class (285 pounds), which is a transition he made his sophomore year.
“Made the jump to heavyweight and we were probably about 230 [pounds],” Davis said. “It was a rough transition for him, but he had that 190 [pound] style and he has kind of developed into a good heavyweight…He always carries a lunch box and he’s always eating nonstop. If he doesn’t, he’ll be down about 225 [pounds] to 200 [pounds] really quick.”
Griffin eats between 6,000 to 7,000 calories in a day. It is a part of his present and past that is shaping him for the long road.
“I would love to wrestle in college,” Griffin said.
“In college right now, having a good heavyweight it’s a very hot commodity,” Davis said. “It’s hard to find a good one.”
Before that can be done, Griffin still has his eyes on a state title, which is just a month away.
