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Bigger and better: 3 years later, Davis makes state again
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Of the 224 boys wrestlers at this weekend’s IHSAA state finals, there might not be any whose history in the sport can quite compare to Rochester senior Wyatt Davis.
Davis made the state finals at 113 pounds as a freshman in 2022. He did not wrestle in the state tournament in 2023. He lost in the semistate ticket round at 150 pounds in 2024. And he made it back to state at 175 pounds this year.
And for the first time in three years, he will wrestle at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis against Terre Haute South’s Coy Bender at 6 p.m. today.
Davis is ranked No. 10, and Bender is No. 6, according to IndianaMat.com.
“It’s more special now because I’m a senior,” Davis said. “In my freshman year, it just didn’t hit me as hard, but now I know that these are the last matches of my career, and I’ve been wrestling since second grade, so it’s pretty special.”
Davis finished third at the East Chicago semistate and is 34-5 on the season. He used his “blast double,” a takedown move often executed immediately at the start of a match, and that led to a cradle and a pin over Harrison (West Lafayette)’s Tramel Quadhamer in 31 seconds in his first-round match at semistate.
Then came a 10-8 win over Lake Central’s Emilio Tirado in the ticket round. Tirado was a state qualifier at 165 last year, but Davis outlasted him.
Tirado was behind and tried to give Davis an escape to get him back on his feet in the third period, but Davis turned it into a reversal instead and got two points instead of one.
“He was a really strong kid,” Davis said. “I felt like his gameplan was to not let me get in on my shots because he wrestled really defensive. At the end of the first period, he dove down, which was pretty dumb, and I scored off that. And then throughout the rest of the match, it was kind of going back and forth, but I feel like I reversed him at the end when he was trying to cut me, and then he just laid there, and he pretty much gave up.”
Rochester coach Tristan Wilson said the win over Tirado reflected Davis’ desire.
“He’s a senior,” Wilson said. “The other kid was a senior. It was do or die. Like he had to win if he wanted to continue wrestling. And I don’t think Wyatt wanted to be done yet. So I’m really excited for him this weekend because I know he’s going to give it everything this first-round match.”
Davis then lost to New Prairie’s Hayden Whitenack 3-1 in the semifinals before bouncing back to pin Hammond Central’s Elijah Carter in 41 seconds in the third-place match with another “blast double.”
Davis has not only gained weight over the course of his career – in fact, he wrestled for a time this season at 190 before deciding to drop down to 175 – but has also gained a broader variety of offensive moves.
“I’m about 60 pounds bigger, so it’s a lot harder to move,” Davis said. “My freshman year, I had like one move. I’d dive in at the legs on my feet, and then I’d throw legs in. I still ride legs now, but I feel like my offense is more doubles and high crotches now. My offense has changed a lot.”
Davis was asked if the change in his offense is because he has gotten more experienced or because of his weight gain.
“I’ve known a lot of wrestling for most of my career, and I’ve had some really good coaches, but I feel like it’s just the weight gain,” Davis said. “I’m not as fast as I was when I was 100 pounds.”
Davis said strength matters more now than it did when he was smaller.
“When you’re little, it’s a lot about speed because everyone’s probably around the same strength,” Davis said. “They’re not built. They’re all tiny. When you’re 150 pounds, it’s just a whole different style of wrestling. It’s a lot more who’s stronger than who. Who’s faster than who? It’s just overall who’s better.”
Davis won his first five state tournament matches on three falls, a technical fall and medical forfeit. He then lost the regional final to Penn’s Vinny Freeman by technical fall. Davis said Wilson kept believing in him.
“He means so much to me,” Davis said. “He’s supported me more than any coach I’ve ever had almost other than my stepdad. Other than my mom, he’s probably my biggest supporter. … I think he just believes deep down in his heart.”
