Talk about an impressive high school résumé.
Cory Heinrichs was the starting tight end on Center Grove’s state championship football team and is a two-time Johnson County wrestling champion.
A two-year varsity standout, he led the wrestling team with 30 wins last year and was a regional qualifier.
This season, he’s off to an 18-2 start and expects to reach the IHSAA State Finals.
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But here’s the best part for the Trojans: He’s only a sophomore.
He hasn’t come close to reaching his ceiling.
“We keep saying when he figures out what he’s doing, we’re going to be in a world of hurt, because you’ve got to imagine who’s going to practice with him every day,” Center Grove wrestling coach Cale Hoover said. “Once he figure’s out what he’s got, it’s going to be a challenge (finding drill partners).”
That’s because Heinrichs, the wrestler, is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Heinrichs, the football player, is 235 pounds.
But at either weight, Heinrichs, the varsity athlete, is quick, strong, explosive and athletic — and a handful on the football field and wrestling mat.
For the present, his focus is the wrestling mat, where — despite a late start because of the football team’s deep postseason run — he is bidding to become a state qualifier.
So far, he appears on pace.
Heinrichs won his first 13 matches, claimed championships at the Bloomington Duals and Zionsville Invitational and won his second straight county championship.
He accomplished it all despite being mentally and physically fatigued from football.
“Coming from football season into wrestling season, I’m in good football shape but I’m not in good wrestling shape,” Heinrichs said. “So my lungs are a little tired when I come into practices.
“My body’s a little beat up after football season, because that’s the longest season that I’ve played, ever, going all the way to the state finals.”
Primarily a blocker in the Trojans’ run-oriented offense, Heinrichs started all 14 games for the Class 6A state champion Trojans. He caught 11 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown and was instrumental in an offense that averaged 34 points per game and tallied 4,319 rushing yards.
Though the championship result was highly satisfying, it wasn’t conducive for a quick switch-over to wrestling. But as evidenced by his quick start, he somehow managed.
“It gets a little tricky, because you’d really like to rest them a little bit when they come back (from football),” Hoover said. “We didn’t really get to rest him very much until after the holidays. He was a little banged up, and he actually had a little bit of the flu the week of the state championship game.
“So it’s been a little tricky. I think mentally he was tired, too.”
But not anymore.
After 20 matches, Heinrichs is back in wrestling form and nearing peak conditioning.
“I can tell during my matches, whenever I get into the third period, I’m not as tired like I was during my very first match of the year,” he said. “I’m getting closer.”
That’s bad news for opponents, who face a unique challenge in Heinrichs. Multi skilled and experienced, he has all the physical tools of a state champion; has wrestled since sixth grade; and hasn’t come close to his full potential.
But he’s getting closer.
“He’s a big, strong kid. When you think about what a 220-pounder should look like, he passes the eye test,” Hoover said. “He’s got the size, he’s got the strength. He’s wrestled for quite a long time, so he’s pretty experienced, but we would like to see him be more aggressive. He’s not an aggressive guy.
“He’s competitive, but he’s pretty laid back. We’d like to see him set the tone a little more. I don’t think he fully takes advantage of his skills.”
But he’s working on it.
A three-sport athlete who plans to throw the discus for the track and field team in the spring, Heinrichs’ primary wrestling objective is to reach the state finals this season. And he is confident of getting there.
“I was just more amped to go into (wrestling) after winning the state football championship,” he said. “I was more excited coming off the championship, and I was just ready to go to wrestling faster than usual.
“I’d like to be at Bankers Life Fieldhouse wrestling in the state tournament. It would just be tremendous. It would be a great honor.”
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Name: Cory Heinrichs
High school: Center Grove
Year: Sophomore
Size: 6-foot-3, 220 pounds
Sports: Football, wrestling, track and field
Favorite football team: Seattle Seahawks
Favorite football player: J.J. Watt
Favorite TV show: How It’s Made
Favorite movie: Point Break
Parents: D.J. and Kristy Heinrichs
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