Whiteland senior confident he can be state finalist

Successful wrestlers tend to stand out for any number of reasons, whether strength, quickness or technique.

For Whiteland senior Garrett Curtis, it’s more about a positive mindset.

“It’s his confidence,” said Dave Thompson, now in his 28th season as the Warriors’ coach. “The techniques Garrett uses, he believes in. When he steps on the mat, he believes he can beat anybody.

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“It’s a progression. Garrett has been wrestling since middle school, so his experience has helped him a lot.”

Curtis, who wrestles in the 285-pound class, holds a 24-3 record this season, with one of the losses coming to Franklin’s Manny Cheam, 2-1, at the Johnson County tournament. Cheam currently is ranked eighth in the state in the heavyweight division; Curtis is 14th.

On Saturday, Curtis won three of four matches at the Mid-State Conference meet at Mooresville to place third in his weight class.

Whiteland’s starting center the past two football seasons and an All-County lineman as a senior, Curtis, who carries a 3.3 grade-point average, has been offered scholarships to Taylor University and Concordia University Ann Arbor to play football.

Both are NAIA programs. Curtis will soon visit the University of Indianapolis, which competes in Division II.

The senior loves and embraces the various challenges of both football and wrestling.

“In football there are 10 other pieces. In wrestling, you can’t blame anyone but yourself,” he said. “And the wrestling training is just so much more intense. It’s non-stop. Your rest isn’t a water break. It’s planks, push-ups or something like that.”

What Curtis hopes is a lengthy postseason starts Jan. 27 at the Mooresville Sectional. The senior is focusing on improving his wrestling skills so he can make it past the regional round for the first time in his varsity career.

How far can his confidence take him?

“It’s been in my brain since I was a little kid. It’s a mindset,” he said. “During warmups, I’m going to watch the (opponent) warm up and see what I’m going to do. If I lose a match, I talk to my coaches to see what I could have done better.

“I want to be wrestling on Saturday morning (of the State Finals). If I work hard enough and listen to my coaches, I believe I can be.”

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Name: Garrett Curtis

Age: 18

Born: Marietta, Georgia

Family: Parents Rick and Shanna; sister Gabby, 13

Favorite TV show: “Hawaii Five-0”

Favorite food: Steak

Favorite movie: “I Am Legend”

Favorite athlete: Taylor Lewan

Favorite team: University of Michigan football

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