“It’ll be a good match if we can get to each other,” Sowards said.
Sowards hopes for a preview at this weekend’s Greater Miami Valley Wrestling Association’s Holiday Tournament. The area’s premier wrestling event started Saturday and concludes today.
“It makes it a little bit harder (wrestling friends) because you don’t know what the grudge is going to be like afterwards,” Sowards said. “We’re still going to be buddies if I make it (to the state finals) or Kyle makes it there.”
Should Sowards be the last wrestler standing at state he’ll take down two other goals. He’s 44 shy of Preston Bowshier’s school record of 176 career victories.
A state championship will also cap his high school career standing atop the podium as a state placer. Sowards came within a point of finishing among the top eight wrestlers in Ohio last season. He lost his elimination match 4-3 to Uhrichsville Claymont’s Caden Herron.
“I lost it in the last 10 seconds,” Sowards said. “It sticks with me to this day. Every practice. It keeps pushing me to the next level and to keep getting better.”
Kenton Ridge coach Brian McWhorter describes Sowards as a “wrestling room rat. He wrestles 24/7 and 365.”
It’s that dedication to the sport that gives KR’s team a boost. With limited numbers — the Cougars are fielding wrestlers in six of the 14 weight classes at the Holiday Tournament — Sowards’ work ethic serves as motivation for younger teammates.
“He’s not just in it for himself. We’re in a rebuilding mode with kind of a small team, but he’s an excellent team leader,” McWhorter said. “We’ve got some kids out who haven’t wrestled before and he’s been great for the team. If I had to pick someone for a kid to build off of, Tyler would be a great pick.”
Sowards’ double-leg takedown is perhaps his best move among a variety of skills. He likes to describe his wrestling style as “going 100 mph and attack, attack, attack.” That’s also how he plans to go after Kenton Ridge’s elusive state title.
“(Lawson is) tough to beat,” McWhorter said. “A lot of it is how the bracketing ends up in Columbus. He’s certainly got a shot. I’m not going to say he’s the favorite, but that’s the great thing about this sport. Anything can happen.”
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