Wrestling a family affair for Greeneview’s Hendricks siblings

Greeneview High School two-time state placer Devan Hendricks graduates this season. That’s the good news for the Rams’ opponents.

The bad news? Three more Hendricks boys – and a girl – are right behind him. And they’re all just as good.

The Hendricks are making a name for themselves on the mat, despite a rough introduction to the sport. Their father, Matt Hendricks, wanted Devan to try the demanding sport in the first grade. Matt, who wrestled as a heavyweight at Northmont High School back in the day, entered an open wrestling tournament to show Devan he shouldn’t be scared to try it.

»RELATED: Tuesday’s high school roundup

»RELATED: Tuesday’s high school scoreboard

“I got my rib broken by a high school kid,” Matt said.

Devan still gave it a shot, but his first match didn’t go much better.

“My first match I wrestled I was on my back the whole match,” Devan said. “I think I lost 11-0.”

Losses – let alone by scores like that – have been few and far between since.

Devan (35-5) is ranked No. 7 in the state at 145 pounds. He finished sixth at 106 pounds at the OHSAA individual state championships as a sophomore and fifth at 126 last season. Teagan (25-4), a sophomore, qualified for state last season at 106. Ashtan, an eighth grader, is 25-2 and 51-2 overall in his junior high career. He placed fourth at the junior high state meet last season. Kyan, a sixth grader, won a state title as a 6-year old.

And not to be outdone, their sister Lillian also wrestles and has skills of her own.

It’s not only made for lively competition on the Rams’ wrestling mats, it’s also caused a commotion in the Hendricks’ home. The older siblings don’t go at it as hard as they used to. But the younger ones still have their battles.

“Sometimes we get going and it turns into straight fist fights with the younger ones,” Devan said.

“Yeah, I think it’s hard on (our mom Brandis) sometimes but she has fun with it. I think she likes it.”

Greeneview has the weekend off before preparing for the Ohio Heritage Conference championships at Mechanicsburg on Feb. 16. The Rams have seven varsity wrestlers when healthy and pin their district and state aspirations on, among others, the Hendricks brothers and senior Chase Jordan, ranked No. 26 in the state at heavyweight.

Devan is the most consistent of the Hendricks’ family and the most patient, sometimes to a fault. Greeneview coach Mark Matt has been working with Devan to take more shots and wrestle more aggressive. That’s not a problem for Teagan, who Matt said sometimes “ends up in crazy positions but sorts it out.”

Matt said Ashtan and Kyan have more of an edge or swagger to them – not in an arrogant way – after taking on their older brothers for so long.

As for Lillian, she’s just as talented at dancing and spends time practicing on both.

“My dad did it and Devan did it. It was something I wanted to do to see if I was good at it,” Teagan said of how he got started. “See if I was better than them.”

So, who is the best wrestler in the Hendricks’ house? When asked both Devan and Teagan took the neutral position. Instead of picking the best, they’d prefer to help each other become just that.

“We know we still have to keep getting better and better because we’re not the best,” Teagan said of staying humble and continuing to work hard.

Devan has served as captain of the team the past two seasons. He wrestles in the center mat in the Rams’ wrestling room and also provides the demonstrations when the team learns new moves. He’s come a long way from getting put on his back in his first match. He plans to end his final match on top.

“If I shoot my shots and wrestle my match,” Devan said, “don’t start slow, I think I can beat anyone in the state.”

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