Hayden Watson has had more than two weeks to reflect on his wrestling season, a journey that saw the Center Grove sophomore win 45 matches at 132 pounds.
The only opponents getting the best of Watson went on to place first and second at the State Finals. Watson, who finished with a third-place medal at the same venue, is the Daily Journal’s Wrestler of the Year.
“I think it was a good season, although I didn’t wrestle my best at state. I feel like I could have done a whole lot better,” said Watson, who made it to the semifinals before he lost a 5-4 decision to Perry Meridian’s Matthew Koontz. Eventual state champ Jesse Mendez of Crown Point defeated Watson during the regular season.
“I probably could have made it to the finals and given Jesse a better match than I did last time.”
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Therein lies Watson’s motivation as he prepares for the second half of his high school career. He’s already run up a mark of 79-6 in his first two seasons in a Trojan singlet after making it to the second round of semistate at 113 pounds as a freshman.
Watson feels he’ll compete at 138 or 145 pounds a year from now. Regardless of weight class, neither his expectations nor those of his coach will change when practices leading into the 2020-21 season start.
“Hayden is always training and always looking to find competition,” Trojans coach Maurice Swain said. “Most of your high-level guys do a lot of training, but I estimate that Hayden is on the wrestling mat at least five days a week in the spring and summer. When you have a kid as hungry as that, success is going to happen.”
Watson also benefited from a growth spurt last offseason;Â he went from 5-foot-2 as a ninth-grader to his current height of 5-6.
"I felt like it helped me because my arms are longer than they were," Watson said. "I like cradles, so that kind of helps me with that."
Success in wrestling doesn’t come without incredible self-discipline, whether it’s the monitoring of diet in order to maintain one’s weight or the practice habits needed to improve both technique and endurance.
Watson, who has been wrestling since early elementary school, mastered both long ago.
“Most of it is in the offseason, but a lot of it is staying focused during the season,” Watson said. “Don’t mess around in practice or do things that could prevent you from finishing higher than you can.”
“It’s a good motivator. I wrestled really well this season, and as long as I keep building onto that I think I’ll probably be able to win a state title or two.”
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The 2020 All-County wrestling team:
Jake Bechert, Franklin junior: Record of 25-12 … Johnson County and Mid-State Conference champion at 120 pounds … won sectional and was regional runner-up … lost in opening round at Evansville Semistate.
Eli Brooks, Whiteland freshman: Completed first varsity season at 34-6, making it as far as the second round of the Evansville Semistate at 106 pounds … county champion … sectional champion and regional runner-up … second at Mid-State Conference meet.
Drake Buchanan, Center Grove sophomore: Won sectional and regional at 182 pounds … runner-up at semistate before going on to pick up sixth-place medal at state meet … 39-5 record … MIC champion.
Harris Eason, Franklin junior: 37-5 record at 195 pounds after making state meet debut … won sectional and regional … won his division at Mid-State Conference meet.
Tyler Fuqua, Franklin junior: Completed season with second-round loss at semistate and record of 35-5 at 160 pounds … second at regional … won his weight class during conference meet.
Jacob Johnson, Franklin sophomore: Had record of 32-10 after making it to state meet at 285 pounds … second at sectional and third at regional before placing fourth at semistate.
Ethan Nash, Franklin senior: Made it to his first state meet at 145 pounds … took third at Mooresville Sectional and placed fourth at regional and semistate … 30-12 record.
Riley Rust, Center Grove junior: Made it all the way to state meet, where he finished fourth at 145 pounds … 29-9 record … sectional champion and regional runner-up … third at Evansville Semistate.
Anthony Walker, Greenwood junior: Sectional champ at 152 pounds … second at regional, fourth at semistate and eighth at state meet … 34-10 record … placed second to Fuqua (who later moved to 160) at county and was Mid-State Conference champion.
Jalen Ward, Franklin junior: Sectional and regional champion at 170 pounds … fourth at semistate … 35-8 record … placed first at Johnson County and Mid-State Conference meets.
Hayden Watson, Center Grove sophomore: Went 45-2 and won Johnson County, MIC, sectional, regional and semistate titles … advanced to semifinals at state meet, finishing third.
Honorable mention
Jude Barger, Franklin; Nik Baugh, Greenwood; Joey Buttler, Whiteland; Bryce Crump, Center Grove; Lou Gattone, Center Grove; Owen Green, Center Grove; Jackson Heaston, Indian Creek; Sam Howe, Center Grove; Ethan Jeffery, Franklin; Michael LaRocca, Center Grove; Dayson Lashlee, Franklin; Noah McCann, Franklin; Eli Ross, Greenwood; Jakarrey Oliver, Whiteland; Owen Sego, Indian Creek; Caleb Wyss, Franklin
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