A state finalist at 170 pounds as a junior, Center Grove senior Noah Clouser, top, will compete as a 190-pounder this season.
Daily Journal file photo
A wrestler since he was 5, Noah Clouser has been behind on points before.
Not often, but here and there.
Then there are the times the opponent is circumstance, the faceless adversary that takes you to the mat and basically dares you to attempt any sort of reversal.
Clouser, a Center Grove senior who enters the season as the state’s third-ranked 190-pounder according to IndianaMat.com, knows the patience and resilience required to defeat it.
He’s spent the past eight months doing the things necessary to work his way back from a left knee injury sustained at a tournament at Detroit Central Catholic one week prior to the start of the Mooresville Sectional.
For a young man thirsting to qualify for the state finals for the first time, the timing couldn’t have been worse.
A 170-pounder at the time, Clouser nonetheless forged ahead, winning his weight class at sectional and advancing to the final at regional before medically forfeiting the match.
An MRI conducted post-regional revealed the torn ACL, leaving Clouser, who held a 28-4 record at the time, standing at a crossroads.
“I had a big decision to make, but I felt I could tough it out,” Clouser said. “It was pretty painful. I was taking ibuprofen before and after matches. I had a big brace on my left knee, so my mobility was pretty bad.
“Hitting my knee directly on the mat hurt, too.”
Despite those challenges, Clouser, his left knee covered with a protective brace, scored an 8-1 victory against Austin Bell of Evansville North in his first-round match at the Evansville Semistate. He followed up by pinning Maddox Vernon of Southridge to advance to the semifinals and clinch a berth in the state finals.
“I’m standing at regional, and he’s dragging himself off the mat, but won’t quit,” said Clouser’s mom, Mandy. “I get a call about 30 minutes after the MRI, and the doctor was sullen.
“He was, like, ‘He’s done. He will not be able to continue.’”
Only Clouser wasn’t hearing it.
Remembers Mandy: “Noah was saying, ‘As long as I can move, I’m doing it.’ The kid has no fear when it comes to wrestling.
“The group of wrestlers at Center Grove is a very special group. It’s not an easy room to be in, especially when you have that much talent.”
Clouser eventually lost in the opening round at state, 3-1, to Braxton Russell of Delta. His season ended with a 31-6 record.
On March 15, a little less than a month after the proceedings inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Clouser underwent a surgery at Shelbourne Knee Center at Community East Hospital in which tendon and bone from his right knee were put in his left knee.
The recovery process proved arduous.
Clouser remained at the hospital one night following surgery, went home and was in bed for approximately two months. He gradually began incorporating stretches to both test and increase his range of motion, eventually graduated to using crutches and so on.
All the while, Clouser, who maintains a 3.4 grade-point average, kept up his studies online. He eventually returned to the high school toward the end of the spring.
Clouser begins his final prep season with an 81-24 career record — and no shortage of gratitude — when the Trojans take part in a tournament at Southport on Saturday.
“When we found out the news, my parents (Landon and Mandy) said it was going to be my decision,” Clouser said. “Honestly, I was sad that I got hurt, but they’ve taught me to push through adversity.
“I definitely had my struggles here and there, but my teammates, coaches and family were there to support me along the way. I feel like it’s made me 10 times stronger than I was.”
Center Grove returns most of the talent that helped it place a program-best second at last season’s state meet. The Trojans are again expected to contend with Crown Point and Brownsburg for a team title come February.
Clouser, who knows a thing or two about playing with pain, looks forward to the process.
“I like to bet on myself,” Clouser said. “I’m ready to go, and me personally, I want to be on top of the podium, and be there to support my team the best I can.”
