It’s not that Lake Central’s Emilio Tirado wasn’t working exhausting.
However two years of highschool wrestling made Tirado understand he most likely wasn’t working exhausting sufficient. His first two postseasons ended within the regional, and he needed to go additional.
“I figured the one manner I might get there was by working more durable, working extra and spending extra time on it,” he stated.
So Tirado has spent the previous two seasons diving deeper into the game, and he has advanced right into a state-ranked wrestler who has been troublesome to beat as a senior.
Tirado (30-2) heads to the Crown Level Sectional on Saturday ranked No. 8 at 175 kilos by IndianaMat. That’s a dramatic turnaround for a wrestler who misplaced no less than 10 matches throughout every of his first three seasons, though he certified for state at 165 kilos as he hoped final yr.
Tirado, who didn’t begin wrestling till center college, has proven what’s attainable with exhausting work, in response to Lake Central coach Luke Triveline.
“He’s proof that you simply don’t have to start out at 4 years outdated to be a high-level wrestler,” Triveline stated. “You possibly can time hop by working and get to a better degree.”
Triveline stated there was at all times a perception in Tirado’s potential amongst Lake Central’s coaches. Tirado’s journey to understand that potential began quickly after his sophomore season ended on the Crown Level Regional. Having stopped taking part in baseball a yr earlier, he had spring and summer time seasons with little to do outdoors of college, and he began visiting the Area Wrestling Academy.
“I didn’t skip a single follow,” Tirado stated. “I didn’t do any tournaments that summer time, however I went to each single considered one of their practices.”
Tirado’s additional time on the mats improved his wrestling capability, and his additional time within the weight room made him stronger. The psychological half was the ultimate piece of the puzzle for him, and that got here when Triveline requested for a phrase with him on the Hobart Tremendous Duals final season.
“I pulled him into the locker room and yelled at him,” Triveline stated with fun. “After that, it clicked a bit of bit in his head that he ought to be doing higher as a result of he’s higher.”
Tirado additionally laughed as he recalled that second and agreed that he received the message.
“I simply realized that I shouldn’t be dropping to those guys and that I’ve put in additional work than most of those guys had and I ought to be performing higher,” he stated.
Tirado completed final season with a visit to state, however he wasn’t absolutely glad. He misplaced within the first spherical.
“I felt manner higher about that season due to the way it ended,” he stated. “It wasn’t essentially what I needed, but it surely was higher than the years earlier than that.”
Tirado went again to work within the offseason, spending extra time on the mat and within the weight room than ever earlier than whereas additionally paying extra consideration to his diet.
“I actually really feel like diet has a giant impact on efficiency,” he stated. “You possibly can really feel the consequences of it. When you’re on high of your diet, that’s one other factor that can provide you an edge over any person else.”
Celestino Garcia, a senior 165-pounder who’s considered one of Tirado’s most frequent follow companions, has turn out to be nicely acquainted along with his teammate’s seemingly limitless vitality.
“He’s taken that additional step to at all times do the exhausting issues, particularly when it’s not requested of him,” Garcia stated of Tirado. “He places his head down and will get the work accomplished, however he’s at all times taking it a step additional.”
Tirado intends to maintain taking these additional steps as a result of he desires to elongate his keep on the state meet.
“I’m actually going to focus, making an attempt to hone in on what I’m doing throughout every drill at follow and simply be current throughout that,” he stated.
Dave Melton is a contract reporter.
