the Echoes-Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014SportsPage 16

by Koy Potthoff Sports Editor

Two wrestlers step on to the mat into the spotlight at the Cen-tury Link Center in Omaha.

One of them is hoping to win a state championship.

The other, senior Colton Adams, confidently strides to center stage knowing that in less than ten minutes he will be the school’s first four-time state wrestling champion.

With this in mind, it would be easy to conclude Adams has always been top dog, but that is not the case.

“I was never great when I was little,” Adams said. “I just kept pushing to get better.”

“Colton was never the most talented kid,” Adam’s father, Bryan, said. “His mental make-up is what has made him success-ful.”

Colton shows no fear of oppo-nents which is vital in becoming a great wrestler.

“When Colton was a sopho-more, he moved up a weight class to wrestle Connor Bolling (Cen-tral City) who had already won two state championships,” Bryan said. “He had no doubt he could win and he did just that in what turned out to be one of the great-est matches in state history.”

Although Colton has won three state championships, and will make the attempt to become the first four-time state champion in school history, he says winning state championships is not what drives him.

“It has always just been expect-ed of me,” Colton said. “I want to have a good college career and winning a national championship there would be awesome.”

Colton’s focus and commit-ment has helped him get to the point he is at and continues to help him improve.

“Colton has dedicated a tre-mendous amount of time and has done what it takes to become a great wrestler,” Assistant Princi-pal Matthew Huck said. “When he straps on his headgear and steps on the mat, he is a kid on a mission.”

Huck has developed a close relationship with Colton over the last three years.

“Part of our relationship started when Colton got into some trouble awhile back and his fam-ily was not home to help,” Huck said. “He came home with me and ever since then he has become a member of our family. He is like one of my own kids.”

Huck and his family have men-tored Colton in numerous ways.

“We have just tried to create a positive environment for him,” Huck said. “I hope he has learned to be kind to others and that there is more to life than wrestling.”

Colton agrees the relationship has been beneficial.

“He has helped me out a lot with my grades and talks me

through things,” Colton said. “I go out to his house and hang out with him and his kids as well.”

Huck has learned just as much from Colton as Colton has learned from him.

“I see the focus Colton pos-sesses and I think I’ve learned that from him,” Huck said.

Although Colton has as-sembled an impressive wrestling resume, one would not know it by the way he acts.

“Colton is a person who very much humbles himself,” Huck said. “He does not have big, fancy signing parties to promote what he does and does not like to be in the limelight.”

“He throws away most of his medals and brackets,” Bryan said. “Awards mean little to Colton.”

Colton pushes himself to compete with and beat the best wrestlers in the country.

“He wants to beat the best guys out there,” Bryan said. “He truly thinks he can beat anyone and has proved me wrong more than once by beating big name guys.”

To that extent, Colton and his dad have traveled all over the country in the last few years to compete in some of the country’s most prestigious wrestling tourna-ment.

There is much more to Colton, however, than his hardened, re-served wrestling persona; there is a softer side to his character.

“People see this kid who steps on to the mat and is relentless to his opponents, but on the inside Colton is a very compassionate and caring individual,” Huck said. “Deep inside, Colton has a great heart.”

Colton will attempt to dial up another district championship to-morrow at North Platte on his way to being crowned the school’s first four-time state champion at the Century Link Center on Feb. 22.

Fearless & focused on a four-peatThe most decorated wrestler in school

history is looking to add one more medal to the his collection

TakedownSenior Colton Adams battles to gain position over his opponent at the SHS Invational. Adams will make the attempt to become the school’s first four-time state champion on Feb. 22 at the Century Link Center in Omaha. Photo by Ken Kurtz

Sports Feature Writing - Koy Potthoff - Scottsbluff High School