An Okotoks wrestler, who has cleaned up in his career, was nowhere to be found when his school won the banner at the Alberta high school wrestling championships on the weekend.
Reid Watkins was busy cleaning up the gym when it was announced his school, the Holy Trinity Academy Knights, won the 3A boys high school provincial wrestling banner March 10 at Foothills Composite High School.
“ I thought we were going to be close, but I didn't think we were going to win,” Watkins said. “ So I was starting to clean up the other gym when they announced it. I didn't hear it.”
The Knights won the banner on the strength of Watkins' gold medal at 76kg and Christian Nori's first-place finish at 50kg. The 20 points earned by the two wrestlers were enough to put them in a tie with the Wetaskiwin Tigers for first place. The Knights won the tiebreaker with two first-place finishes, to the Tigers' one.
Winning a team banner had been a goal for the Watkins family ever since Reid's older brother Spencer, a two-time provincial champion, tried to recruit some of his HTA football buddies three years ago to wrestle.
Reid tried the same strategy, but rather than recruit a lineman he went towards a seldom-used smallish Grade 10 rookie. Nori was a back-up defensive back on the Knights' football team.
“ I think I am happier about Christian's (gold medal) than mine,” Watkins said. “ Here was a kid who always sat on the bench at football, but didn't quit.
“ I told him if he came out for wrestling and worked hard, we would coach him and make him a champion. He held up his end of bargain and we held up ours. Now he is a provincial champion.”
The only time Nori looked confused at provincials was when they announced HTA had won the team banner. With Watkins nowhere to be found, Nori had to stand there alone with the banner for the publicity shots.
He said teaming up with Watkins to win the first banner in Holy Trinity Academy history was a thrill.
Although, he still plans to play for the HTA Knights' football team next season, he no longer calls himself a football player.
“ I'm a wrestler,” Nori said with a smile and a gold medal hanging from his neck.
