Shame Story- Kendale McCoy

During final weeks of my sophomore wrestling season I had made huge improvements from my freshmen year. I was on a role, and had been placing in all my tournaments and I had won all my conference dual meets. I wouldn’t say I was cocky, but I felt my comfortable and more confident when I wrestled on the mat in front of my coaches. So if I was comfortable wrestling in front of my coaches I should be comfortable wrestling in front of my friends. I never really invited my friends to the meets because I was afraid I would lose in front of them, but I had been wining, so I was excited.

I was the starting Heavyweight on JV 1 last year, so my coaches let me wrestling in the Huskie Invite, which is out annual home varsity tournament. I invited a couple family member and a few friends. But most importantly I invited this girl I had a crush on for a couple months. The meet was on a Saturday morning and my first math was around 9:45am and everybody had been there, even my crush. Surprisingly I won the match, considering that he was a scrub from Morton High School. I looked into the crowd and I could see my friends and family cheering for me. 

After In walked off the mat, I went to check my bracket to see who I was going to wrestle next. Then my heart had stopped and my eyes got super big as I saw the guy’s name. It was Tim Gant, or as I called him, Tim “fucking” Gant from CBC High School in Missouri. Tim was there State Champion from the previous year, and was expected to win state again. Tim was a 6’5, 275 pound heavyweight who looked like he was a professional body builder. I still think today that Tim was on steroids because I had never seen a high school heavyweight with such huge muscles. A month before the Huskie invite I wrestled Gant in a tournament in St. Louis, MO. He messed me up pretty bad because he choked me out and I had trouble breathing for almost half a year.

I was so afraid to wrestle him, but I went on the mat confident that I was going to beat a state champion in front of my crush. Sadly my goal was not accomplished. I fought hard but Gant fought harder.  Not only did he crush every part of my body, but he choked me out again and I blacked out for over 2 minutes. And on top of all that, I cried right in front of my crush.

Despite my ignorant hate from Tim Gant, I have nothing but the most respect for him. When Tim graduated he enlisted in the United States and he completed his training over the summer. I wish nothing but safety for Gant, and I hope he stays safe.