The situation looked bleak for wrestler Drayke Daehler.
It was Senior Night at Reagan, and everything seemed to be working against him in his match against William Scott of West Forsyth.
Midway through the second period, the two butted heads, and Daehler suffered a severe cut near his eye. Twice the bleeding wound had to be taped so he could continue to wrestle.
Scott, whose record was 40-3 at the time, is one of the state's top wrestlers in the 132- and 138-pound classes. Last year, he advanced to the NCHSAA 4-A championships at 130 pounds and lost in the consolations.
In spite of the cut, which took six stitches to close, Daehler wrestled well enough to win 2-1.
"Winning that match under those conditions against a very good wrestler was overwhelming," said Daehler, who competes mostly at 132 pounds. "It helped me to get over that mindset where I had trouble believing in my ability to win against the top competition."
For Daehler, this season has been one of transition and adjustments. The biggest hurdle was moving up two weight classes after wrestling last season at 119.
"At 119 pounds, Drayke was stronger than most of his opponents," coach Brandon Curling said. "At 132 pounds, he's learned that he can't always rely on brute strength to win."
During the offseason, Daehler keeps in shape by taking part in a four-days-a-week regimen of weightlifting and military-style boot-camp training. After graduation, he looks forward to starting his career in the U.S. Marine Corps.
THREE QUESTIONS FOR DAEHLER
Q: What is the best book you've read?
A: "Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper" by Jack Coughlin
Q: Where would you go on your dream vacation?
A: Germany
Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: "The Chronicles of Riddick"
Craig T. Greenlee
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