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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

CdA wrestler ‘feeling really good’ after injuries


Coeur d'Alene High School wrestler Braden Mowry practices at the school. Mowry has worked his way back from a neck and knee injury, and has a 20-6 record.
 (Kathy Plonka / The Spokesman-Review)

High school coaches are usually reluctant to talk up their freshmen.

Coeur d’Alene High wrestling coach Jeff Moffat is no different. Even he, though, knew there was something special last year about Braden Mowry.

It didn’t take long for Mowry to start making a name for himself. He won his first two tournaments at 103 pounds, including Tri-State, which is regarded as more difficult than a state tournament.

He followed up with titles at the Rollie Lane tournament in Nampa and the Rocky Mountain Classic in Missoula in early January. He was 25-0 with six of his victories coming against either defending state champs or eventual state champs.

“We’ve never had a freshman like him before,” Moffat said.

And it may be a while before another one like Mowry comes along.

Mowry’s undefeated season, however, came to an abrupt end. He was at practice when he landed on his neck while doing some live drills with a teammate.

A loud pop and immediate pain told Mowry something serious had occurred.

“When it happened I felt tingling in my hands,” Mowry said.

He walked out of the practice room, and his dad took him to the hospital. An X-ray showed he had suffered a herniated disc in his neck.

The first doctor told Mowry he may never wrestle again. He recommended surgery to remove the damaged disc and fuse the vertebrae.

“When he told me I may never wrestle again it was pretty shocking,” Mowry said. “I was listening to him and it really scared me, but I knew I was going to come back.”

He sought another opinion. The second doctor discounted surgery, saying the neck could heal on its own with the assistance of physical therapy. To be sure, Mowry saw a third doctor. His diagnosis was more optimistic than the second doctor.

Mowry’s neck healed, and he was able to attend a camp with his team last summer after taking the spring off.

“I didn’t want to have surgery because I would have lost some range of motion,” Mowry said. “It’s just gotten better and better, and now it’s normal again.”

Moffat took Mowry to state last year because he had more than earned the right to attend even if he could only be a spectator. Freshman Holden Packard of Mountain View captured the state title. Mowry had defeated Packard 10-5 in the championship final at Rollie Lane.

“There was no doubt in my mind he was going to win a state title,” Moffat said. “Nothing’s a shoe-in, but he was as close to a shoe-in as anybody I’ve seen.”

“I wanted to be a four-time state champ. I knew I could be a state champ (last year),” Mowry said.

He takes consolation in the fact that he had won at Tri-State, had beaten Packard and was undefeated at the time of his injury.

“I pretty much accomplished my goal without being able to accomplish my goal,” he said. “At first it was pretty depressing. But I got over it. I was pretty proud of what I had done (before the injury).”

He couldn’t wait for his sophomore season. Moving up a weight class to 112, Mowry wanted to be in the best condition possible so he attended workouts at North Idaho College for about six weeks last fall.

He went to a preseason tournament at Forest Grove, Ore., the week before the season began. He qualified for the championship match when injury struck again.

Mowry was shooting for his opponent’s leg when he planted his left leg. He felt something snap. He tore the meniscus in his left knee.

“I tried to stand up, and it locked up at a 90-degree angle,” Mowry said.

He couldn’t have surgery for nearly three weeks because the surgeon didn’t have an opening.

Mowry didn’t know how much damage had been done to the knee, and he was told an X-ray wouldn’t show the exact extent of injury.

The surgeon told him it would either be minor surgery, allowing him to return to practice in about three weeks, or he may miss the season.

Mowry wouldn’t know until he awoke from being put out for surgery.

When Mowry awoke, his dad gave him the good news.

He started practicing just before Christmas and made his season debut just after the holidays.

His record is 20-6. Most of the losses have come at 119, not 112, because state rules require wrestlers to make the scratch weight they certify at before the season three times before they can compete at the weight.

“A lot of those losses are from a lack of mat time,” Moffat said. “He hasn’t had a full high school season yet. He lost half a season last year, and he missed the first half this year.”

Mowry didn’t get a chance to defend his Tri-State title in December.

“The knee injury has been tougher on me than the neck injury,” Mowry said. “I was in shape and ready for the season to begin. Then I had to sit out about a month before I could start wrestling again. So I had to start all over.”

Moffat believes Mowry is almost back at full strength – both physically and mentally.

“He’s had to deal with losing,” Moffat said. “He’s had to do that and not be in tip top shape. He’s finally getting his lungs underneath him.”

Mowry, who has remained ranked No. 1 based on known ability and quality of victories a year ago, is looking forward to state and a possible showdown with Packard.

“My goal this year was to go undefeated, but I’ve had a bumpy road,” Mowry said. “I’m feeling really good about things now. I’ve been thinking about state a lot. It’s a big thing for me.”

He also hopes he’s put the injuries behind him.

“You learn that anything can happen and you can’t take anything for granted,” he said. “I’ve worked as hard as I could to get back. I feel blessed I can still wrestle.

“I may not be able to be a four-time state champ, but I can try to be a three-time state champ.”