Wrestler feeling the pressure

RATHDRUM – Lakeland High wrestling standout Brandon Richardson had few obstacles on his way to capturing a state championship at 119 pounds as a freshman last year.

Immediately after claiming the state title, Richardson declared he wanted to win three more. Lakeland has never had a four-time state champ.

Richardson, up two classes at 130 this year, has greater appreciation these days for what he accomplished a year ago. His sophomore season has been chock-full of challenges.

He started the year injured and has struggled to reach his form of last year when he finished 33-4. He’s 15-5 this season, having already exceeded his losses from last year.

He started noticing his back steadily getting stiff last summer at the Cadet National tournament in Fargo, N.D.

“I shrugged it off,” Richardson said.

During the soccer season last fall, the twisting action from moving about on the field aggravated something, he said.

So he went to a doctor. He was diagnosed with Sherman’s Disease, a hereditary condition that is related to the development of his spine where bone fragments can lodge between his vertebrae. His sister, Ashton, a senior, had to have back fusion involving titanium from broken vertebrae as a gymnast.

The doctor told Brandon his condition is related to growth; 5-foot-6 as a freshman, he has grown three inches in a year.

He had to miss the final seven matches in soccer. He went to a chiropractor and did acupuncture in an attempt to be ready for the Tri-State wrestling tournament in mid-December.

“Part of the problem is when you’re growing it irritates it,” Richardson said. “It gets swollen and the fragments between the vertebrae make it act like a herniated disc. It’s something I may not totally grow out of until I’m 18.”

The chiropractor told him that only time off, coupled with treatment to help the spine straighten, would allow him to heal. He was also told surgery wouldn’t help because it was a matter of the spine getting back into right alignment.

“The first doctor told me it might take six months to heal and I should sit out the rest of the season,” Richardson said.

Richardson sought a second opinion.

“The second doctor told me that with the right amount of (chiropractic) treatments he could probably help and I could continue to wrestle,” Richardson said.

Richardson put his faith in the second opinion because he wanted to win a title at Tri-State and defend his state championship.

In a season-opening tourney at Central Valley the week before Tri-State, Richardson had to injury default out of his final two matches because his back was in too much pain.

He took the next four days off from practice hoping to be ready for Tri-State. His parents advised him not to wrestle in the tourney.

“I was holding out for hope that I could fight through it,” he said.

He went 1-2 the first day and was done.

Richardson started the year ranked No. 1 in the state, but has slipped to fourth. He won five matches all by pin at the River City Duals two weekends ago before losing in the finals at the Clearwater Classic in Lewiston last weekend.

“I’ve had some doubts,” Richardson said. “That’s why the River City Duals was so important to me. Ninety percent of wrestling is between the ears.”

His confidence has waned at times this year.

“It definitely hurts your confidence and wrestling is all about confidence,” Richardson said.

Lakeland coach Rob Edelblute has seen the old Richardson lately.

“I think it’s close to being healed,” Edelblute said. “It’s just now getting more of the mental part down. He’s feeling a lot of pressure because he won state as a freshman. He needs to just wrestle hard and have fun. The rest will fall into place.”

Richardson figures he’s close to being 100 percent.

“It’s really frustrating knowing that you’re better than what you’re wrestling,” he said. “I think it’s more frustrating to (Edelblute). I think we both know that I’m not wrestling to where I need to be to win another state championship.”

Richardson has plenty of competition in the practice room to push him so he can measure his improvement. There’s junior Kyle McCrite (125), who lost to Richardson 5-0 in an all-Lakeland state final last year, and former Lakeland state champs Zach Horsely and Brandon Palaniuk stop by from time to time.

Richardson and McCrite are best friends dating back to when they started in the sport in elementary school. They decided not to be at the same weight this year because the experience of facing each other in the state final wasn’t as enjoyable as they thought it might be.

“It’s great having Kyle as a (workout) partner because he has a phenomenal work ethic,” Richardson said. “Having great workout partners really helps because they know what it takes to win.”

McCrite is ranked No. 1 at 125.

“He’s getting healthy,” McCrite said of Richardson. “I think he’s pretty close to where he should be. He just needs a little more conditioning.”

Richardson knows repeating will be much more difficult than winning his first title. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that the top-ranked wrestlers at 130 are mostly seniors.

“There was definitely a sense of urgency to get better in a hurry,” Richardson said. “I just have to keep the momentum going. I can’t let up. I have to work harder than anyone else in the state.”