Everything comes together

By PEDRO VELAZCO
Tribune sportswriter

February 12, 2007 12:06 am

— FORT WAYNE — Western assistant wrestling coach David Shepherd saw his opportunity and pounced Saturday evening.
Walking behind the curtain where the IHSAA Fort Wayne Semistate honored place-winners, his pace quickened as his son D.J. Shepherd and the other three 125-pound wrestlers were about to be honored atop the podium.
“I might be able to sneak this one in,” said David, a former Panther grappler. “I don’t have another son coming up.”
With that, a memorable day got just a touch more special.
David assumed the role usually occupied by the head coach of the winning wrestler — the Panthers are coached by David’s younger brother Chad — and handed out the ribbons to the top four 125-pounders, capped with a first-place ribbon and large, cardboard tournament bracket to D.J.
That finished a thrilling ride for D.J., one of three seniors from the Tribune area who took titles at Fort Wayne. D.J. Shepherd and Peru’s Derrick Duke are both making their third trip to the State Finals at Conseco Fieldhouse after a year-long absence. Kokomo’s Eddie Castro is making his first. Each had a unique and challenging journey.
Redemption
A year ago, D.J. Shepherd seemed sure to reach his third state finals in as many tries when his hopes crashed in the semistate. He lost a controversial match in the second round — the round that determines state finalists.
D.J. Shepherd thought he’d completed a move late in the match, picked his head up, and looked at the referees to signal his points. He didn’t get them and the match ended seconds later. Several minutes of discussion didn’t change the minds of the referees. The semistate and state finals went on without him.
“I think about that every day, knowing what can happen at any moment,” D.J. Shepherd said. “That’s the thing about wrestling, anybody can get beat.”
Saturday morning, D.J. Shepherd made sure he got back to the state finals with a victory on that same mat — mat No. 1 — in the ticket round.
He said last year’s disappointment served as “motivation. I haven’t worked this hard in practice ever.”
Then he surged all the way to the title, winning the championship with a pin in the first period. After winning the championship, Shepherd bounced up and flashed a 3 sign with his hands to the Western contingent in the stands for his third semistate crown.
He was overwhelmed with gratitude after the championship match.
“I just really wanted to give a shout out to my teammates, my family, and God. Without them I’d be nothing,” he said.
With them, he’s something else. His closest match at the semistate was an 11-4 victory in the semifinal round.
As a senior, he’s consumed with the thought of a run at state glory in his final season.
“The past two weeks, it’s really emotional knowing that I’m probably going to be done after next week, so I just want to go out strong, do what I can,” he said.
Relief
Kokomo senior 103-pounder Castro was overcome after finally breaking down the barrier and getting to state. He had made three previous trips to the semistate and never been able to advance. Saturday he knew he had to break through.
“I didn’t have another chance if I messed up,” he said after qualifying for state, but before the semifinals and finals. “Plus, I’ve been down here so many times, it was time to make it to state.
“Freshman year, I was nervous because you see all these people and you’re a freshman. Sophomore year, it was like double overtime or something like that [when I was eliminated]. It was pretty close. And junior year, I wrestled at 112 and I was like ‘you know what? That match my sophomore year I should have made it, and you know what? I’m going to make it this time.’
“That moment right there was really what drives me. You’re so close to making it. I don’t want to regret anything, so you’ve gotta make it this time.”
When he won his first match and ensured passage to state, he was overjoyed.
“It’s this match that’s just what I’ve been waiting for, this match I’ve been practicing for,” Castro said. “After winning that match, all that pressure — relief — just fell off my shoulders. It felt so good.”
And then he added one more thing:
“I’m not done yet.”
Indeed. He surged to dominate the semifinal and take the title match 6-5.
And with that, goals that he re-set after winning every step of the way, got even higher. After presenting Castro with his ribbon and weight bracket atop the podium after the Kat senior took the title, Kokomo coach Rob Leavitt and Castro talked briefly.
“I told him we’re not done,” Leavitt said. “I told him to enjoy these experiences but when we come back [today], we’ve got a job to do. This is a great accomplishment but he has the potential to do a little bit more next week.”
Castro, who made a point to thank the coaching staff, is up to the challenge.
“I’m ready for next week. I’m excited,” he said.
Renewal
Duke is also on his last go-around through the state tournament, but unlike the other two, this is just his third season of high school wrestling.
Duke made it to state as a freshman and placed eighth at state as a sophomore. His life on the mat was manageable, but events off the mat took a toll and he took a year off.
“My dad — we had some family problems,” he said. “He went to prison. I just took a year off. There was a lot of stress.”
Surviving that time made Duke even stronger when he returned.
“I figured, you know, what better way to come back and do it undefeated?” said Duke, who is now 28-0. “[Taking a year off] was kind of a moment to regain my composure after what was happening. It provided me with a little extra mental strength, and now I think I’m capable of making it under the lights at Conseco. It’s helped me out a lot.”
Refreshed and hungry again after his season away, Duke won his first two matches Saturday with pins in the first period, then took the 160-pound title match 2-1. He said his takedowns were the key to his success, and was glad to have a difficult championship to focus him for the challenges at state.
“Next week’s going to be probably the stiffest competition I’ve had all year, by far,” Duke said. “It’ll be a good competition to see how I do and see where my ability levels are.”

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