Josh Capen is determined to have his very best finish as a wrestler this season.
Ithaca’s 215-pound senior wrestler is off to a 29-0 start with 22 pins. His toughest match was an 8-3 win over Eric Faber of Meridian High School in the finals of the Ithaca Invitational.
Capen is trying to make up for last year, when he was injured and couldn’t compete at the state finals. He ended last year at 42-2, and since then, he has been determined to go all the way this season. Also a three-year varsity football player on three state title teams, Capen spent time during the off-season wrestling and attending a camp at Central Michigan University.
The key to his success, Capen said, has been being able to control the mat. He indicated that he’s wrestling well in all areas but hopes to improve on his shooting.
“I like being on the bottom, he said. “I can get out of that.”
Looking ahead, Capen is confident against all potential opponents and expects to do well throughout the regionals and beyond.
“At state, I’ll see a few tough matches,” he said, but he doesn’t hesitate to predict how far he intends to go at the state finals this season in order to keep his winning streak intact: “All the way, man,” he said.
Capen is not only determined, but also confident. “This is my last sport,” he said. “I plan on being on top.”
Capen is among the Ithaca wrestlers who also played football. Being in both sports complements each, as far as he’s concerned.
Close matches “will make me sharper,” Capen said.
“He’s got a serious focus,” said Ithaca coach Daryl Dawe. “Everything he does in practice and everything he does right now is just to get that state championship. He’s solely focused on that; it’s what he’s working for.”
Dawe praised Capen’s defensive ability. “His hips are so powerful,” Dawe said. “When opponents shoot in on him, they can’t hold him down. Nobody can hold him down from his top position. He’s so fast off the whistle. He’s got the ability that if he gets a hold of your leg, he’s so strong and powerful that you can’t get away from him.”
If Capen continues to improve and to stay away from mistakes, he’ll be tough to beat.
The team, Capen said, “is doing all right, nothing to brag about. It’s been better than last year.”