John Raffel
Sports Scene
It’s no secret that Zack Cooper wants to be a state champion for Chippewa Hills this season. The secret is also out that Cooper could well be on his way to taking another state crown.
“I’m still hungry; I still want another one,” he smiled.
A year ago, as a sophomore, Cooper was 51-2 and took first place in the state finals at 103 pounds. His teammate, Nathen Weckeser, finished fifth in the same weight class at the state finals and was 42-10.
This season, Cooper is 5-1 after winning the Joe Loren Memorial Invitational in his home gymnasium. In the title match, he pinned defending state placer Luke Spotts in 32 seconds.
“The competition was good, decent, like it is every year,” said Cooper, who is wrestling at 112 pounds, up one weight class from a year ago. “It’s going good my way. I wrestled the No. 3-rated kid from Fremont in the finals. I was kind of worried how it would go. He’s good, but I think I caught him.
“He’s getting there,” said Chippewa Hills coach Nate Ethridge. “We’re getting his weight under control. He’s going to focus at 112 pounds.”
Cooper said he likes it at 112.
“I was worried about how the match would go [against Spotts],” Cooper said. “I heard he was pretty tough. We got into a scramble and I wound up on top of him.”
At the Tri County Invitational, Cooper went up against an opponent in the 125-pound class.
“I had him in a cradle, it was the last round, 5-4, I come down and smacked my head on a bleacher and got five stitches,” said Cooper, referring to his only loss.
Cooper had a busy off-season, working on his wrestling and going to various camps.
“I wanted to get better on my feet and get better on bottom,” he said. “I worked on setting up shots better.”
Cooper wants to wrestle the toughest competition possible to get ready for the state finals, even it means taking a loss.
“I’m looking for the best competition I can. If it means getting a loss, I’ll learn from it. The better competition, the better off I’ll be.”
Cooper said when he’s on top, he’s very effective.
“I have to take them down first, and that’s why I went to these camps so I can be working on my feet,” he said.
As of mid-January, Cooper is off to a 33-2 start.Cooper is also hoping his team can be a state contender.
“We have tough guys, my junior class is tough,” he said. “The seniors are tough, so are the sophomores.”
James Leiter, a senior at 125 pounds, won at Chippewa Hills and is at 34-3. Another first place finisher there, John Wernette at 140, was off to a 33-5 start.