By Jeff Yoder
Tristin Richardson was wrestling in his first conference tournament on Saturday, and through two matches and two periods, things were not going his way.
A pair of losses by fall had Richardson (6-13) in a fifth-place match against fellow freshman Maddix Kite of Van Buren. Richardson was also bothered by a shoulder injury suffered earlier in the day, and he trailed 10-1 entering the final period.
Richardson had a couple chances to get a takedown earlier in the match, but it was Kite who was able to finish each time. In the third, Richardson finally got a takedown 19 seconds in and then a pin 12 seconds later.
Richardson didn’t start out in a great position.
“He was on top of me and coaches always say like, ‘you got to go psycho, you got to get out of there,’” explained Richardson. “And then I in the distance, I hear my father say ‘get over his hip.’
“So, I lifted my leg up and put it over his hip and then next thing I know, I'm on top of him.”
Richardson said that adrenaline took over at that point.
“I used everything that I had to get the pin,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it, I’m really glad that I got the finish.”
Richardson was behind 8-0 after one period and trailed 10-1 before he was awarded a penalty point late in the second.
“He kind of tweaked his arm in his previous match, and for the first two periods, he was kind of feeling sorry for himself a little bit,” Highland coach Derick Ball said.
“But he dug deep, and got a fall. And he needed that because he is one of those kids that no matter who I put him out against, or what I asked him to do, he never complains, he just gives me everything he has.
“I was really happy to get him a win. That was big for him moving forward.”