There are times, John Pollock admits, when he finds it hard to wrap his head around all that is happening with his son Kyle. There was Christmas in New York, a “bucket-list experience” that culminated with the senior at Wiggins beating out a field of student-athletes from across the country and receiving the High School Heisman.
There was the dinner Monday night in Golden, when Kyle was one of 12 area players inducted into the National Football Foundation’s Hall of Fame.
And, of course, there’s the wrestling scholarship to Stanford; the university is about 1,300 miles as the crow flies from the tiny farming community (population 945) in the northeastern part of the state, but as far as Dad is concerned, going west will be the beginning of a journey that’s impossible to measure.
“I can’t imagine,” John Pollock said. “He’ll see things that you just can’t see from a farm in Morgan County.”
But as good a football player as Pollock is, and he’s a two-time all-state defensive lineman and was a finalist for the 2009 Denver Post Gold Helmet Award, first and foremost he’s a wrestler, which brings us to this week’s state tournament at the Pepsi Center.
The heavyweight, undefeated this season, is looking to finish his career with his first Class 2A state title. He has a pair of runner-up finishes, as well as a third place, in his four-year varsity career, during which he’s 113-9.
“If he wins state, he’ll finish his career with the best record in school history,” Wiggins wrestling coach David Croissant said. “There have been some fantastic wrestlers who have gone before him, but there’s no doubt he’ll be right at the top of that list.”
Kyle Pollock says this year’s meet symbolizes a number of things, among them the end of his prep career, and with it a final chance “to make my mark.” But in some ways, Pollock could stay in Wiggins this weekend and there would be no danger whatsoever of anyone in the wrestling community forgetting about him.
He took care of that legacy at last year’s state championships. After close calls the previous two years, it was supposed to be his year. However, shortly before the state meet he contracted mononucleosis and lost more than 30 pounds, 18 coming the week of the championship.
Undaunted, Pollock wrestled on, making it to the finals against Billy Gray of Crowley County. In a match that featured a number of controversial referee decisions, Gray prevailed in overtime 7-5. Almost immediately, many in attendance vociferously expressed their anger at what had transpired, but soon the booing and catcalls were stopped, by Pollock, who made sure Gray got his due for being the champion.
Then, as he left the mat, Pollock smiled.
“It was just that my dad has always taught me to give my best in every situation,” he said. “That loss was devastating, but I knew at that moment that I had given everything that I could, there wasn’t anything else I could have done different.”
“Billy Gray cried on my shoulders and said it shouldn’t have happened. The other coach came over and apologized,” John Pollock said. “But Kyle’s victory came in competing against himself, and just seeing that smile, even in defeat, was the high point for me.”
There have been numerous other highlights. Pollock is Wiggins’ school president, prom director and class treasurer, carries a 4.0 grade-point average and scored a 33 on the ACT. That doesn’t count the hours he spends volunteering in the community.
“My wife (Lori) has a gift of understanding that happiness is a choice; Kyle makes that choice every day,” John said.
On Monday night, sitting on a dais, jerseys and helmets lined before them, sat some of the most recognized and honored players in the state, among them Danny Spond of Columbine, Gold Helmet winner Matt Brown of Limon and Hunter Foraker of two-time defending Class 5A champion Mullen. But after all the awards and accolades were dispensed and it was time for the players to say thank you to the NFF, fans and parents, the player who spoke for the group was Kyle Pollock, from tiny Wiggins High.
“It’s been a lot of hard work, but I’ve just always tried to do my best,” he said. “It’s nice to get awards and all this stuff, but really I’ve just tried to be the best person I can be.”
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
