When Connor Medbery walked off the field after his last football game, it was a bittersweet day for the Loveland High School senior.
While the loss in the Class 4A quarterfinals last month marked the end of a stellar football career, it also meant that the focus of his athletic abilities switched full time to his greatest love: wrestling.
“It was definitely hard to leave the field knowing it was probably my last game playing football,” said Medbery of the Nov. 19 loss to Broomfield. “But it was bittersweet knowing I had something good to move on to.”
With a wrestling resume that includes 85 consecutive wins and two state championships the past two seasons, the decision seemed simple to pursue wrestling beyond high school. And Wisconsin, a Division I wrestling powerhouse, heavily recruited the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder. But Medbery was conflicted.
“It was tough to make that final decision,” he said. “But I wasn’t getting too many looks in football, which was partially my fault for not getting my tapes out and things like that. But once I made my decision to wrestle, I was pretty happy with it.”
If the Badgers’ lofty status wasn’t enough, they had the bargaining chip of Medbery’s former Loveland teammate, the record-setting Tyler Graff, on their roster.
Medbery, a two-time Class 5A champion in the 215-pound weight class who moved to heavyweight this season, did commit to Wisconsin. But the process was more soul-searching than simple.
That’s because he also developed as a late bloomer in football, a fullback who rushed for 1,969 yards this season while excelling at defensive end.
Medbery, who spurned Virginia Tech, Missouri and Penn State among others, got a gleaming endorsement from Graff, who won four state titles at Loveland (2005-08) and hosted Medbery’s official visit. Wisconsin was as impressed with the budding physical therapy major as Medbery was of the university.
“He fits in really well with the family atmosphere,” Wisconsin coach Barry Davis said. “He can be successful both on and off the mat, and that’s really what we look for.”
Medbery is competing this weekend in the Northern Colorado Wrestling Classic and appears at home on the mat, according to his father, who said it’s been apparent for a long time that wrestling was Connor’s calling.
“He really turned the corner in the sixth or seventh grade,” Jim Medbery said. “He always had the interest, but a lot of times he got beat when he was younger. He was usually bigger than most kids his age, so he’d often have to wrestle the older kids, who were a bit stronger. Once that evened out, he really started to excel.”
Medbery came on strong in football this year. The Post recognized him as an all-state fullback last season, but his numbers didn’t border on stratospheric until this fall. Schools such as Colorado State and Wyoming might have viewed him as a intriguing prospect if he hadn’t committed to wrestling.
“Last year, and at the beginning of the summer, he was a little iffy, but I think during the summer he realized wrestling was a better fit for him,” Loveland wrestling coach Jim Sanchez said. “He was very successful in high school football, so I’m sure he’ll miss it, but he’ll enjoy wrestling.”
Sanchez is delighted to have Medbery, a Cadet national champion and All-American over the summer, in the fold for one more season.
“He’s highly motivated, and at that level, you have to have that intense motivation that’s going to push you to the next level,” Sanchez said. “He does all the extra running, lifting and conditioning that make him one of the best in the nation.”
Sanchez couldn’t pinpoint a particular technical aspect of Medbery’s repertoire that stands out because “he’s great in all aspects of wrestling — top, bottom and neutral.”
Coach and wrestler agree the move to heavyweight will require some adjustment because those matches often involve more strategy than lower-weight matches, but this season should serve as a good litmus test. Medbery (119-2 in three seasons) will wrestle heavyweight in college.
“I think the biggest thing is I’m a bit undersized,” Medbery said. “I’m at 245 or 250 right now, and that’s the typical size for college — but in high school, the heavyweights are a little bigger. But I think I can use my speed and strength to make up for that.”
High accomplishments
Loveland senior Connor Medbery’s notable accomplishments on the mat and the field:
Wrestling
• 119-2 career record entering the season.
• 85-0 combined record as a sophomore and junior, winning Class 5A 215-pound title each season (moved to heavyweight this season).
• Cadet National Champion and All-American in 2010.
• Committed to Wisconsin.
Football
• The Denver Post’s 4A all-state fullback in 2009.
• Rushed for 1,969 yards this season and also was a standout defensive end.
• Front-runner to be named The Post’s All-Colorado fullback (team will be unveiled Dec. 26).
