Ready for the Spotlight: Greenfield-Central’s Dorman eager to make his mark at state

0
444
Greenfield-Central’s Dylan Dorman wrestles in the 126-pound sectional consolation match on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019. (Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)

GREENFIELD — Every day Dylan Dorman walks into the Greenfield-Central wrestling room for practice, his eyes gravitate towards the names on the walls.

From the program’s athletics hall of fame inductees to the career record holders, Dorman studies them all, especially the wall of state qualifiers.

Each Cougars wrestler that has reached the state finals has their picture showcased on the wall, signifying an accomplishment that Greenfield-Central assistant coach Ed Hamant has documented over the years.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

Click here to purchase photos from this gallery

Dorman, like most, kept his sights on that prestigious spot on the wall inside the sweltering practice room.

“I’ve looked at that wall all four years. It’s kind of been the dream, making it to state,” the 138-pound senior remarked. “And now, that I got it, I guess everything else is icing at this point. I do really like icing, so that’s good.”

For the first time in his career, Dorman is practicing in late February, and it means one thing. As a first-time state qualifier, once he steps on the floor during the IHSAA wrestling state finals tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, his legacy will be cemented.

Cougars head coach Josh Holden and his staff knew Dorman had the potential from his freshman season, but the reality required time, patience, hard work and more importantly, a cork board, a pen and note card.

“In the beginning of the season, I didn’t necessarily believe in myself that much, but I took a note card and wrote, ‘Parade’ on it and put it on my wall in my room,” Dorman said. “I didn’t think I could make it to the (State Finals Parade of Champions), but I put it on my wall because that’s where I wanted to be.”

A tip he learned from his father, Darryck Dorman, Dylan jotted down his ambition with purpose.

“My dad always tells me to write down my goals or else it’s just a wish, and I did it and I got it,” Dorman said. “I guess I’ll be writing stuff down from now on.”

Dorman nearly reached state as a sophomore, qualifying for the New Castle Semistate at 113 before losing in the first round to finish the season with a 26-16 record.

As a junior, his postseason journey was derailed at regional as a 126-pounder, once again in the first round, as his season concluded with a 23-14 record.

This year, though, things were different. As a senior, Dorman used his summer training the past four years with the Central Indiana Academy of Wrestling and applied his knowledge while finding his own inner self-confidence.

“Last year didn’t go his way, but last year’s regional was rough on us. We had a lot of good kids not get out of that regional, but we knew he was capable. It was a matter of him believing it,” Holden said. “I think this year, he finally did, and that was the big difference. No matter who he wrestled. He knew he could go out and win. It’s exciting to see it happen for a kid like him.”

Ranked fourth in his class, Dorman is going to attend the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology after graduation, which means his wrestling career will end after this weekend.

With a 37-6 record this year, Dorman has 35 pins in his career, ranking him 35th overall in program history. He has 272 takedowns in four years, which puts him at third overall behind fellow senior and state-qualifier Cooper Noehre (392).

He could pad those stats with a potential five more matches ahead, but first he has to win on opening night at state to move into the elite eight and the placement rounds on Saturday.

Dorman, who is ranked 14th in the state by IndianaMat, will face 15th-ranked Chesterton junior Ethan Kaiser (34-5) in the first round.

While the pressure is unavoidable with tonight’s win-or-go-home setup magnified, Dorman is maintaining his steady approach. The same philosophy that netted him a third-place finish at sectional, a fourth-place run at semistate and a regional title with a 12-6 decision over No. 8 Jevian Ross of Warren Central in the finals.

“I feel like it’s the same because I try to take it one match at a time anyway, so I don’t think it really has an affect on my mental game in the tournament,” Dorman said. “I’m just going to go in there and wrestle. We’ve been working on a little plan all week, and I’m going to see if I can pull it off.”

Overthinking won’t be an issue, either.

Dorman, who is trying to chase down good friend Grace Hall for third in his class, has utilized wrestling as his escape over the years. Just as competitive in the classroom as the wrestling room, Dorman prefers instinct and muscle memory or analytics when the future engineer is on the mat.

“Honestly, when I start wrestling, everything goes out the window. I just start going. I try to stick to plans, but it doesn’t always happen,” Dorman said. “It’s a good workout. It gets your mind off school and blow your lungs a little bit before you get back to the books.”

Holden knows all too well how Dorman refuses to lose.

“We’ve seen it from the end of his freshman year. He’s just got the best work ethic in all aspects of his life. That’s why he’s an academic all-state kid two times now. He’s an incredible human being. He does everything the right way,” Holden said.

“He’s the opposite of methodical. I hate wrestling him because he won’t stop for two seconds. He’s just a goer. I think, that’s when you wrestle your best. If you’re thinking all the time, you’re probably slow. And, he’s not slow. He wrestles smart and that comes from practice. Practicing in ways that will help you win.”