Lowell’s Crocker eyes next step at state
By Tom Wyatt Post-Tribune correspondent February 3, 2012 11:20PM
Lowell senior Jeremy Crocker. | Scott R. Brandush~Sun-Times Media
Calumet Regional
When: 9 a.m., Saturday
Wrestlers to watch: 106 — Michael Garza (Merrillville), Rickie Rodriguez (Morton); 113 — Adam Brodie (Merrillville), Ruben Rodriguez (Morton), Nate Reitz (Griffith); 120 — Adam Garcia (Merrillville), Matt Lechowicz (Lake Central); 126 — Kyle Ayersman (Lake Central), Aaron Ayala (Hobart); 132 — Patrick Manning (Hobart), Al Padilla (Merrillville), Jordan Goodwin (Lake Central); 138 — Tony Vasquez (Hobart), Mike Escobedo (Lake Central); 145 — Matt Hollins (Merrillville), Jake Sebahar (Lake Central), Preston Nelson (Griffith); 152 — Zach Sandefur (Merrillville), Mark Maldonado (Highland), Tony Morales (Hobart); 160 — Bobby Steveson (Merrillville), Scottie Sopko (Hobart), Damian Gomez (Bishop Noll); 170 — Darryl Peppers (Merrillville), Jeff Brassea (Lake Central), Tony Rodriguez (Hobart); 182 — Dominic Fimbianti (Munster), Eric DeLuna (Merrillville); 195 — Kourtney Berry (Merrillville), Romeral Harris (Hammond); 220 — Gelen Robinson (Lake Central), Michael Nickson (Merrillville); 285 — Trevon Williams (Merrillville), Fabian Durant (Morton), David Guerra (Lake Station)
Next: Top four in each weight class advance to Merrillville Semistate, Feb. 11
Crown Point Regional
When: 9 a.m., Saturday
Wrestlers to watch: 106 — Stevan Micic (Hanover Central), Brett Ervin (Crown Point), Andrew Frey (John Glenn), Eric Peek (Portage); 113 — Darden Schurg (Crown Point), Louis Escobedo (Portage); 120 — Paul Petrov (Hanover Central), Josh Fuqua (Crown Point), Dylan Logsdon (Portage); 126 — Trevor Burlison (Crown Point), Julian Torres (Portage), Kenny Smith (Michigan City); 132 — Alex Mavros (Lowell), Cameron Halsted (Crown Point), Jason Spence (Portage); 138 — Joe Kelly (Chesterton), Mitch Roadruck (Lowell); 145 — Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point), Charlie Mavros (Hanover Central), Zach Thorn (Portage), Alex Katsafaros (Chesterton); 152 — Chris Katsafaros (Chesterton), Jake Fuqua (Crown Point), Kenny Hughes (Lowell); 160 — Dusty Schurg (Crown Point), Roberto Espinosa (Portage), Dax Jones (Chesterton); 170 — Jeremy Crocker (Lowell), Mike Eldridge (LaPorte), Jake Wright (Portage); 182 — Morgan Kral (Crown Point), Andrew Schroeder (Michigan City), Miguel Ibarra (New Prairie); 195 — Luke Davis (Valparaiso), Ben Standifer (LaPorte), Ryan Patterson (Lowell), Matt Langbehn (Crown Point); 220 — Tyler Kral (Crown Point), Don Stanish (New Prairie); 285 — Scott Pitrowski (Lowell), Kyle Dalka (Kankakee Valley), Cody Mullican (LaPorte), Josh Swope (Crown Point)
Next: Top four in each weight class advance to Merrillville Semistate, Feb. 11
Note: Rensselaer advanced eight wrestlers to the Logansport Regional, including sectional winners 138-pounder Jeffrey Martin, 145-pounder Skyler Ringen and 160-pounder Michael Roe.
Updated: March 5, 2012 8:07AM
The goal for Jeremy Crocker last year was just to get there. In wrestling terms, the “there” is the individual state meet in Indianapolis.
Crocker, Lowell’s senior 170-pounder, got “there” last year but his weekend ended on Friday. But it’s a two-day tournament. And Saturday is when champions are crowned and when wrestlers take the podium.
“Friday is an amazing night,” Crocker said. “But I want to see what Saturday is like.”
Make no mistake, Crocker had a remarkable season last year as a junior, coming off an injury that kept him out his entire sophomore year.
“He got over the hump of getting there,” Lowell coach Bobby Howard said. “That’s what a lot of kids set their goal at, being a state qualifier. But he’s already been a qualifier.”
So it’s time to take the next step.
“This year, we set our goals a little higher,” Howard said. “We want to definitely get there, but top three is not out of the question for him.”
Crocker takes a 31-2 record into Saturday’s LaPorte Regional. Even though he’s a heavy favorite, he isn’t taking anything for granted.
“Coach always tells us to take it one match at a time,” Crocker said. “And right now, it’s do or die. You can’t look past anyone. Records don’t mean anything right now. It just depends on who shows up that day ready to wrestle.”
And Howard said Crocker is always ready.
“I like to think of him as a gamer,” Howard said. “By gamer, I mean when the big matches come up, he’s ready for them. He wants those big matches, and he doesn’t shy away from anyone.”
It’s part of an unassuming confidence that Crocker takes into each match.
“You definitely have to go in there with confidence in yourself and confidence that you can beat anyone out there,” Crocker said. “If you go in and say, ‘I don’t think I’m going to beat him,’ there’s no way. You’re already defeating yourself.”
That’s the type of attitude Howard likes his wrestlers to have. He said Crocker passes it on to the other wrestlers in the practice room.
“He’s one of our main leaders,” Howard said. “The way he leads is by example. He’s not a big vocal guy, but he’s someone who the underclassmen can look up to. Every time he’s on the mat, he lays it all out there.”
Crocker couldn’t imagine doing it any differently.
“If you tell someone something and do the exact opposite, you’re not doing anything but showing them the wrong thing,” Crocker said. “I’m just trying to show them what I was taught.”
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