The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Hawken siblings savor trip to state
Anyone growing tired of getting beaten in wrestling by Patrick and Jackson Reineke can blame WWE’s John Cena and Randy Orton. No, seriously.
If not for Cena and Orton, the Reineke brothers very well might be swimming for Hawken instead of representing the school this weekend at the Division III state wrestling tournament.
A decade ago, smitten by the television antics of Cena and Orton in a match the boys both term “fabled,” the Reineke brothers decided to emulate their professional heroes.
As they saw on TV, there were fake punches, grappling and some trash-talking. All was fine and dandy until 5-year old Patrick grabbed 6-year old Jackson by the scruff of the neck and slammed his mouth onto a doorknob as if throwing him off a turnbuckle in the wrestling ring, knocking out his front teeth.
“That was about the time Dad enrolled us in the wrestling program at the West End YMCA,” said Jackson with a laugh, noting he and his brother were part of the swimming program at the YMCA prior to that in-house wrestling episode.
That competitive nature, minus the artificial TV antics of WWE, added with their wrestling skills will be at center stage this weekend when freshman Patrick (106 pounds) and junior Jackson (120 pounds) grapple in the state wrestling tournament.
The Reinekes are one of three sets of brothers from The News-Herald coverage area who will wrestle in the state tournament, joining Mentor’s Connor and Nate DeBoe and Lake Catholic’s Conor and Brendan McCrone.
The Reineke brothers
aren’t the only Hawks to be in Columbus. Junior 285-pounder William Lindsey (47-1) will also be in contention for a spot on the podium for Hawken.
“It’s going to be really awesome,” Patrick said of sharing the state experience with his big brother. “It’ll be one of the highlight moments of my entire life. We’ve never been on the same team before (until this year).”
Added Jackson, “You couldn’t ask for anything more than to be there with your brother.”
This is the second trip to the state tournament for Jackson, who will take a 41-4 record into his opening-round bout with Dylan
Matthews of Liberty Center. His first trip last year as a sophomore didn’t go very well, with an 0-2 performance sending him home after the first day of action.
This is the second trip for Patrick, too — sort of.
“Last year I had a photographer’s pass, so I was able to be down there and take photos (matside),” he said. “This is going to be a little different because I’ll actually be competing, not just watching.”
Patrick (41-7) will wrestle Troy Christian’s Caleb Chroer in a 106-pound opener at state, though he isn’t very close to that mark. He said he usually weighs in at 95 pounds, which might
include weight added by his singlet, shoes and headgear.
“I put myself in position where I know I don’t have to worry about my weight,” Patrick said of his style, which often has him on his feet working for takedowns. “I use good technique and use speed to my advantage.”
Jackson said he learned a lot from his 0-2 performance at state last year. He said the experience motivated him to improve weak points in his game and work harder.
“I would say going 0-2 helped,” Jackson said. “Obviously it’s not fun getting a taste and then getting wiped out. But it left a passion in my heart. It made me want to do better.”
It’s been a dream season for the Reineke boys, who hail from Wickliffe. Both have had a lot of success, and both are motivated by each other.
Patrick says he looks up to his older brother, calls him a “very well-rounded” wrestler who is a good leader in the room as far as work ethic and motivation.
Jackson says his younger brother is more technically sound than he could ever dream of being.
But, of course, as brothers are, they can still grate each other’s nerves sometimes.
“Watching him, he makes me nervous,” Patrick said with a laugh, gritting his teeth when talking about a technique mistake Jackson might make in his matches.
Not missing a beat, Jackson chimed in.
“This one kills me,” he said, elbowing Patrick. “He waits ’til the last second to get a takedown. It ruins me every time because then I have to wrestle right after him.”
But come this weekend, the boys will be each other’s biggest fans. The dream of both getting on the awards podium, marking a topeight finish that would make them both All-Ohio honorees, is almost too exciting to even think about.
“I’ve always dreamed of that,” Jackson said. “To have it happen and be reality would be amazing.”