Three days in Fargo with Griffin Parriott

Griffin Parriott entered Fargo ranked among the nation's top 25 seniors overall (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

"This is the year, Elwood. The jinx will be broken. I'm making the finals next weekend. I should get Mason Manville on the big stage come Saturday."

These were the words of a confident Griffin Parriott a few days before he traveled with the Minnesota Storm for the freestyle portion of the Junior National Championships in Fargo. It's a shame this event is ignored by eighty percent of the wrestling fans in the country. All the wrestlers know about it. All the coaches know about it, but many fans don't. This is undoubtedly the most difficult tournament anywhere for a high school-aged wrestler. Later I will learn there were 107 wrestlers in Parriott's bracket. In every other event, the brackets are usually 32 deep and twenty-five percent of the wrestlers place. Here the number is less than ten percent. It's ridiculous how crazy tough this event is.

I asked Griffin who is on his side of the bracket that might cause trouble. "I think I'll get Hayden Hidlay in the semifinals." I immediately remembered his two matches with Hidlay at the Super 32 Challenge last fall. Parriott won the first match on Day 1 on his way to the semifinals before taking a heartbreaking loss to Michael Kemerer in overtime. That was the match where all the national media started asking, "Who the hell is Griffin Parriott and where in the world has he been?" Parriott would go on to lose to Hidlay and finish fifth that weekend. But no one was going to forget who he was.

Griffin Parriott is well known in the state of Minnesota. As an eighth-grader he came within a whisker of defeating Kyle Gliva, a three-time state champion from Simley, in the finals of the state tournament. As a sophomore he proved that was no fluke as he ripped through a tough group of wrestlers and beat Maolu Woiwer of Apple Valley in the championship of the Minnesota Christmas Tournament. He was chosen the Outstanding Wrestler in what is regarded as the toughest in-season event in Minnesota. He would go on to win two state titles and will likely win a third this season. He is in every national poll's top five and InterMat has him as the No. 22 senior in the nation

Day 1: Thursday

Griffin really is as confident as he sounds. He thinks he's the best guy here. I ask him about Mason Manville, who is the defending Fargo and Cadet World champion. "I can beat him. He can't stop my offense and he doesn't score like he used to." How about Larry Early (the Minnesota Gopher recruit)? "Well, he's going to have to take out Manville, but I think I can beat him too." His confidence is infectious and doesn't really come across as boastful. He believes in himself like the top guys do.

Griffin Parriott opened his tournaemnt with a technical fall over Gavin Millhouse (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Like many odd-shaped brackets with high numbers, there are many who receive a bye. Parriott is one. He will not have any matches in the morning. His first opponent is Gavin Millhouse from Oklahoma. Millhouse finished third in 6A in the Sooner State and should be a good test. Parriott gets on his offense right away with a front headlock with exposure. After a break he pulls off a sweet looking ankle pick for two more points and is enjoying a comfortable 5-0 lead. He immediately goes to an trap-arm gut wrench and rolls Millhouse for back points. Another quick flurry and the match is over, 10-0. Any 10-point lead and the match is over. This one took one minute and 10 seconds. He runs a lap around the converted football stadium to build a sweat. He's all business and he's ready. "If I win the next one, I get Erickson from Iowa. That kid's tough. He gave Brady Berge a heckuva match a few weeks ago, 6-2."

His next opponent is Billy Goff from Connecticut. Goff is a multiple-time state placer, finishing second and fifth. This bout is a mismatch from the opening whistle. Parriott gets two easy and quick takedowns for a 4-0 lead. He uses the same trap-arm gut wrench and picks up six more points to win 10-0. It is finished in exactly the same amount of time as the previous match, 1:10.

"I'M FEELING GOOD. I think you're finally going to get have a wrestler you follow make it to the big stage." There really is a big stage here. It is permanently being used throughout the week just like any other match. But come Saturday morning it will be dark and there will be spotlights everywhere on this elevated four foot high stage. The closest thing to this is the stage used at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. It can do funny things to a young guy here.

Elwood takes in the action matside (Photo/David Peterson)

Here is a list of wrestlers I have followed in years past:

2014: Fredy Stroker, fourth place
2013: Tommy Thorn, DNP
2012: Jake Short, third place
2011: Brandon Kingsley, fourth place

None of these big-time recruits made it to the finals the year I shadowed. Thorn would come back the next year and win the championship. Stroker would come back this year and win it. But not on my watch.

We head over to watch Cole Erickson in his match. Erickson is rolling along and wins by technical fall, 14-4. There will be no more matches at 152 pounds today.

Day 2: Friday

We are now in the round of 16. The winners will make the quarterfinals. While waiting we watch Mason Manville come out on top in a tough match. Parriott watches Manville and is thinking about how he's going to be able to score on him. Everyone talks about how great Manville's defense is. He is very good.

I find out Cole Erickson is a four-time state medalist in Iowa, but never a state champion. He signed with the University of Iowa and as junior beat Larry Early 8-1. He also went undefeated (6-0) at The Clash representing his high school, Mediapolis. This round is where the Fargo tournament gets very rough. Anything can happen here.

Griffin Parriott picked up a technical fall in 1:18 against Cole Erickson (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Griffin Parriott vs. Cole Erickson

This match starts with another flurry as Griffin gets an early takedown, 2-0. The referee breaks the action and both wrestlers are neutral again. Parriott uses a hard head snap and quickly drops to Erickson's foot catching him off guard. It's another easy two points, 4-0. Parriott keeps the right leg and grabs the left. He starts twisting leg over leg forcing Erickson to roll through. Each roll is worth two points and there are four quick ones in a row. The scoreboard shows 12-0 Parriott and this one only lasted 1:18. So far no one has scored a point on Parriott and no one has made it a full six minutes. "I want to finish as the champion and win every match without being scored on!"

He runs another lap and by the time he returns he is pretty excited to report Hayden Hidlay just took a surprising loss to someone from California. "Man, I thought for sure I would get Hidlay in the semifinals. This makes it a little easier." I wonder about that. Whoever it was that knocked off Hidlay has to be very good.

I ask Parriott about the last time he took a loss. "I lost to Zain Retherford this summer. But I gave him a tough match." Retherford is a former champion here and was a Division I All-American as a true freshman at Penn State. Any high school kid that can stay with Zain Retherford is for real. I'm beginning to believe Griffin Parriott is going to make it the large stage come Saturday.

We are down to eight wrestlers left at 145 pounds without a loss. The talent left at this point is crazy. On a nearby mat Mason Manville is facing Larry Early. Every wrestling junkie is looking for a spot to get a good view. It feels like we are watching the championship of the world as these two make it to the center. Larry Early gets a takedown in the first 10 seconds. The crowd gasps in surprise at the ease of this. Early protects the lead and is wrestling with confidence. Mason tries a few leg shots but looks slow and the moves look choreographed. Early picks up another takedown, 4-0. Later in an act of desperation for points, Manville loses a takedown and gets tilted on his back. Mason Manville has lost and will not repeat as champion.

Griffin Parriott works to finish a takedown on his way to a 10-0 victory over Hunter Willits (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Quarterfinals: Griffin Parriott vs. Hunter Willits

Colorado's Hunter Willits, like Parriott is a two-time state champion. He survived a giant bracket here last summer, finishing seventh. This match starts like the previous three with Griffin on the attack. From another front headlock he dumps Willits to his back and jumps out to a 2-0 lead. There is another break and Parriott quickly uses his speed to get in on the legs for another easy two points, 4-0. This is followed by another slick two-legged takedown and it's 6-0. Parriott wastes no time as he secures a trap-arm gut wrench and rolls Willits twice to win 10-0. This match lasted 1:30.

After the bout the Purdue coaches are all smiles as they wait to talk to Griffin. Getting Griffin Parriott to commit to Purdue is a big deal for the Boilermakers. They have not had much to brag about in the last decade and I'm sure they have to feel good about landing one of Minnesota's top seniors. "I feel great about going to Purdue. I hope to be the face of that program and there will be more big names following me." He tells me in confidence who they are and my eyes open wide. Purdue may soon be ready to join the top programs in the Big Ten.

Griffin Parriott battles Evan Wick in the semifinals of the Junior freestyle competition (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Semifinals: Griffin Parriott vs. Evan Wick

As this match is about to get underway, it's starting to feel like the Manville vs. Early match. Everyone wants to get a good spot and most are wondering who this Evan Wick is who knocked off Hayden Hidlay. There's a buzz in the air. Evan Wick does not look like the other opponents Parriott has faced. He's long and lean and looks like he should be playing basketball. Wick was fourth in California's one-class state tournament. He was the champion at the Freak Show preseason tournament a year ago, but did not place at the Ironman in Ohio the previous December. Most people believe Parriott will keep rolling here.

Like his previous matches, Parriott goes right after Wick and gets a takedown in the first 30 seconds, 2-0. The next points will take a full minute but he secures a takedown for a comfortable 4-0 lead halfway through the three-minute first period. Wick tries some offense of his own and gets a tilt from a whizzer. It's the first time someone has scored on Griffin, 4-2, as the first period comes to a close. Parriott has not made it this deep in a match. He looks a little startled giving up those two points.

Evan Wick works for the fall (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

The second period starts exactly the way the first ended. Wick gets in on Parriott's legs. Griffin uses a whizzer but gets tilted and we are now tied 4-4. Griffin takes charge and attempts a two-legged takedown. Nothing. The referee breaks it. On the whistle Parriott gets in on the long legs of Wick, but Wick uses his long arms and tilts Griffin. It's now 6-4 Wick. There's just under a minute to go as Wick picks up another point on a pushout to lead 7-4. Wick picks up another takedown and puts Parriott on his back. There is just 15 seconds on the clock as the referee looks to the scorer's table and lowers his hand. Griffin Parriott is pinned. There will be no match for him on the stage on Saturday. There will be no 152-pound champion from Minnesota. There will be plenty of tears.

I know better than to try and interview a wrestler after taking an unexpected loss. The pain is beyond words and no wrestler wants to talk about it. I leave him alone. There is nothing more personal in wrestling than losing. There is no other sport that has the ability to make a tough guy break down and cry. So many try to hold it in until they can get out of sight. Most can't. Watching a young man lose his dream is awful. Wrestlers at this level hardly ever lose and have no real concept of how it feels. They cannot relate to an opponent who they just beat that falls apart. It's perfectly normal to beat another opponent and crush their dreams. But it's unimaginable to think it could happen to them. The embarrassment and shame is magnified and blown out of proportion. Top wrestlers, like Parriott, don't lose often and they especially don't get pinned. It's heartbreaking to watch Griffin come apart. All anyone can do is watch. There are no hugs, pats on the back or words of encouragement. No one would dare try.

Now it's about where Griffin is going to finish. He can't drop any farther than sixth. The question is how much does he have left in his heart. He will have to wrestle within 30 minutes and I notice his match is scheduled for the big stage. His opponent is Hayden Hidlay. Since Hidely's loss, he has run off three straight wins.

Consolation semifinals: Griffin Parriott vs. Hayden Hidlay

Griffin Parriott battles for position against Hayden Hidlay in the consolation semifinals (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Hayden Hidlay knows what it's like to wrestle on the big stage. Earlier this week he was crowned the national champion in the Greco Roman competition after beating Manville. He is a two-time state placewinner in Pennsylvania and is currently the 20th-ranked senior in the country. He is committed to North Carolina State.

Hidlay runs up the stairs to get to the center. Parriott is moving slowly and looks like he would rather be anywhere else but in this match. Hidlay charges Parriott and picks up a pair of pushouts for a 2-0 lead. Parriott roars back with an ankle pick for a takedown to tie it up at 2-2. Hidlay gets a quick reversal for one point and after a break, picks up another pushout. It's now 4-2 Hidlay with 35 seconds left in the first period. Hidlay sweeps in for a nice double leg takedown and it's 6-2 Hidlay after the first period.

Hidlay looks strong, determined, and hungry. He gets in on Griffin's legs again for two more easy points, 8-2. After a break in the action, Hidlay scores another takedown and transitions to a lace for a turn to secure a 12-2 win.

In the last half hour, Griffin Parriott would be pinned and lose by technical fall. There is no one that would have seen this train wreck coming. He will be wrestling for fifth place tomorrow. Later I had a chance to talk to Griffin's dad, Mark. He was in the audience and knew after the semifinal loss there was trouble ahead. "It doesn't matter if a loss happens," Mark says. "It's when the loss happens. Hidlay was on a nice roll since he took his loss. Griffin was stunned in that semi match vs. Wick. He was not anywhere near ready to wrestle Hidlay."

Sadly, he was right. Mark is humble but proud of his son. I asked him about Griffin's confidence and fun-loving personality. "Griffin is good kid. There's nothing extraordinary about him. He works hard and has natural talent. But he's a normal kid in a high profile, individual sport. I'm proud of his success, but I'm more proud of the kind of young man he is becoming. I expect he will be a good father and he will probably look for a way to start a business. I've been lucky to have him as a son."

Day 3: Saturday

Fifth place: Griffin Parriott vs. Wyatt Sheets

Griffin is all smiles this morning. He is feeling confident and tells me he going to finish this thing with a win. His opponent is a kid from Oklahoma, Wyatt Sheets. He's another multiple-time state champion and has quite the bloodline. His dad is legendary wrestler Mike Sheets . Mike was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American at Oklahoma State. This looks like another tough opponent.

Griffin Parriott won 6-3 over Wyatt Sheets to place fifth (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Griffin starts out moving well and uses that signature ankle pick for an early 2-0 takedown. He quickly traps Sheets' arm and rolls him for a two-point back exposure, 4-0. There's a break and they go neutral. Griffin grabs the head and rolls him over for another two points. The first period ends with Parriott ahead 6-0. The second period starts with Sheets coming after Griffin. There are several rough exchanges without any points scored. We are now halfway through the second and it looks like Griffin is done with his offense. He is daring Sheets to try to score on him. The referee picks up on this and warns Parriott to start moving. He gives up a penalty point for stalling or what is now called passivity, 6-1. In the last minute, Sheets picks up a pair of pushouts for two more points. But it's too late. Griffin Parriott will pick up the 6-3 win and finish in fifth place. Meanwhile, Larry Early is in a war with Evan Wick in the finals. It's a seesaw affair, but Larry Early takes the championship.

The pageantry of Fargo is like no other tournament. Placing in the top eight here is highly regarded. Winning the championship in Fargo is the most prestigious national event a wrestler can win prior to college. It's hard to overestimate what a title here means to an athlete. We started the week with 107 kids at 152 pounds. There were probably 12 of those who had a realistic chance of winning. All 107 thought they would finish in the top eight. 99 left with a broken heart.

Griffin Parriott gets his hand raised after his last match in Fargo (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

152-pound All-Americans:

1. Larry Early (Illinois)
2. Evan Wick (California)
3. Hayden Hidlay (Pennsylvania)
4. Luke Troy (California)
5. Griffin Parriott (Minnesota)
6. Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma)
7. Mason Manville (Virginia)
8. Ryan Klemp (Idaho)

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Three days in Fargo with Griffin Parriott

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