Joe City wrestler uses heart in come-from-behind win

Posted by Quentin Jodie | Feb 20, 2020 | Wrestling |

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz.

Joseph City sophomore Terrell Kinlicheenie felt that the state seedings didn’t reflect his true aptitude as a wrestler.

Kinlicheenie was seeded third for the Arizona Division IV state-wrestling tournament last week but in remarkable fashion the Joseph City grappler captured gold in the 106-pound division on Saturday night at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley.

“I should have been seeded higher than that,” said Kinlicheenie, who finished the year with a 42-3 overall record. “I had the toughest way to the championship but I came out as the No. 1 wrestler.”

In Saturday’s finale, Kinlicheenie recovered from a four-point deficit and forced sudden death overtime against Morenci’s Soloman Lucero.

In the extra session, the Diné wrestler came up with a takedown to score a 12-10 come-from-behind win.

“He was down but he didn’t pack it in,” Joseph City coach Brad Fischer of his pupil. “He kept coming.”

Despite trailing 10-6 in the second period, Kinlicheenie didn’t let that deter him as he was determined to bring home a state title for the Wildcat wrestling program.

“He doesn’t have the motor that I have,” Kinlicheenie said of his opponent. “I knew that he was getting tired and I knew that he didn’t want to go to sudden death because I was about to get him pinned. He was going to give up before I did.”

After Kinlicheenie forced overtime, Fischer felt a little more confident about his pupil’s chances.

“At that point, knowing his heart I felt that he was going to find a way,” he said. “I can’t say enough about him, his family and his teammates who support him.

“It’s a big thing for all of us. Hopefully it’s a start of something great at Joseph City,” he added. “You get that one you start to get another one and another one, so it’s something we can build on.”

Going into the championship match, Fischer said they knew Lucero was going to give Kinlicheenie a challenge even though his 16-8 record didn’t reflect that.

“His record didn’t explain how good he was,” the Joseph City coach said of the Morenci wrestler. “We were expecting a tough match but we knew Terrell was prepared.

“The difference for me is the heart of that kid,” he added. “He does things right and he does the work. When no one is around he’s working. He’s one of those kids it’s hard not to root for him because he does the work and he does it right.”

“This is an honor because I worked my butt off all year for this,” Kinlicheenie said. “I’ve wrestled all my life and this has been a goal since day one. Now I just have to get a second one.”

The Joseph City grappler thanked his support system as they gave him the drive to compete.

“I could hear them out there in the stands and that encouraged me,” he said of his teammates. “I felt that their energy allowed me to perform at my best.

“I also have to thank my dad for pushing me into the sport,” he said. “He’s taught us so much for me and my teammates and my brothers Troy and Devin.”