Kevin Radcliff sure packs a punch.
The returning state qualifier from Rich East tips the scales at just 113 pounds, but there’s no doubt he’s more powerful than he looks.
“He’s pound-for-pound the strongest kid in this building,” Rich East coach Matt Shank said.
Radcliff, a junior, spent his entire offseason lifting weights in hopes of improving his spot on the state podium — he was sixth in Class 2A last season.
It looks like his hard work is paying off.
Radcliff now bench-presses more than 200 pounds, and that strength was on display Saturday at the Rich East Rocket Invitational. Radcliff won the 113-pound championship with two pins and a dominant 16-3 major decision in the finals against Morton’s Ceasar Meraz.
“Ever since last year, I’ve been working every single day, all summer, to get bigger and stronger,” Radcliff said. “All these little tournaments, I just work hard so I can have that final goal — state.”
Radcliff was joined atop the podium by teammate Sam Tijerina (106 pounds).
“That was our goal: for him to be in the finals and for me to be in the finals,” Radcliff said. “He’s a great training partner. We battle all practice.”
Crete-Monee’s Mike Foy earned the Most Outstanding Wrestler award after winning the title at 160 pounds. Foy didn’t start wrestling until his freshman year, but he comes from a pretty good gene pool. His father, Michael Foy Sr., wrestled in the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics.
“He wanted to me to decide what I wanted to do,” Mike Foy said. “He said as long as you put in the work and the time, the results will start coming in.”
Foy’s younger brother, James, placed second at 120 pounds.
“If we’re just watching TV, (our dad) will get up and show us some moves,” Mike Foy said.
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It was a spirited overall performance from Crete-Monee, which took reigning champion Merrillville (Ind.) to the wire. Merrillville won with 221 points, followed by Crete-Monee with 203.5 and Morton with 175.5.
Crete-Monee advanced six to the finals and also got wins there from Christian Hall (138) and Cresencio Betancourt (152).
Bloom (155), Rich South (108.5), T.F. South (103) and Rich East (94.5) rounded out the top half of the 14-team meet.
Rich South received a pair of titles from Cody Ralston (195) and Chuma Ifezue (220).
Ralston pinned Crete-Monee’s 2015 state qualifier, Lavall McNulty, in one of the more anticipated championship bouts.
“That win got my hopes way up,” Ralston said. “I went in there thinking that (McNulty) was going to pound on me, but I just took it to him and wrestled my hardest.”
T.F. South’s Jake Tisza and Bloom’s Raekwon Williams took home titles at 170 and 126 pounds, respectively.
Logan Malloy is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.