During eighth grade, Bryan Romero tried wrestling for the first time.
Thinking back to those days, the East Aurora senior recalled how negative his impression was about the sport — and how his experience was influenced by dejection and loss.
“It was a very mediocre season and I don’t think I won any matches,” Romero said of his initial foray into wrestling. “I didn’t like it and I just stopped.”
Three years passed, with Romero becoming a standout linebacker and running back for the Tomcats in football.
Frank Davison, East Aurora’s wresting coach, noticed Romero’s breathtaking combination of athleticism, quickness and power.
“Word for word, coach Davison told me he fell in love with the way I played football,” Romero said. “He told me he wanted me to come back out. He guaranteed me I was going to be good.
“I listened to him.”
Listen up. Romero (15-3) is now blitzing opposing wrestlers at 220 pounds with a beguiling blend of power, speed and versatility.
His highlight this season? Being named the MVP in the upper weight division of the Plano Reaper Classic in December.
The results are not the only difference from his first go-round with the sport.
He has transformed himself physically as well.
“I was a lot heavier back then, probably 250 or even 255,” Romero said. “During the pandemic and playing football, I lost a lot of weight, put on a lot of muscle.
“I started looking at my diet and made sure I was eating right.”
He had to begin again, though, as a wrestler. But with his football-sculpted lean body, everything was easier.
“I had to almost forget everything,” Romero said. “It was something almost completely new to me when I came back last year.”
Davison said the two years Romero spent away from the sport hurt his development and technique, even though his raw athleticism is a compensating factor.
“I wish he had never walked away,” Davison said. “We are glad to have him back, and he is a heck of an athlete. He has more heart than anyone else.
“He is still catching up on technique and knowledge, but he wins a lot of matches on pure athleticism.”
Arnold Walker, a junior, played tight end and defensive end for East Aurora. At 285 pounds, he’s the Tomcats’ heavyweight and Romero’s daily training partner.
“He has pushed me a lot from last year to this year, and I have become a better wrestler because of him,” Walker said of Romero. “He is a great teammate.
“We practice moves together. He is physical and very fast, and he made me become the best that I can out there.”
If playing linebacker created an ideal template for being fast and aggressive, Romero is fully in command of his wrestling style.
“With football, if the team loses, everybody loses,” he said. “With wrestling, I feel like I can always turn the tide.
“Once I get out there, even if the team is losing, I have the chance to do something great out there.”
Romero is focused and intense. Sports bring out a different part of his personality, according to junior Leonardo Dealba.
“With football and wrestling, he is a completely different person when he is outside those sports,” Dealba said. “He’s a very likable, loose, and goofy guy, but he takes competition very seriously.
“You can tell how far he wants to take it.”
Now, wrestling — not football — is his calling card moving forward. Romero is pursuing wrestling opportunities for college.
“It’s really just my second year of wrestling, and I feel like the potential is still there,” he said. “I think compared to most people, I’m really good. I really like wrestling.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.