INDIANAPOLIS — Crown Point sophomores Paul and Will Clark haven’t learned how to cover their tracks yet.
“We’ve kicked a couple of holes in the wall,” Paul Clark said with a laugh. “We’re going to have to learn how to patch drywall soon.”
Will Clark added a similar thought as he laughed too: “Yeah, we destroyed a lot of stuff.”
The fraternal twins — Paul Clark being older by five hours — spent their childhood as each other’s biggest rivals.
Now as teammates — Paul Clark wrestles at 220 pounds with Will Clark at 195 — the former combatants are part of a Crown Point team that is well positioned for a shot at a team state title after the opening round of the state meet at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday.
Paul Clark (30-8) eked out a 2-1 decision against Columbus East’s Tommy Morrill, who is ranked No. 5 at 220 by IndianaMat, five spots ahead of Clark. Will Clark (34-4) won with a third-period pin of Perry Meridian’s Ronin Hammond.
The Clarks are two of the nine Crown Point wrestlers who advanced to the placement round on Saturday. Brownsburg was the closest team with eight wrestlers advancing.
There’s still a competitive spirit driving the Clarks, but they may not have the market cornered on sibling rivalries in their family. There are triplets in seventh grade: Zach, Ben and Samantha.
Paul and Will Clark said any lingering animosity between them has cooled since they entered high school.
“It’s gotten better,” Paul Clark said, before Will Clark finished the thought: “But sometimes it still gets a little chippy.”
As the Bulldogs set their sights on winning their first team state title since 2009, the Clarks didn’t expect to lose any sleep over the anticipation of Saturday.
“I get excited for these moments,” Paul Clark said. “I didn’t train this whole season just to be nervous for this.”
The Clarks weren’t the only successful sibling act from Northwest Indiana on Friday.
Chesterton sophomore Hayden DeMarco pinned Cathedral’s Aden Reyes at 120, and his older brother Gage, a senior, earned a 9-6 decision against Hamilton Southeastern’s Max Broom at 195.
With their bedrooms right next to each other in their home, Hayden DeMarco said wrestling has been a hot topic for much of the week.
“Whenever we’d see each other, we’ll just ask if they’re ready for the weekend so we’re in the right mindset,” he said.
Gage DeMarco wanted to make sure of that.
“Hayden hadn’t seen these tougher guys in the state yet,” he said. “I wasn’t worried, but I know he had to be ready for something that he hadn’t seen yet.”
The DeMarco brothers took care of business Friday, even if the order of that business was a little different. With the heavier weight classes wrestling in a morning session — instead of the usual format of all 14 classes in ascending numerical order — Hayden DeMarco watched his brother wrestle first and then had to wait several hours for his turn.
“It got me a little antsy,” Hayden DeMarco said. “I just sat in my seat the whole time thinking that I couldn’t wait to wrestle.”
Given that this is Gage DeMarco’s final appearance at state and this could be their final weekend as teammates, Hayden DeMarco said they’re going to spend Saturday hoping to match each other win for win.
“We’ve talked about this being his last rodeo here at state,” Hayden DeMarco said. “I’m trying to do my best so that if he pulls it out and ends up in first, I’m right there with him.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.