Post-Tribune

Crown Point wrestler Eric Roach talks to himself briefly when we wakes up each day.

"I tell myself I'm going to win state,'' the 135-pound sophomore said.

"Now, I just have to make it come true. Since I came up a little short when I was a freshman. I'm making sure I'm coming through this year.''

Roach was the state runner-up at 130 pounds a year ago after losing to Valparaiso's Tom Churchard, who also beat him for the sectional, regional and semistate titles.

The four losses to Churchard still haunt Roach, who nearly won one match and went to overtime in another.

While Roach -- who finished 41-4 last season -- acknowledged Churchard is a great competitor, the losses served as great motivation.

"I think about it every day,'' Roach said. "That's what drives me in practice. Sometimes when I get to a point where I think I can't go anymore, I tell myself: 'That's not going to happen again.' "

How driven is Roach to succeed?

After losing to Churchard in the sectional title match last year, he left the gym floor and went upstairs to the wrestling room.

"I put myself through a workout, because I didn't want it to happen again -- but it still did,'' Roach said. "After I lost to him at the regional, I went running that night.''

Another loss to Churchard at semistate resulted in Roach doing "a lot of extra push-ups and sit-ups."

"You have to learn to love to train. It helps you mentally as well as physically,'' said Roach, who's 38-0 heading into today's match with Franklin Community's Nick Smith (38-6).

Roach has trained all year with wrestling room workout partner Jason Tsirtsis for the opportunity to become a state champion.

Tsirtsis (36-2) will compete in the 125-pound weight class for the state title.

Roach and Tsirtsis are two of the five wrestlers competing for the Bulldogs at the state meet, which begins today at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

"Jason and I push each other a lot,'' Roach said. "We've been practicing together since we were little kids. He and my coaches are the reasons I am where I am today.''

Roach said he and Tsirtsis workout in Tsirtsis's basement during the summer.

"He has mats down there,'' Roach said. "We'll go down there and drill for a couple of hours. We'll work on trying to perfect our technique.''

Crown Point wrestling coach Scott Vlink also set Roach up with some challenging workouts designed to make him better.

Whether the pair are working on technique, hand-fighting, or going on long runs, they're striving to become champions.

"I'm looking for the state title -- anything less isn't going to cut it,'' Roach said. "I have to be ready to go out there hyped, pumped and ready to wrestle. Being there under the lights gives me such an adrenaline rush. I'm just really excited. The experience was awesome last year.''

When asked if Roach could bring home a state title, Vlink didn't hold back.

"I think absolutely he could win state,'' he said. "There's no reason at all for Eric to not be in full contention or believe that he can be a state champion. It should be a real goal for him -- one that's very attainable.''

Even though he's only a sophomore, the key to Roach's success this weekend might be his experience.

"He knows where he's at all the time,'' Vlink said. "He's very technical. He has great awareness in terms of how his body should land -- to either score points or keep from being scored on. Believe it, or not, he's better technically.

"You don't make improvements by leaps and bounds when you're as good as he is --improvement is measured in increments. He's gone above and beyond doing the things necessary to get better.''