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02/22/2023 08:06 AMNo matter the twists and turns of his high school wrestling career, Chris Doheny has continuously found his way back to the mat, which has led to him pinning down opponents and finding success both as a superb grappler and leader.
The East Haven senior captain and 120-pound competitor first started wrestling in the early days of 4th grade. Prior to that, he displayed his competitive combativeness with karate. Chris concluded that venture once he earned his purple belt and decided to focus more on wrestling.
Yet halfway through his junior season with the Yellowjackets, Chris paused his wrestling career to go back to karate and jiu-jitsu. This winter, however, he returned to East Haven and collected a 24-10 record this season while helping the Yellowjackets finish eighth as a group at the SCC Championship on Feb. 11.
“You get out of it what you put into it with wrestling. I also love that no matter how brutal it can be with wrestling, you can do whatever you want,” says Chris. “A lot of the people around me, such as my family, friends, and coaches, have helped my success with wrestling. I also spent time with South Side Wrestling Club over the summer. I put in a lot of effort in the offseason for this year.”
While the lifestyle of a wrestler can be one of meticulous labors, such as counting calories prior to reaching the scale, the moments of triumph over any opponent, whether you are the perceived favorite or underdog, are most rewarding to Chris.
“Dieting and weight cutting is really brutal for wrestling,” says Chris. “The practices can also be grueling, but they all pay off, and you push through them. It is so rewarding getting your hand raised when you win a match. It is also great when you beat someone you thought you could not beat or when you win a match that wins the meet for your team.”
As a captain in his send-off season, Chris knew that he had to set an exemplary example for his younger peers, who will be the future of the program. He notes he saw the true fulfilling moments of his leadership role with how they wanted to emulate him.
“Being a captain this year has had a good impact on me because most of the kids in our room look up to me,” Chris says. “The younger guys will ask me where I was if I am not in the room, or they will ask me how to do certain moves and techniques. They want to be like me, which motivates me and keeps me going out there.”
In such a solo-centric sport, the moments before entering the fire of a battle on the mat can be unnerving. For Chris, he rises above it all by simply looking at his adversary and being confident in the fact that he has already overpowered his opponent in year-round preparation.
“Playing music before the match definitely helps,” says Chris. “I put my hoodie up, and I also think about if they were getting up early in the morning during the summer and going through long practices and sweating through the summer. I just think to myself and tell myself that they have not put in as much time as I have.”
Yellowjackets Head Coach Mark Tolla is tremendously impressed with Chris’ level of commitment to the sport for his hometown, which tails all the way back to grade school.
“Chris is an outstanding young man,” says Tolla. “This season, he has been a leader and role model for our entire team. He is generally the first to practice and the last to leave. He has wrestled for East Haven since 4th grade as a member of our youth team. Last offseason, he re-dedicated himself to the sport of wrestling and wrestled year-round while competing in over 50 matches.”
Chris expresses his gratitude towards the East Haven program for producing so many close connections through the hours logged in competition, in addition to the long rides and miles clocked on the road to various tournaments across the state.
“I have made so many amazing friends through the sport,” Chris says. “I have become so close with friends and coaches through wrestling. I love our coaches; they drove us to matches. Seeing how much they care about it really made me want to put in the work.”
When looking towards his future, Chris’ definitive plans may not include two-point takedowns and pinfall triumphs. Still, he is certainly using crucial life lessons learned from the mat about perseverance and personal belief in one’s self to nail down future objectives.
“Athletically, I want to try to earn my black belt with jiu-jitsu. Academically, I will go to Gateway, and I want to major in railroad engineering,” says Chris. “Wrestling has taught me to keep going and never give up. It also taught me to never let anyone speak bad of you or say you cannot do something. You also cannot let anyone bring you down.”