Posted: 1/29/04

The epitome: The Panthers' heavyweight Brian Knutson may just be a definition of success

Prepared for the January 30 edition of Sportsweek by Troy Misko

The numbers surrounding the Spring Lake Park (cooperatively sponsored with St. Anthony High School) wrestling team are not great.

Only eight wrestlers on the varsity squad. A serious dearth of athletes competing at the higher weight classes, resulting in numerous forfeits. A less-than-sterling 8-16 record.

Lance Schilling, the team's head coach, is undaunted by the numbers. He remains upbeat.

He talks about the challenges of wrestling, the dedication required, how easy it can be to become disillusioned.

"If a kid doesn't get his hand raised (in victory), he might not stick with the sport," Schilling says, leaning on his "only the strong survive" mantra. Then he pauses, and utters a sentence that hangs in the air, drenched in understatement.

"Knutson has proven he's a strong kid," Schilling says. "He gets his hand raised a lot."

Knutson is Brian Knutson, an unquestionable survivor and the team's heavyweight in more ways than one.

Knutson, a junior, in addition to being the team's heaviest athlete, weighing in around 250 pounds and competing in the 275-pound division, is also its top wrestler.

He more than carries his share of the team's weight. He ranks among the state's winningest prep wrestlers this year.

A 21-1 record compiled through Jan. 27 speaks for itself. It just doesn't speak loudly enough.

Knutson, coming off a 25-victory sophomore season, has worked hard to earn his record.

That's a given.

Lacks daily competition

After all, which wrestler, especially one with such a gaudy record, does not work hard? But Knutson's task has been made more difficult by a serious lack of daily competition. He doesn't have the luxury of facing a teammate of his ability or size everyday in the wrestling room. There's no one to challenge him.

Aside from Knutson, the team's heaviest varsity wrestler weighs in at 145 pounds. Which leaves Knutson peerless.

So Schilling brings in assistant coaches, the heaviest at about 210 pounds, to face the team's heavyweight. When he cannot do that, Schilling himself, all 150 pounds of him, grapples with Knutson at practice.

The only time Knutson encounters someone near his size is during meets. Not that many of his opponents have challenged him any more than his 150-pound coach.

Knutson has registered wins over the fifth- and sixth-ranked wrestlers - Austin's Matt Day and Apple Valley's Jake Morgan, respectively - in the state's 275-pound class. His only loss came to No. 10-ranked Josh Prokosch of Osseo.

Prokosch recorded a second-period pin, but the result could have been very different.

Knutson dominated Prokosch throughout the first period, keeping the Osseo wrestler on his back for much of the period as he grabbed a 5-0 lead. Prokosch turned things around in the second period, though, eventually pinning Knutson with only 10 seconds left in the period.

Schilling wonders what might have been if only his heavyweight could have survived those final 10 seconds and started even in the third period. It's one of the few things Knutson has left Schilling to ponder.

"He's a go-getter," said the coach. "He has the desire to be good and is very coachable. Whatever we throw at him, he does. His desire and agility are his biggest strengths.

Good balance and moves

"He has good balance and moves well for a big kid. He's good when it comes to his moves, too, and he knows what to do when he gets on top of people.

"He really has become a leader in the room for us. We don't have any captains this year, but he's really stepping it up. He runs around like he's a 103-pounder. I would take 10 more of him on my team."

Schilling isn't in a position to be so greedy. He's thankful to have Knutson anchoring his skeletal roster.

Spring Lake Park's football coaches would like to have him on their roster next fall, too.

He would dwarf most of the team's linemen and immediately make his presence felt. Schilling thinks a return to football - Knutson originally began wrestling as a seventh-grader to help his football-playing abilities - and its accompanying weight-training regimen would also benefit the wrestler as he prepares for his final prep mat season.

Knutson won't look that far ahead. No chance.

No matter how much he might be prodded by Schilling.

Focuses on goals

"He has goals - he wants to be in the top two in the section (4AAA) so he can get to state - but he focuses on small goals," Schilling says.

"He's a one-match-at-a-time guy. I've told him he can be the top heavyweight in the state and he says, 'Coach, one match at a time.' "

Knutson should be a threat in the Section 4AAA individual tournament this year. A year ago, despite his strong record, he bowed out of sections after two matches.

This year could be different. The section boasts a bevy of formidable heavyweights, led by St. Paul Johnson's Mitch Pontrelli, the state's No. 2-ranked 275-pounder, but Knutson is right there with them.

Neither Knutson nor Schilling is about to make any predictions.

"I don't know if he'll go to state or not, but I sure hope he does," Schilling said. "He seems determined.

"He's 21-1, but he knows that doesn't mean anything at sections."

True, Knutson's record will be rendered meaningless when the section tournament commences. In the meantime, it represents the most impressive number associated with the wrestling team.

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