Portis hopes to become Rockford second wrestling champ

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

ROCKFORD — Save yourself hundreds or even thousands of dollars from hiring a personal trainer.

If you want to lose weight, or keep it under control, just talk to Rockford junior Will Portis. He’ll set you straight … or slim.

“I’ll just tell you work out a lot,” Portis said. “The more you work out, the more weight you’re going to lose. It’s that simple.”

We’re not going to argue with Portis. He knows body weight. Actually, he knows several body weights.

“Bumping up weight classes is nothing new to me,” said Portis, who has wrestled effectively for the Warriors in multiple classes — 106, 113 and 120.

“I like the challenge of wrestling 113 or 120,” Portis said. “It’s a nice way to get more matches in and see what you can do against bigger opponents.”

As a sophomore, Portis was a Class 1A sectional champion, a regional runner-up, and a fifth-place state finals placer at 106. That’s where Portis (39-3) will wrestle again this postseason.

“He’s back down to 106 for the rest of the year,” Rockford coach Justin Heimer said. “It isn’t easy for him to stay down that low, but he’s very disciplined and is willing to put in the work.”

Portis agrees that 106 is his optimum fighting weight.

“I feel at my best when I’m there,” he said.

But returning to 106 for his senior season is not going to be one of his goals.

“I think I’ll let my weight take care of itself,” Portis said. “Whatever I come in at next year, that’s where I’ll be.”

Where Portis is right now according to The Predicament’s Class 1A 106-pound rankings is No. 3 behind top-ranked Gable Fox of Bosco — someone Portis beat in the district round last year — and No. 2 Donny Schmit of Wapsie Valley.

At one point this season, Portis was No. 1 at 106 in the same rankings.

“I’ve had a few losses since then,” Portis said of dropping two 113-pound matches to Newman Catholic’s Jeremiah Colon — ranked No. 2 at that weight — and losing to Shea Ruffridge of Pocahontas.

With Colon firmly planted at 113, and Ruffridge the No. 3-ranked 106-pounder in Class 2A, Portis will not face either in his quest to return to state.

“But if I face them again,” Portis said of possible rematches next high school or upcoming club seasons, “I’ll be ready.”

As for Portis’s wrestling home away from home, it’s in Mason City at the Sebolt Wrestling Academy, run by four-time state champion T.J. Sebolt.

“I’ve been wrestling since I was in kindergarten, but I was never really any good until I started going there,” Portis said. “It’s where the best wrestlers around here go during the offseason. You get better training with them.”

Rockford has only had one state champion — Nathan McRoberts in 2008.

“He has a good chance to be our second,” Heimer said, “and he has another year.”