Ravenwood wrestler Chris Rowland, top, trains with teammate Rohan Nandwani during practice at Ravenwood High School, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, in Brentwood, Tenn.
Ravenwood wrestler Chris Rowland, center, trains with teammate Jacob Castillo during practice at Ravenwood High School, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, in Brentwood, Tenn.
Ravenwood wrestler Chris Rowland, right, trains with teammate Rohan Nandwani, left, during practice at Ravenwood High School, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, in Brentwood, Tenn.
Ravenwood wrestler Chris Rowland pauses between drills during practice at Ravenwood High School, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, in Brentwood, Tenn.
Ravenwood wrestler Chris Rowland, left, trains with assistant coach Jacob Freeman during practice at Ravenwood High School, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, in Brentwood, Tenn.
Ravenwood wrestler Chris Rowland, right, trains with teammate Rohan Nandwani, left, during practice at Ravenwood High School, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, in Brentwood, Tenn.
After finishing runner-up last season in football and wrestling, Ravenwood’s Chris Rowland is trying to make a statement his senior year.
“Once you have that God-given ability, it’s what you make of it,” first-year Ravenwood wrestling coach Bob Kopecky said. “And from watching him it seems he wants to make that statement that he’s the best.”
The versatile offensive threat racked up a team-leading 26 total touchdowns and helped lead Ravenwood to the Class 6A title in December with a 26-17 win over Maryville after losing to the same team by one point in the state final a year ago.
Now, after finishing runner-up in the Class AAA 138-pound weight class by just one point last season, Rowland has wrestled his way to a 13-0 start in the 152-pound class and looks poised to return to the state title match.
Ravenwood speedster Rowland hopes for college chance
Despite the football season being wrapped up, Rowland was getting looks to play in college, even at his wrestling matches.
“(He had) football scouts at all his wrestling meets, and I can’t believe it,” said Chris’ father, Tony Rowland. “It’s blowing my mind.”
Despite his football success, his college offers were limited to Austin Peay, Tennessee State and UT Martin. He chose TSU during Wednesday’s national signing day.
“The only reason (he didn’t get) all the big offers is because he’s not 2 inches taller,” Tony Rowland said of Chris, who is listed at 5-foot-9. “It’s going to be somebody’s loss.”
Ravenwood’s Chris Rowland headlines TSU signing class
Ravenwood wrestler Chris Rowland listens to instructions during practice at Ravenwood.
Sold short
Blowing minds is something that Rowland is trying to make a habit.
There aren’t too many people outside of Ravenwood who can say they saw the Raptors’ state title win over Maryville even though the Raptors lost just one game all season. And while Rowland hasn’t gotten used to the idea of being overlooked, he said it does provide him with motivation.
“I kind of use it as a chip on my shoulder,” Rowland said. “I’ll say it drives me. I’ll say that. The more I can prove people wrong and getting people raising their eyebrows about me, the better it feels on my end.”
Playing with a grudge might be a reflection of the competitor in Rowland.
Ravenwood waits all year to beat Maryville for state title
“Mentally and physical so far, from what I’ve seen, he’s got it,” Kopecky said. “Whether it’s a chip on his shoulder or whatever it is. He knows what he wants and he wants to win. He’s an extreme competitor. You can just see that he wants to win and he’s going to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
Among those things required to get the job done is a positive team mentality, and although it’s largely an individual sport, Kopecky said Rowland is the ultimate team player.
“We’ve wrestled him at 170 a couple times this year and he doesn’t care,” he said. “Whatever we want him to do, he will do. He’s just that kind of a guy. Whatever it takes for the team.”
His team-first mindset and his athletic ability may be in large part thanks to his original team — his family.
Keeping it in the family
“It’s a family thing,” Kopecky said. “Dad trains him, dad coaches him and Tony knows what he’s doing.”
Tony Rowland wrestled for MTSU before transferring to UNLV, where he and Kopecky first met. He just missed qualifying for the Olympic teams in 1980 and 1984.
But his wrestling involvement didn’t end there.
Tony Rowland built and opened his own gym on his property and trains wrestlers from all over the state. One of his former students includes current McCallie wrestling coach Mike Newman.
But his favorite wrestler to work with is still his son, and their home facility makes training and practice easy to fit in to a busy schedule.
“I built a 3,000-square-foot building so we’re never in a desperate situation,” Tony Rowland said. “We go over the film then we go over what we need to do to improve whatever it is he needs to improve on.”
One down, one to go
So far his senior season has been about as good as Chris Rowland could expect. With a football state title already under his belt, Rowland is primed to finish his dream season when the state individual meet is held in a couple of weeks. The state duals were this past weekend, but Ravenwood was not in the field of 16 Class AAA teams.
“All the goals I’ve set out to accomplish this year have been checked off the list,” he said. “I’m hoping to check this last one.”
If people still don’t believe Chris Rowland can take home a state title in wrestling this year or continue his success of the football field at the collegiate level, that’s just fine with him.
”Just keep doubting me,” Rowland said. “I’m eventually going to find a way to make you pay for it.”
Reach Sam Brown at 615-259-8232 and on Twitter @SamBrownTN.