Wrestling is definitely a family affair for Warsaw junior Justin Brooks.
The 17-year old is the latest in his family to come through the Warsaw wrestling program, and he'll look to match the performance of his state champion uncle this weekend in Indianapolis."I began wrestling eight years ago," Brooks said. "My dad (Robert Ford) wrestled, and so did the whole side of his family."
Of those wrestling relatives, is Robert's brother Henry Ford, who won the 132-pound state championship in 1979. Now, Brooks is looking for a championship of his own when he competes in the 70th Annual IHSAA Individual State Finals at Conseco Fieldhouse. The first round of the finals begin Friday at 6 p.m.
"Physically, all the guys are pretty close to each other at the state meet," Warsaw head coach Tony Boley said. "It's just about staying focused on yourself."
The trip to state is Brooks third venture, taking fifth in the 103 class as a freshman and fourth in 112 his sophomore year. In last season's loss to Lawrence North's Christopher Quiroga, in a 3-0 decision, a split-second lack of focus was the difference between first and fourth place.
"I could have been on the podium, but my head wasn't in it," Brooks said of his trip to state last season. "I just had a mental lapse."
After a 34-0 regular season, Brooks is looking to for a different outcome this go-round.
"Being down there the past two years will give me the experience to ease the nerves," Brooks said.
And nerves are a big part of the state meet, according to assistant coach Scott Hutcherson. Hutcherson's been a big influence on Brooks, working with him not only through high school, but also during his wrestling days in middle school.
"There's not a kid that can beat Justin," the family friend said. "The only way he will lose is if there's a mental breakdown.
"Last year, I couldn't say that going in," he added. "The state meet is unlike anything else. When you've got a crowd from the Conseco rafters all the way down, you can lose your edge."
Brooks doesn't intend to lose any of his edge, which would nullify all the work he put in during the offseason.
"I tried to run between five and eight miles every other day, and workout on machines that made me use my body weight, such as pull-ups," he said about in summer routine, with the intention of staying in the 112-pound weight class.
To this point, the work's paid off. Not only does he enter the state tournament with an unblemished record and a top seed, he also breezed through the Merrillville Semistate with two pins and a 12-0 major decision for the championship over Merrillville's Carlo Martinez.
"To get a semistate championship with two pins and a 12-point win - that doesn't happen a whole lot," Hutcherson said.
In fact, the 12-point win may have been a bit disappointing to Brooks.
"My goal was to pin everyone I faced in the postseason," he said. "If I think I can do that, then my mindset is in the right place."
And he's got plenty of people ensuring his mind's in the right place. Along with his coaches, Brooks also received some added help at home.
"I have people that keep me going, encouraging me," he said.
"My dad is a really big influence," he said. "He keeps telling me, 'Don't let this get you down or that.',"
Another influence in his life is younger her brother, Jarred Brooks. The 14-year-old is following in the family business, already garnering eight national championships and being a 17-time state champion. In fact, the younger Brooks will be participating in a nationals tournament Sunday in Indianapolis, which will afford Justin an opportunity to watch his favorite wrestler grapple.
"My favorite person to watch wrestle is my brother," Justin said. "He's one person that doesn't get the recognition he deserves."
On top of also being a 12-time state champion and two-time national champion himself, including two triple crowns with wins in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling outside of high school wrestling, Justin's been bestowing his knowledge on his younger brother. And that may actually be making him better.
"By coaching and training Jarred, he's been learning too," Hutcherson said of the Brooks brothers relationship. "At this point, Justin's learning college-level techniques, then passing it down. And when you get to the point that you're coaching someone else moves, then you've got it down."
Justin and Jarred will be together at the this weekend's meet, though Justin wouldn't mind having some teammates with him.
"I'm dreading going down there," he said about being up in a hotel room without his friends by his side.
Routinely, the Warsaw wrestlers keep the mood light prior to big meets.
"I like to have fun," he said of Warsaw's pre-tournament routine. "We always go to the movies or go to Best Buy and play Guitar Hero. We just really try to keep our minds off wrestling."
And after training six days a week, and sometimes seven, taking some time to himself is beneficial. But when he takes the mat against South Adams' Josh Ehr Friday, it's clear his mind will be right back to where it needs to be.
"Some of Justin's strengths are his speed and quickness," Hutcherson said. "He's also a confident kid, so his mental approach is pretty good."
That mental approach stems from his family, which has been pushing him throughout. Along with his brother, father and uncles, he's also wrestling with the memory of his late-grandfather Richard Brooks, who past away last April.
"He's probably my favorite person of all time," Brooks said. "I mean, I love my dad to death, but he was the greatest influence on my life. Whenever I'd ask him if he was going to my meet, no matter where it was, he'd be there. It's driven me."
Following Friday's first round, quarterfinals begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, with semifinals to follow. Consolations will take place at 5 p.m., and the finals slated for 7:30 p.m. And its those finals that Brooks plans to be, with his family watching from the stands.
