Lawson Coltrane (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record)
TRINITY — Lawson Coltrane had one of those moments that will be etched in memories forever in Trinity wrestling circles.
Too bad he didn’t even know it was coming.
In last year’s Class 2A dual team state final, it was Coltrane’s pin in the 165-pound class that clinched the championship for the Bulldogs.
“Whenever I went out there, I didn’t even know it was to clinch it,” Coltrane said recently. “I just went out there. In my head, ‘I’m going to pin this kid, get this done for the team.’ Whatever it is, I’m going to give my contribution to the team and get points for the team. That’s all I had in my head.”
The result of that bout sparked a massive celebration in the eventual 36-31 victory against Seaforth.
“After they told me I clinched it, I was surprised,” Coltrane said. “What was really running through my head was, win for the team and get six (team points). Because that’s how they trained us all year.”
This week, Trinity is back for more in search of a repeat. If the Bulldogs, who are the regional’s top seed, are able to win in the West Regional semifinals and final Wednesday, they’ll return to the coliseum fieldhouse in Greensboro for Saturday afternoon’s state championship.
Now a senior, Coltrane is one of the stalwarts in the middle of the Trinity lineup.
Coltrane opted not to play football as a senior. He had been pegged as a nose guard, but didn’t consider himself effective on the football field.
“I just wasn’t good anywhere,” he said. “I was much better at wrestling than football, so I figured I’d put all my efforts into wrestling.”
His title-sealing moment came in his second season as a wrestler. He blossomed in a hurry on the mats, placing third in the individual states last year.
“I kind of put my head down and grinded,” Coltrane said. “I try to enjoy the process. People think of the end result, but I just kind of got in the room and tried to learn everything as fast as I could, did it as well as I could. As soon as I started seeing the results from the work that I put in, I knew that I could be really good. If I know that I can do something, I’m going to do what I can to get there.”
Coltrane has been used at 165 and 175, ringing up a bunch of victories and individual top finishes this season.
“I think I like to keep a good pace,” he said. “I feel like I don’t take breaks during matches. I’m going all the time. I appreciate being able to say that because our practices are so hard and they push us in our practices. That’s the way our whole team basically is, that we never let up in a match and that’s why we win so many.”
Last February against Seaforth, there were four matches remaining when it was Coltrane’s turn. The Bulldogs were in good shape, especially considering eventual state champion Gavin Hardister was available later.
But Trinity coach Brandon Coggins liked the prospects of ending it earlier with Coltrane.
“He walked it off,” Coggins said. “We felt really good about. It was a good time to go home.”
The situation was a blur for Coltrane as he faced Seaforth’s Alex Hinchman. The pin came in 3:37.
“I was just kind of amped up to be there. I knew that our team could do it from all the work we put in,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking about clinching the title. I was thinking about winning for my team. … Kept on working after that. That’s what I wake up to do, now.”
