Ethan Lopez was pinned by an opponent 12 seconds into his very first wrestling match 12 years ago.
The Hagerty High senior was an energetic six-year-old with a budding passion for the sport on that disappointing day.
“I’ll never forget that match,” Lopez said with a laugh. “The kid took me down, cradled me up, and it was done. I was crying.”
But Lopez never wavered. He stuck with the sport after also latching on to football during his early years as a kid growing up in Georgia. He’s realized the benefits of wrestling while playing running back and working to keep his balance as tacklers team up against him out on the football field.