Gothard wants to be a state champion in wrestling for Lemont.
His first name is from ‘Rocky’ in honor of Apollo Creed. Now, Apollo Gothard wants to be a state champion in wrestling for Lemont.
Article Written By: PATRICK Z. MCGAVINDAILY SOUTHTOWN |DEC 19, 2019 | 1:33 PM
Lemont junior Apollo Gothard thinks about it often.
In last season’s Class 2A 220-pound state championship match, Gothard suffered a bittersweet 1-0 loss to Cahokia’s Jacob Bullock.
“I play the match in my mind all the time, but I do not really dwell on it,” Gothard said. “Now, I am playing to win, and I do not want second place ever again. I am fixing all of my mistakes.”
Winning regularly has remained a constant for the dominant Gothard, who finished 44-3 last season.
Competing again at 220, he has a 9-0 record this season with seven pins.
He’s also the top-rated wrestler in 2A at 220, according to the rankings of Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association.
Even so, Gothard is not one to be content with either the past or his current status.
“He has a great love for the sport,” Lemont coach John St. Clair said. “He puts in a tremendous amount of work during the offseason.
“He is never one to just believe that wrestling is from November to February. He puts work into getting stronger.”
Gothard made an auspicious debut as a freshman by finishing fifth in the state at 195.
The 6-foot Gothard combines strength, quickness, balance and a hyper-competitive drive, according to St. Clair.
When he was barely able to walk, Gothard saw his older brother Damyen practicing on the mat and realized that would be his destiny.
“I wanted to do it so badly,” he said.
His father, Keith, is responsible for Apollo’s distinctive first name.
“All of my siblings have unique first names, and when it came to me, it was my dad’s turn,” Gothard said. “He was watching ‘Rocky’ and he heard the name, Apollo Creed, and he just said that was a champion’s name.”
Last season, Gothard also helped the Indians qualify for the 2A dual-team state quarterfinals.
Now, his quest is to be the last man standing. Wrestling is his only sport, a point of pride and a mark of his identity.
“I wrestle five days a week,” he said. “I spent a lot of time on the mat and in the weight room. I have the attitude that I am better than everyone and I have put too much into this to lose.”
During the offseason, he trained at a facility in Addison that also involved work in the Brazilian martial arts technique of jiu-jitsu.
“We all believed we let one get away last season,” St. Clair said. “The kid he lost to is a Division I wrestler. Definitely, I’d say, coming that close and coming up a point short is a driving force for him.”
At his weight class, Gothard is setting the standard. And that’s how he wants it.
“I just love everyone else knowing I am the best,” he said. “I love that other people want to chase after me. I always want to be the best and achieve whatever I can.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.