Reaching triple-digits : Max Forsyth’s desire, discipline leads to century mark in wins

By John Burbridge, sports@charlescitypress.com

Max Forsyth is built like a basketball player, but don’t let that fool you.

“He’s actually a terrible basketball player,” Charles City athletic director and boys basketball coach Todd Forsyth quipped in passing.

That may not be a reliable assessment. Todd Forsyth is Max’s uncle who — according to Max — tried to get him to go out for hoops.

“I played in junior high, but didn’t take it seriously much after that,” Forsyth said.

One sport Forsyth does take seriously is wrestling. And if he doesn’t have the body for it, he sure has the heart.

“He is a student of the sport,” Charles City wrestling coach Kevin Wedeking said of his senior 145-pounder. “I wouldn’t call him a natural … It’s unusual to have a kid of his height in his weight class.

“But he’s put in the work to overcome the physical obstacles. He attends camps throughout the year to keep getting better. To be successful, you can’t just wrestle from November through February.”

Forsyth has been in singlets since he was 3 years old. Last week, the two-time state qualifier reached the 100th win of his prep career.

“I don’t really keep my own stats,” said Forsyth, who is 27-4 this season and is currently ranked fourth among Class 2A 145-pounders, “but I was aware I was getting close.”

Forsyth doesn’t view his lanky stature as a disadvantage.

“It works well for me in getting leverage on my opponents,” he said.

Forsyth, who currently has 107 wins as a Comet, hopes to get a few more before his high school career concludes. He also would like to move up in the rankings, and sees a prime opportunity tonight when Charles City travels to Crestwood for a double dual. There, Forsyth will likely face Crestwood junior Trae Pecinovsky, who is ranked second in the bracket.

The wrestlers are no strangers as they have faced each other three times — Forsyth is 2-1.

No matter where Forsyth continues his education, he will wrestle.

“If I end up going to a big school, I’ll do club wrestling,” he said. “If I go to a small school, I’ll likely wrestle for the school itself.”

Forsyth plans to be a wrestling coach someday. In some capacity, he already is.

“I love to coach,” Forsyth said of his volunteer work with youth wrestlers. “When I was young, I always looked up to the high school wrestlers who taught at the camps.”