Willard’s Porter Talbot stayed in the 215 weight class all throughout high school.
“His physique has matured and [he has] gotten leaner and stronger and bigger,” said Willard Head Wrestling Coach Jeff Davis.
He stayed disciplined, which means avoiding the holiday meals this time of year.
“That’s definitely probably the hardest part for me when it comes to wrestling because my parents love cooking,” Talbot said. “I have five siblings, so we love to make big dinners.”
Discipline is nothing new for this senior who likes to spend his time outdoors.
“You got to wake up early to go, chase some deer,” Talbot said. “So you’re like, I don’t really want to get up early. But you’re like, oh, what if that big one walks out? Like, I don’t really want to go to practice, but like, what could I learn today? That could and ultimately help me in the long run.”
Those days of practice led him to the big stage twice: earning second and third place. His semifinal victory leading him to the first place match as a sophomore is what he looks back on the most.
“It was funny because my dad doesn’t usually tell me who I’m wrestling just to keep it out of my head,” Talbot said. “But going against the number one kid in the state, I had no clue.”
That was a big win for Talbot. But the Willard wrestling program is always winning big when he is around.
“He’s got tremendous work ethic. He’s very coachable. You know, he’s a hardworking kid,” Davis said. “The thing that’s kind of really stepping [him] up this year is his leadership. He’s talking to the kids. When guys are kind of slacking he’s a guy that calls them out and he’s like, hey, we need to get busy and he does it really positively, which is awesome.”
Discipline is what makes Talbot the ideal teammate and a dangerous opponent.
“My biggest goal this year is just to put everything I have there because it is my senior year. I don’t wanna you know leave my high school thinking I could have done more,” Talbot said.
