There was a brief period when Crown Point senior Will Clark slowed down.
That break had its benefits — and led to one unexpected development.
“I took a week off of lifting to allow my body to recover and get better,” Clark said. “But I was kind of bored. I’ve just been lifting in the weight room every day since, trying to get bigger and stronger.”
That never-ending motor propelled Clark, the 2023-24 Post-Tribune Wrestler of the Year, to his second state title. He pinned Lawrence North’s Brandon Johnson in the championship match in the 215-pound weight class in Evansville on Feb. 17 to end his wrestling career on top.
Clark (33-3), who will play football at Buffalo, won his first state title at 220 last year. The second one didn’t come easy, though.
“Down the stretch, he got into some tight matches,” Crown Point coach Branden Lorek said. “Twice, he was losing at the state finals. But he stayed calm, and that’s something that would’ve been harder for him as a sophomore or a junior. He seemed a lot more confident in what he was doing.”
Clark’s confidence developed over time as he competed in multiple sports in a family with five kids. An outside linebacker, Clark was also the 2023 Post-Tribune Football Player of the Year after Crown Point reached the Class 6A state championship game in November. His twin brother, Paul, was a state qualifier at 285 and will also play football at Buffalo, and behind them are triplets Zach, Ben and Samantha, who are Crown Point freshmen.
Will Clark said he wants to set an example for his younger siblings.
“It just gave me more motivation to keep getting better and just being a role model,” he said. “Even now that I’m done with high school sports and they’re just beginning, they’ll be telling me that they’re doing some of the same things that I was doing at their age, and I’ll tell them that they can do more.
“I’m always trying to motivate them to not just be as good as Paul and me, but to be better.”
Ben Clark, who wrestled at 175, said he understands what it takes to be a successful high school athlete because he watched his older brothers closely.
“It’s always been fun to look up to them and see what I could be,” Ben Clark said. “We’ve always had the same goals as Paul and Will, and we’re working extra hard to be like them — and to be better than them.”
There has always been competition in the Clark family, including the annual Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving morning. The sides remain the same: Ben and Will versus Paul and Zach, with Samantha playing all-time offense alongside their father, Joe, the all-time quarterback.
The familial bonds built in those moments will make the older brothers’ departure for college difficult for everyone.
“It’s going to be hard watching them leave,” Ben Clark said. “But I can’t wait to see what they do at Buffalo.”
Will Clark offered similar sentiments as he eyed the next chapter of his athletic career. He won’t be alone at Buffalo, of course, but he knows it’s going to be much different.
“It’s definitely tough to leave something you’ve known for four years, and the thoughts about it are sad sometimes,” he said. “But I’ve started thinking about it positively, that this is what I’ve worked for my whole life, and it’s going to be great. I’m really excited for it.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter.
