Grayslake Central senior Matty Jens stood on the podium and looked down at the gathering area on the floor of the State Farm Center.
Matty Jens, who was being recognized as a state champion for the second time, could see he had a lot of support.
“My family was 5 feet away, in front of my face,” he said. “Everyone was smiling and tearing up.”
But one person in particular wasn’t there. Matty Jens’ father, Louis, who coached the Grayslake Wrestling Club for several years, died after suffering a heart attack during a family vacation in Hawaii on June 23, 2019. Louis Jens was 44 years old.
“I was looking at my mom, trying not to cry on the podium, hoping my dad was proud of me winning two state titles,” Matty Jens said. “He’s the reason I was there. I was doing it for him. The whole gang was there — my mom, grandmother, brother, two little sisters, cousins — and that was special taking in that moment with my family. I did it for my dad.”
Matty Jens (41-1), the 2023-24 News-Sun Boys Wrestler of the Year, ended his high school career at the top when he defeated Rock Island’s Amare Overton by technical fall in the Class 2A state championship match in the 175-pound weight class on Feb. 17.
Matty Jens also won the 2A state title at 182 last year and has been an outstanding linebacker for Grayslake Central’s football team. He considered how much he has achieved in the years since his father died.
“I have some important and special people in my life, but he’s the one I really miss,” he said. “It’s been pretty tough to go through learning how to wrestle without him coaching me since I was 13. It’s crazy to see how much I’ve grown since then and what he would think of me.”
Matty Jens’ older brother, Joey, who wrestles at Milliken, has helped.
“I got my butt whipped so many times (on the mat) by my brother when I was young, but he would tell me to keep wrestling,” Matty Jens said. “Nobody believed in me or pushed me more than my brother.”
Joey Jens earned two state medals during his Grayslake Central career, finishing second at 170 in 2A as a junior in 2020. Joey Jens noted that Matty not only won a state title as a junior but also went 35-0 and would have made their father proud.
“Me and my brother always looked up to my dad,” Joey Jens said. “He was our best friend. We were always doing stuff with him. He always wanted us to be the best at whatever we did.
“He always joked around about trying for perfection. The fact my brother did it in his junior year, winning a state title with a perfect record, it showed his work ethic.”
Matty Jens forged his own path, according to his brother.
“He wouldn’t let what I achieved affect him,” Joey Jens said. “Our dad would say for us to wrestle to our best ability. (Matty) was always accepting of help, but he did it his own way.
“He hates losing with a passion. I knew probably around middle school, around the time our dad passed, his competitive edge had gotten so intense that I knew high school would be a breeze for him.”
Grayslake Central coach Matthew Joseph said Matty Jens’ back-to-back state titles set a new standard for the program. Three other Rams wrestlers each won one state title. Matty Jens is also the program’s first three-time state placer. He lost the 2A state championship match at 182 during his sophomore season, which Joseph said was a turning point.
“That kind of fueled the fire for him to get one in his junior year,” Joseph said. “He was locked in. That was a pivotal point in his wrestling career. That loss drove him from the end of that year to only losing one match in his junior and senior years.”
Matty Jens finished his career with 148 wins, which ranks second in program history behind Alex Cramer’s 159. He hasn’t made a college choice yet.
“I’m proud of myself but still have more to do,” Matty Jens said.
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
