PREP WRESTLING | TEAM STATE FINALS PREVIEW

Merrillville's George Neely remembers the date, the meet, and the opponent. It was Feb. 2 at the Calumet Regional against Highland's Freddie Lopez -- who happened to be unbeaten at the time.

It was for the 171-pound regional title.

"I remember (Merrillville assistant) Coach (Rob) Petyko saying, 'You've got to be the hero,' and, 'It's OK to be the hero,'" Neely recalled. "I had never been the hero before. I never felt like a hero before. So when I lost I really felt I let the team down."

Even though the 8-6 loss didn't mean much -- Merrillville still advanced 11 wrestlers, including Neely to the semistate -- he had a hard time dealing with the setback.

Fortunately for Neely, he got his shot at redemption four days later -- when he pinned previously unbeaten Andrew Szymborski of Crown Point -- as the Pirates stunned the Bulldogs 30-21 and advanced to this Saturday's team state finals for the third straight season.

"I finally got to be the hero -- and it felt good," Neely said.

Neely knows you don't throw the word "hero" around lightly. His one and only hero, his father Carlvene, was taken away from him two days before his 10th birthday. Carlvene was involved in a serious motorcycle crash and died months later from complications from the accident. Today, the younger Neely only talks about the remaining rocks in his life, his mother, Carol, and his head coach, David Maldonado.

"My mom was there before my father passed and she's still there after he passed -- I love her so much," said Neely, who takes a 29-8 record into team state.

"And I don't know where I'd be without Coach Maldonado. I had some behavior problems coming into high school, but he sort of took me under his wing and has been like a second father to me."

Neely didn't start wrestling until his freshman year. He says the sport probably saved his life because he wasn't taking care of himself or his grades.

He's scared to think of life without wrestling.

"It's had such a positive effect on my life," Neely said. "I started caring about grades, my behavior at school -- everything. And Coach Maldonado has always been fair, so I was willing to stick it out. He gives everybody a chance and may the best man win."

Neely knows all about that as he was academically ineligible his freshman year and spent most of the last two seasons on the JV. But this season the 171-pound class has been all his and he's taken full advantage.

"He comes from a pretty tough environment and some of the things he's had to deal with, it's great to even see him wrestling," Maldonado said. "For what George has done on the wrestling mat is an accomplishment of its own."