Familial connections led Howland’s Mock to mat success
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HOWLAND -- It would not be hyperbole to say that Deacon Mock was born to be a Howland wrestler.
Deacon is the son of Greg Mock, a 1992 Howland graduate who has been a wrestling coach for the community's youth, middle school and high-school teams for more than 15 years. And he is also the younger brother of Carter Mock, a 2023 Howland graduate who qualified for districts four times and the OHSAA state tournament as a senior. His sister, Julia, was even a statistician for the Tigers' wrestling team when she attended Howland.
"It was a family effort," Greg Mock said of the balance between the sport and life at home. "Everybody's stronger with the more help they have. I helped with the coaching side. My wife would cook great meals for the boys, whether they were cutting or they just needed to recover. In the wintertime, it was just part of our life, and we all enjoyed it. ... We made it a family affair."
For several years, Greg Mock had no involvement with wrestling. But when Carter turned 5, he began coaching with Howland's youth Mat Cats program, and he has not stopped since then.
Greg Mock served as the Mat Cats head coach for nearly a decade before jumping up to the middle school and, a year later, the high-school level, coinciding with Carter's entrance. Three years later, Deacon Mock joined the team, bringing all the Mocks together.
"Deacon watching his brother, I think, was a big motivator for him," Greg Mock said. "They were on the same team for a year, and that was kind of a special season to have - watching big brother do well and make it to the state tournament, win tournaments along the way, giving him motivation to do well."
Two years after Carter Mock made his trip down to Columbus for the state tournament, Deacon Mock did the same. They each lost their first match of the tournament before rebounding with a win in their second and finishing the event with a loss.
For Deacon Mock, who must place in the top four of his 144-pound weight class at today's Division II district in Kenston to advance to next weekend, there was no shortage of lessons from last year's state appearance.
"Oh, man, I learned a lot," Deacon Mock said. "It's a whole different environment. It's a whole 'nother week on top of everyone else wrestling. It's a long tournament. Every guy's tough. There's a lot of people watching you. But this year, I think I'll have an advantage because I've been there before, so my nerves will be better."
Entering his senior season, Deacon Mock, having won the Canal Fulton Northwest sectional and placing third at the Kenston district as a junior, had goals of sweeping the sectional and district tournaments before placing at state this year. However, a 4-1 loss to West Geauga's Danny Sizler in the semifinals of last week's West Branch sectional put all of those plans in jeopardy.
Fortunately, he recovered and won his loser-goes-home match vs. Salem's Josh Mayhew by pinfall and then defeated Alliance's Macen Kager to earn a third seed at this weekend's districts.
"He did exactly what he had to do," Howland head coach Matt Zakrajsek said of Deacon Mock's sectional performance. "We talked last week, for everybody, the goal is not necessarily to win it. It's top four. Top four advance. And then ideally, with the sectional we picked, top three was OK. Top three is where you need to be."
The same is true of the district tournament, which began yesterday. A top-four finish guarantees a spot in next week's state event in Columbus. Last year, Deacon finished third at 138 pounds in Kenston.
A similar showing today could help him do what his big brother could not.
"I've always looked up to my brother," Deacon Mock said. "I watched him at the state tournament. He got his 100th win at the state tournament, actually, so that was cool. And I knew that, that was my goal, to be on that stage. And now, hopefully, I'll get to one-up him and go there twice."