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High Schools: Senior aims to be N.M.'s best heavyweight wrestler
Photo by Craig FritzTribune
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Highland wrestler Payton Henderson stretches prior to practice. The senior is 7-0 and expects this to be a successful season. "I want to be the dominant heavyweight in the state," Henderson said. The APS Invitational Wrestling Tournament starts today at West Mesa High School.
Photo by Craig FritzTribune
Tribune
Highland heavyweight Payton Henderson (center standing) watches as his coach Brock Alderman demonstrates a move. When Henderson isn't honing his own skills in practice, he can usually be found coaching others in wrestling. The Highland senior coaches 5-12 year olds in the Hornets' junior wrestling program.
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On the squishy mats of a glasses-fogging wrestling room, Payton Henderson and the rest of the Highland team jog a few laps.
Don't feel bad if you confuse Henderson for a coach.
At 6-foot-1 and 260 pounds, Henderson easily casts the thickest shadow of any Hornet. His build resembles that of Warner Brothers' Tasmanian Devil, only taller.
Henderson can be even more difficult to distinguish from a coach during tournaments.
Or after practice.
Or on weekends.
He often can be found shouting instructions and encouragement to Hive teammates during competitions, such as the APS Invitational, which starts today at West Mesa.
"It makes me feel good to see them win, especially if they used some of the moves I was telling them to do," Henderson said.
Most week nights, after Highland's practice, Henderson helps coach the Hornets junior wrestling program, a group of developing grapplers age 5-12.
On Sundays, Henderson guides them during their tournaments.
"I just love the sport," he said. "I love being around it. My sophomore year I realized, if I could make a living doing this, then that's what I want to do: coach wrestling."
Henderson's passion rooted quickly.
He was already a freshman in high school the first time he stepped on the mat - he only did so because he figured it would help his football career.
"It turned out football was good for wrestling," Henderson said.
Competing in the heavyweight class, Henderson has always been light.
As a 215-pound freshman, he had to learn to be more aggressive if he was going to square off with larger (sometimes by as much as 40 pounds) opponents.
He seems laid back, kind. Henderson's speech is peppered with the no-sirs and yes-sirs you might expect from the son of a Marine.
"He always tries to pretend he's mad at me," said Mike Rode, one of Henderson's regular drilling partners. "But I always know."
Rode laughs.
"He's just a big marshmallow."
On the mats, he's not so soft.
A year after finishing second at state, Henderson is likely the early favorite in the heavyweight class.
Last year he lost only twice: once to West Mesa's Matt Collins, whom Henderson defeated the next day, and once to state champion Cody East (a 4-3 decision), who graduated.
"I want to be the dominant heavyweight in the state," Henderson said.
That's not hard for second-year Highland coach Brock Alderman to imagine.
"He's got a very natural athleticism to him," said Alderman as Henderson and the rest of the Hornets ran sprints. "He's quick and has really good balance for a big guy."
Alderman, who preaches constant movement to his wrestlers, has Henderson polishing those strengths.
That's where Rode comes in.
The All-Metro defensive end was regarded as one of the quickest lineman in the state by football coaches. Henderson outweighs him by nearly 100 pounds, but like his other smaller partners, Rode provides a challenge because of his elusiveness.
"I've been working on my shooting," Henderson said. "Most heavyweights in the state are sluggers, they're not agile. If I can shoot them (a quick, diving attempt to capture a leg), I can catch them off guard."
It's worked well, so far.
Coming into the APS Invitational, Henderson sports a 7-0 record. He has six pins.
Should he falter, you can expect Henderson to self-adjust. His four years of coaching have taught him that.
Henderson started as a freshman teaching his younger brother, Joaquin Towery. Since Highland didn't have a junior program then, Henderson escorted Towery to the mats at Albuquerque High.
Once the junior program started at Highland, it was only natural for Henderson so coach other kids.
"These two kids, Max and Cody Sanchez, I love coaching them," Henderson said. "They listen, and we joke around a lot. We play tag and stuff sometimes. I really like seeing them grow and catch on to things."
It's that feeling that makes it easy for Henderson to plan his future.
He wants to study elementary education, possibly at Jamestown College, an NAIA school where he could go to wrestle.
"Hopefully I can jump on as a graduate assistant (after college)," Henderson said. "Then come back here and be a high school coach somewhere."
Don't feel bad if you confuse him for a coach.
Henderson is one.
