Servis takes on new role following season ending injury
By John Zetmeir
Dodge City Daily Globe
In his first two years as a wrestler at Dodge City High School, Dylan Servis placed at the 6A state tournament twice, including a third place finish last season.
A strong summer season on the national circuit earned Servis USA All-American honors for his age group.
Three games into football season, Servis, who was a defensive-linemen for the Red Demons, sustained a knee injury against Wichita Heights.
There was a lot going through the junior’s mind when he was injured.
“I tried to shake it off and tell myself that it wasn’t (seriously hurt) because I knew if it was that I wasn’t going to get to wrestle,” Servis said. “I told myself that I’m still going to try to go out, it’s still good. I wrapped it up but it didn’t work.”
The injury turned out to be an Anterior Cruciate Ligament tear in his knee. Dodge City head wrestling coach Lars Lueders was able to sympathize with Servis, having sustained a season ending injury when he was in college.
“I gave myself a day to grieve and I gave him a day to grieve but the next day I was over at his house and we talked about a plan of action going forward,” head coach Lars Lueders said.
That plan was for Servis to assume a new role on the team as a peer coach while going through physical therapy.
It has been a new challenge but in the long run, it could help the talented junior become an better wrestler.
“I think coaching definitely makes you think of the little details because you have to show somebody,” Servis said. “The little things that maybe are normal for you, not everyone thinks about. So you have to teach yourself the little details and teach them the little details as well.”
Servis is expected to be cleared in April in time to wrestle in national tournaments this summer.
