Joliet Catholic’s Dillan Johnson is the Herald-News Boys Wrestler of the Year

Trying to come up with words to describe Joliet Catholic Academy’s Dillan Johnson and the kind of run he has had over the past two seasons is difficult.

“Dominant” would be the main word, but even that seems to fall short.

That happens when a wrestler goes two straight seasons undefeated and wins two straight individual state championships, as Johnson has done over the past two years. Throw in the fact that no wrestler has scored a takedown against Johnson during that stretch, and maybe “dominant” isn’t quite enough.

But watch Johnson prepare himself mentally and physically before a match, and another word comes to mind.

“It’s frightening,” JCA coach Ryan Cumbee said. “It really is.”

Johnson begins his preparation about four or five matches before his match is slated to start. He paces back and forth, rarely speaking to anyone. All the while, his face turns from a friendly countenance to a menacing scowl.

“The challenge for Dillan is how to get psyched up for a match that he knows he is probably going to win pretty handily,” Cumbee said. “I think the most excited I saw him this year was at the Ironman [Tournament in Ohio], because he knew he was going to get some tough matches.

“Dillan has made me shift in the way I coach him. I have to remind him to be proud of the fact that he won. Even though he was expected to win, he still had to go out there and execute and perform.”

Johnson, meanwhile, says he prepares for every match the same.

“My routine starts in either the 170- or 180-pound match,” he said. “About five matches before I’m up, I get myself mentally and physically ready.

“One of the biggest struggles is to not take anyone lightly. No matter how good you are, you can’t overlook anybody. You have to prepare the same way for everyone. When I am training and conditioning, I am training and conditioning for the third period or overtime. I have to be ready to go that long if I have to.

“If I overlook someone, I could make a mistake and end up on my back without even knowing how I got there.”

There was little chance of Johnson ending up on his back this season, as he finished the year with a 43-0 record and helped the Hilltoppers to a second-place finish to Washington in the Class 2A State Dual Team Finals.

One of the hardest things for Johnson is finding competition suitable for his skill set.

“There are probably 10 heavyweights in the country that can give Dillan a match,” Cumbee said, “and none of them are in the wrestling room at Joliet Catholic. We don’t have another heavyweight on our roster, so sometimes he goes against the 220-pounders for drill work. But once we start going live, we just put him on the Airdyne bike for him to do conditioning.

“Some of the coaches used to get on the mat and go against him, but he is too much for us to handle.”

Wrestling has been a family affair for Johnson, as has football. He also is a highly-regarded defensive lineman who has received offers from such schools as Missouri and Kansas State. His brother, Eric, was drafted last season out of Missouri State, and his father, Eric Sr., spent a training camp with the New York Jets in 1997 and the next 10 years playing in the CFL, XFL and various indoor leagues.

“Almost every play as a defensive lineman is like a wrestling match, so wrestling really helps with football. And I’ve learned some things from football that have helped with wrestling.”

—  Joliet Catholic two-sport star Dillan Johnson

“I got into wrestling watching my brother, Eric,” Dillan said. “He started wrestling when he was in sixth grade, and I was in second grade and would go to tournaments and watch him. Then I tried wrestling, and I liked it and stayed with it. My dad wrestled during his high school career, too, so it’s in the family.

“The two sports complement each other. A lot of the things I do in wrestling, like the handfighting, helps shed blocks on the football field. Almost every play as a defensive lineman is like a wrestling match, so wrestling really helps with football. And I’ve learned some things from football that have helped with wrestling.”

As the college recruiting process heats up for Johnson, one thing is certain. He won’t struggle to make the grades needed to get into whichever university he chooses.

“Dillan is probably the smartest guy on our team,” Cumbee said. “I am naming him our scholar-athlete for our team.”

Johnson knows that hitting the books is a key to success.

“You have to have the grades in order to play,” he said. “You wouldn’t go out to a football practice or game without your helmet, and you can’t go out there without your grades either. They are part of what is necessary to play.

“I applied for National Honor Society a couple of weeks ago, but we haven’t heard who made it yet. I hope I make it.”