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TACOMA -- Derrick Cooley will learn first-hand the pressure that comes with wrestling at Mat Classic.
When he steps on the floor of the Tacoma Dome this morning, the Kamiakin sophomore will look up from the 24 mats of action filling up a football field to the thousands of fans in the stands raining down their full-throated fervor.
There will be nerves.
But whether Cooley's stay in Tacoma lasts just two matches or goes all the way to Saturday night's final, the 130-pounder likely will ply himself with a calm that belies his status as a state rookie.
He has, after all, already wrestled the most important match of his life.
It was late August when Maj. Scott Cooley was one of 3,400 guardsmen in the 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team called up in preparation for a yearlong deployment in Iraq.
Scott, a statistician for Battelle when he's out of uniform, hasn't had much time with his family since. And it is a considerable family. He and wife Cheryl have six children: Erin, Jessica Dunkley, Daniel, Tara, Derrick and Carlin.
Aside from a quick visit with Cheryl and Tara in October before deployment, it's been mostly e-mails and videos.
Scott had spent the last six years taking Daniel and Derrick to wrestling matches, making trips to state with the whole family or just the boys.
Though the family isn't one of those that lives, eats and sleeps wrestling, the boys enjoy the sport, and their father has always been part of it with them.
Until this year.
After being there in the stands as his kids grew up, Scott found himself relegated to watching Derrick's matches on DVDs his wife made and sent to Iraq.
"That was great," Scott said. "At the end of the day, I'd stay in the office and watch the computer, skip dinner.
"Since I can't be with him, I can still watch him."
Then in January, the family found out Scott would be home for a couple of weeks of leave, falling at the same time as the regional and state wrestling tournaments.
No pressure, Derrick, just qualify for regionals or your dad won't get to watch you wrestle. Nah, no pressure at all.
"I was really hoping he would see me wrestle," said Derrick, who was seeded fourth at districts, a gray area as only the top five advance.
After a loss in the semifinals, he found himself in a key match for his postseason life. Win, and he was guaranteed a berth to regionals. Lose, and he risked missing out on regionals altogether.
"I thought I was going to throw up before the match, I was so nervous," Derrick said. "During the match, it wasn't much better."
Whatever he was feeling, Derrick won the match, pinned his opponent and locked up a berth to regionals and a chance to wrestle in front of his father.
The next weekend in Spokane presented a hairier situation. Derrick lost in the semifinals and faced a "make-or-break" match for state, needing a win against Ferris' Andrew Michel, the top seed from the Greater Spokane League, to qualify for state.
"My nerves built up," Derrick said, "and by the time they called my name (to report to the mat), I felt pretty sick."
He won, though, knocking off the top seed in overtime and opening a floodgate of relief and emotion.
"I have to do this. I wasn't going to lose," Derrick said he was thinking as the match headed into overtime. "It's awesome, probably my favorite weekend so far, ever."
Cooley then lost in the seeding match, putting him into a first-round match today against two-time state runner-up Sam Ottow of Snohomish.
Despite the daunting opener, it's been a big week for the Cooley family, together for the first time since August and likely for the last time for a couple of years, with Daniel leaving on a church mission in March. Erin came in from Auburn, and Jessica took a break from Boise State.
"It's been a little crazy, but I'm glad they're here for it," Cheryl said. "It's been a great week. Perfect timing."
Cheryl added that the family was planning a vacation somewhere to celebrate Scott's leave. But they're only too happy to spend that vacation in Tacoma, watching they're youngest son wrestle.
As for Derrick, wrestling at state is great, and he has no doubt there will be some nervous moments. But he knows whatever happens, his state experience already is a victory.
"It's awesome either way," he said. "Obviously it would be really cool to wrestle the second day (and place), but I'm pretty content having my dad there to watch me."
* Kevin Anthony: 582-1403; kanthony@tricityherald.com
