Rutledge shows two sports better than one
By Charles Burney
MDJ Sports Writer
Hillgrove’s Z ion Rutledge can
pin you down on grass just as
easily as he can pin you down
on a mat.
He has displayed those skills
in football and wrestling.
It’s not hard for him, because
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he said he believes
the sports compliment each
other. They work hand-andhand.
“It 100% goes both ways,”
Rutledge said. “Wrestling to
football; I’d say my hands
getting off of blockers is a
lot easier and it comes naturally
to me. Just because,
when you wrestle, that’s all
you do. You hand fight. You
try to get leverage on somebody.
You’re trying to get to
a leg, get to an arm, get off
somebody. That’s all you do
during wrestling, so I think
that comes a lot more natural
to me on the football field.
But I’d say, since football is
my sport, I’d say football to
wrestling is more apparent.”
The Class AAAAAAA state
champion in the 220-pound
weight class, who went 45-2
on the mat, credits wrestling
for his attributes of aggressiveness
and tenacity when
he suits up in pads on Friday
nights.
“I’d say football to wrestling
is more apparent because
there’s some times where I j ust
win because I’m the more aggressive
guy,” he said. “I just
choose to win. And I think football
definitely helps in terms
of strength. I’m stronger than,
like, 9 0% of the guys I wrestle.
So yeah, that is definitely
a big part.”
Rutledge is appreciat ive
o f a l l h i s achievements
but h e i s most proud of
breaking Hillgrove’s football
records.
“I’ve broken a few. It’s just
really amazing in my mind
that I’ve done something at
this school that nobody else
has done,” Rutledge said.
“And that’s the thing that I
will always cherish, and I’m
very glad that I will always
be seen as a special athlete at
this school. I’ve done something
that nobody else has
done. Yeah, that’ll always
be a special part of my life.”
Rutledge led the county with
142 tackles in 2021, adding
4.5 sacks and an interception.
Despite that, he said wrestling
may be his most influential
sport.
“I think wrestling has taught
me so much as a man and
j ust having to do what you
have to do,” he said. “I always
tell people this, you
know, you don’t really know
what you’re made of as a man
until you get on a wrestling
mat because you get on a
football field.”
He has a 4.2 G PA and is
hoping to earn a football
scholarship. Surprisingly,
he has not been recruited
as a wrestler.
“I think Z ion (is a) Division I
football player,” DeShon said.
“(He has) tremendous skill set
( and) tremendous work ethic.
I think you’ll see (him) on TV
on Saturdays.”
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