By Don Ketchum

Kevin Henderson wrestled most of his junior season at Lakeside Blue Ridge in 2010-11 with a badly injured shoulder. He still managed to win the Division IV state championship at 189 pounds.

Now he is strong and healthy again, leading one to wonder what kind of damage he is capable of inflicting.

Henderson had off-season surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. It prevented him from playing baseball for the Yellowjackets. He wouldn’t allow it to keep him from wrestling as a senior, and he has shown he is well on the way to a repeat with a 23-2 record.

He now wrestles at 195 pounds. He won the title in a tournament last weekend at Round Valley, and this weekend will be one of the leading competitors in the Doc Wright Wrestling Invitational at Winslow High.

The tourney is one of the biggest in the state outside of the state tournaments and features 36 teams from most divisions as well as a handful of schools from out of state.

“There will be a lot of competition there,’’ he said. “It will be a good weekend for me to test myself.’’

Henderson has been wrestling most of his life. He began early in elementary school when he joined other “pee-wee’’ kids from the White Mountains area to form a solid group. Just as in football, the area has continued to produce outstanding wrestlers.

“I just love the one-on-one competition,’’ he said. “You are responsible for the outcome.’’

Leon Syth, who has been at Blue Ridge 12 years, the last four as head coach, said Henderson came into this season in much better condition than before, was a lot quicker and had more agility.

“The No. 1 thing with him is his determination,’’ Syth said. “He goes out with a vengeance. He knows how to get the guy (opponent) down and knows how to escape.’’

Henderson agreed. He said he tries to be as aggressive as possible in the opening moments of a match.

“It depends on the opponent, really,’’ he said. “I try to come after them sometimes, but with a guy who is supposed to be better and stronger, I might wait a little to see what he does.’’

Henderson also is a baseball pitcher, although he had to sit out last season when Blue Ridge won the state championship. He plans to pitch again this spring. He also has a 3.9 grade-point average and takes a couple of honors classes.

After he leaves Blue Ridge, it will be on to college. He is weighing his options as far as wrestling is concerned, but might concentrate on academics. He plans to study exercise science at Arizona State or Grand Canyon University with the hopes that will help him land a job as a physical therapist.

Perhaps it will allow him to help young athletes return from injuries, just as he did.

Doc Wright teams

Teams in the Doc Wright Invitational: Whiteriver Alchesay, Bayfield (Colo.), Lakeside Blue Ridge, Phoenix Bourgade Catholic, Chinle, Chino Valley, Clark (Las Vegas, Nev.), Flagstaff Coconino, Mesa Dobson, Dove Creek (Colo.), Flagstaff, Ganado, Gilbert, Tuba City Greyhills, Holbrook, Keams Canyon Hopi, Joseph City, Kingman, Kirtland Central (N.M.), Many Farms, Maricopa, Mesa, Heber Mogollon, Bullhead City Mohave, Monticello (Utah), Kayenta Monument Valley, Page, Pinon, San Juan (Utah), Show Low, Snowflake, St. Johns, Tuba City, Surprise Valley Vista, Fort Defiance Window Rock, Winslow.