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By DAVID WOLMAN
Traveler Sports Editor
sports@arkcity.net

When Garrett Jones came to his first wrestling practice at Arkansas City High School shortly after the 2006 Christmas break, he was nervous, somewhat timid.

He didn't know what to expect, as it was first-ever high school practice. He also didn't know anyone on the team, except for Kash Biddle -- both of whom wrestled at the Winfield Kids Club, a youth wrestling club based in Winfield.

Jones had just transferred from Oxford, where there is no wrestling team.

Jones initially narrowed his choices to Winfield and Arkansas City. He, along with the advice of his coach at the Winfield Kids Club, chose Arkansas City - with the final decision coming down to the difference in coaches.

Along with Jones' decision came a big risk.

Just transferring to Arkansas City didn't guarantee him a spot on the team - he had to earn it. And if Jones didn't make the team and decided to transfer to another school, he would lose a year of eligibility.

But Silvis knew what Jones' main reason was in transferring to Arkansas City: to wrestle.

"He took a big risk in coming here because that didn't make he was going to make the team," Silvis said. "It didn't mean he was going to make friends. That helped focused him in."

Initially, Jones thought that the level of intensity in practice and his competition was going to be the same as the Winfield Kids Club.

"I was beating everybody and pinning everybody," said Jones, who placed fourth at state in his final season with the Winfield Kids Club. "I came into high school thinking it was going to be the same. It wasn't."

Jones was in for a big dose of reality.

After the first day of practice, Jones applied several ice bags on his body to recover from the physical toll he took. He also went straight to bed and slept for 12 hours.

There were times during the first week that he thought he might quit the program.

"The first week was horrible," Jones said. "I had to force myself to come back."

But Jones battled through the pain and stuck with it.

"I knew it was going to get tough, but I wanted to get better," Jones said. "I knew I would get better here. That's the reason why I came here."

With the season already a month old - and his competition having several matches under their belts - Jones struggled. He won only four matches last season, but was on the verge of qualifying for the state tournament. With Jones holding a one-point lead over Rylan Dalke of Newton in the quarterfinals of their Class 5A regional, Jones thought all he had to do was hold on.

But Dalke scored a reverse with six seconds remaining and held on to end Jones' season.

"I was mad. The coaches were mad at me," Jones said. "I knew I had let myself down because I had that match won. I should've went to state, but I let up and he took advantage of it."

Even though Jones lost, Silvis thought that match gave Jones a jolt of confidence.

"I think that match him realize that 'I'm good enough to do this,''' Silvis said.

It also helped Jones to realize what areas he needed to improve on, and he made a serious commitment to do just that.

For two hours a day, five days a week, Jones worked out in the weight room and on the practice mat with Silvis and senior Scott Elliott.

Jones noticed the results of the hard work in his first match this season. He needed only 48 seconds to pin McPherson's Juan Rosas.

Jones thought that it was going to take him longer to pin Rosas, but that's okay with him.

"I wasn't really surprised because I knew that I got better, but I was excited," Jones said.

Added Silvis: "Last year, he didn't develop any confidence in himself. This year, he has (confidence)."

Jones has continued to impress. He's won two 112-pound tournament titles this season - Arkansas City Invitational (Dec. 1) and Rose Hill Invitational (Feb. 2).

Jones enters Saturday's Class 5A regional at Valley Center ranked fifth at 112 pounds.

The success he's had this season can be attributed to his off-season workout regiment.

"That's 100 percent of the reason where he's at now," Silvis said.

Jones hopes to erase last year's memory at the regional and advance to the state tournament (Feb. 22-23 at Hutchinson).

"I'm hoping to make a name for myself at state," Jones said.

As Jones keeps piling up the wins, it gets harder for him to stay under the radar.

"It's hard to keep him under the (radar) because at every seeding meeting (at a tournament), every coach is like 'who's that little (112-pound wrestler) you've got," Silvis said.

Over a year later, Jones' risk has turned into a big reward.

"He stepped out of that box to try to get better," Silvis said. "Sometimes it doesn't work. It worked this time."

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Class 5A Regional Tournament
Saturday 10:30 a.m.
Valley Center High School