By Jason Williamson

The stage is set for B.J Bertelsman, a freshman wrestler from Belleville High School in East St. Louis as he prepares for his first-ever high school wrestling match.

The pressure is high for Bertelsman since he’s got some big competition.  Bertelsman is facing a two-time Missouri state champion from McClure North in St. Louis.

Bertelsman didn’t know that, though, and he was in for a surprise when he got slammed to the tune of a 2-12 loss.  In the match, there was a moment in which the might foe threw Bertelsman at his own cheerleaders.

Bertelsman may have lost that battle, but he didn’t get pinned.  He doesn’t go down like that.

Bertelsman grew up in East St. Louis and has much wrestling experience himself. He has been wrestling since the fourth grade and has had some spectacular seasons. He won the IESA State Championship in eighth grade and the IHSA State Championship his senior year as a heavyweight. Those mighty accomplishments were reflective of Bertelsman,, as he picked himself right back up when he got knocked down.  He didn’t let his opponents, or even life, pin him.

Bertelsman also wrestled in college but ultimately left the wrestling program at Eastern Illinois University due to a few teammates who were dragging him down the wrong path.

While at Eastern, he met a few soon-to-be Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters.  He wrestled through his junior year in college and parted ways with the mat and hung up his shoes, for now at least.

Bertelsman found his way back to the mat as a coach. He found a job as a coach at Fenton High School: not as head coach, but a coaching job nonetheless. He was there for two years with no state champions. He then made his way to Aurora High School, where he had more success as a first time head coach. He coached there for two years and had a few state qualifiers every year and one state champion, Mario Gonzalez. It still wasn’t a good fit for him, so he moved to Huntley and hasn’t looked back. When he first moved, he was the co-head coach along with the current dean of students Dan Farlik.

“It used to be I was the only one in the building,” said Farlik.

Things changed quickly.

“When I first got here, me and Farlik were the only ones in the building,” said Bertelsman, “and next year I was the only one in the building. From there I took over the head job, and two years ago I was co-head coach and then became head coach.”

By Jason Williamson

The four-year coach is on a roll this year in the conference, but it hasn’t always been that way. He has had his difficulties throughout his past seasons. He’s show that resilience he even had when he was young, not allowing a rough season or match pin him down.

After this season, he won’t be looking back.