CASPER — For years, trying to get a photo of Evanston High School athlete Brady Roberts celebrating, well, anything, was like trying to capture an image of Bigfoot – you wanted to believe it was possible, you just never knew when the opportunity might present itself.
It’s not like the kid didn’t have reasons to celebrate. A two-time All-State running back on the gridiron, he’d scored more than a few touchdowns in his day. But after he’d cross the goal line, he’d calmly hand the ball back to the referee and jog back to the sidelines. And with 150 wins on the wrestling mat – aside from an occasional fist pump, you couldn’t tell if he’d just won a match, or changed the oil in his truck; his expression was the same.
If you asked him about it, he’d shrug, and flash his infectious grin.
“It’s not my style,” he’d say.
That all changed Saturday afternoon at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper. Coming off the mat after winning the 3A State Wrestling Championship at 175 pounds, Roberts could no longer contain his excitement – arms held high, then brought down into a flex, the 2024 State Champion let out a roar four years in the making.
“In my mind, it was finally time to let it out and to just love every second of that moment,” Roberts said, laughing. “I think me keeping it all business the last four years made my final celebration exciting, and worth the wait.”
This weekend’s 3A State Wrestling Championships was full of memorable moments, both good and bad; for some wrestlers, it was the start of what will hopefully become a successful career as a Red Devils wrestler. For others, it was the realization that the clock’s run out on what might have been.
When the dust settled Saturday afternoon at the Ford Wyoming Center, the Red Devils finished sixth as a team, with seven wrestlers earning a spot on the podium.
On the girls’ side, the Lady Devils finished 17th out of 42 teams, with four wrestlers
