By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
As good as Bishop Murray has been in a unprecedented four-year wrestling career for Washburn Rural, the Junior Blues' star 120-pounder is constantly looking for more.
And that's the attitude Murray will take on the mat Saturday in his final Class 6A state tournament at Park City's Hartman Arena.
“I’m not like other kids that may get complacent,'' Murray said. "I’m always getting better, I’m never slowing down and I always want to be better than that other dude. I don’t want to see anyone in the room that’s working harder than me.That’s going to piss me off.
“I’m definitely one of my toughest critics, me and my dad (Greg Murray). Him not so much, but when I need it he does, and I’m definitely always one of my toughest critics.’’
Washburn Rural star 120-pounder Bishop Murray looks down after pinning an opponent earlier this season. [Rick Peterson/TSN]
Murray burst on the high school wrestling scene as a freshman when he won the 6A 106-pound championship and he finished third at state as a sophomore (more on that later) before winning his second state title at 113 pounds a year ago.
Murray will enter Saturday's state meet top-ranked at 120 with a 26-1 record and Washburn Rural coach Damon Parker said he has no doubt that Murray will be ready.
“He’s an intrinsically motivated kid,'' Parker said. "I don’t have to do a lot to get him going.’’
Murray has been even more motivated since taking the lone state loss of his career, to Derby's Cody Woods, in the 2019 quarterfinals.
Woods was awarded a pin that Murray still doesn't believe happened, but he battled back through the consolation bracket to finish third, ending that run with a win by pin over Woods.
“A loss is a loss and I hate losing more than anything, but it doesn’t even affect me anymore,'' Murray said. “But that made me definitely step up my game. That, along with feeling like people were slowly catching up to me and I felt like I really needed to put the gas down and really start putting the pedal to the metal and be the best I could be and show these kids that I’m better than them and they’ll never reach where I’m at.’’
Where Murray is at according to Parker is at the top of the list of the all-time greats in Rural history.
“If he makes it to a third title we’ve never had a three-time champion,'' Parker said. "There’s no argument. Bishop Murray’s the best wrestler that ever came to Washburn Rural High School.''
Bishop's twin brother, Bowan, is also expected to make some noise Saturday, taking a 28-3 record into the 138-pound division, and when Bishop's not on the mat he will be rooting Bowan on.
"He’s like my other half,'' Bishop said. "We’re really close, but when we’re in the room we’re fighting, literally every second for every point, because we don’t want to give anybody any room to think that he’s better than me or I’m better than him.
"We’re so competitive, that’s what makes us good.’’
While Bishop Murray's focus is obviously on trying win state title No. 3, he's also just as determined to help top-ranked Washburn Rural capture its first-ever boys state wrestling title.
“Mainly I’m worried about showing (the state) my team because my team is truly great,'' Murray said. "Me and my (wrestling) family have built a great team over these last four years and we’ve built a team that’s ready to go and beat the crap out of people in the state tournament.’’
