Dye Makes Certain He Gets His Share of Wrest

ANAHEIM —  Tim Dye didn’t take up wrestling for any of the usual reasons. He said it was a plain case of laziness.

Coming off a successful football season as a freshman at Anaheim High, Dye was eager to move on to basketball. But his plans changed when he realized how dedicated he would have to be.

“I wanted to play [basketball], but the coach told me I would have to attend practices at 6 in the morning,’ ” Dye said. “When I heard that, I said, ‘No way am I going to wake up that early to play that game. That’s not my thing.’ ”

Dye, now a senior, chuckled at the recollection.

“I guess you could say I was a little lazy. But I needed my sleep. And 6 in the morning . . . that’s just too early.”

Dye didn’t want to sit out the winter season, so he opted for wrestling.

Whatever his motives, Dye is ranked third in the state and first in the county at 173 pounds. He has only one loss in 38 decisions this season. And today , he’s hoping to become the first Orange League wrestler to win four consecutive league titles.

“I think it’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment,” Anaheim Coach Joe Mark said. “I also think Tim has a bona fide chance to place at state.”

Dye, 18, who admits he’s not the strongest or biggest guy in his weight class, relies more on desire.

“I don’t let up. That’s my style,” he said.

As a junior, Dye placed fourth in Division I at the Southern Section finals and third at Masters. However, two early losses at state kept him from advancing to the championship round.

He has no plans to be ousted early this season.

Said Mark: “He’s the most intense competitor I’ve ever seen. He’s a street fighter on the mat.”

Dye’s only loss this season came at a minor tournament in December.

“I guess you could say I got my wake-up call at that tournament. I was getting a little cocky. I was getting arrogant, and that’s when I got beat,” Dye said. “It was this guy from Paramount, who I should have beaten. But I came out full of myself. I forgot an important lesson . . . you can never take anybody for granted.”

At the Five Counties meet last month, Dye defeated Vacaville’s Shane Clark to win the title at 175 pounds. Clark had been ranked third in the state. Before that, Dye pinned Tyler Winslow of Temecula Valley in the semifinals. Winslow was ranked fourth in the state.

Dye’s performance at Five Counties proved he can go face to face with some of the state’s best.

“After my first day at Five Counties, I started to think I can beat these guys,” he said. “And when I pinned Winslow, I had the confidence I needed to go all the way.”

Dye said he watches other wrestlers and incorporates the technique he sees into his own style. His favorite move is the cradle, a hold that squeezes the legs up into the head, which completely immobilizes the opponent for either a pin or near fall.

“I’m working a lot on other things, like my technique,” Dye said. “I hope to continue wrestling in college. I’ve already decided not to go out for baseball because I want to wrestle during the spring. I guess wrestling is my only sport.”