Roger Lee/Journal Scene

Fort Dorchester senior Wesley Dallas (sitting) singed scholarship papers with Missouri Valley College Wednesday. Also pictured are (l-r, back) Fort AD Steve LaPrad, Fort Assistant Wrestling Coach Ben LaPrad and Fort Head Wrestling Coach B.D. LaPrad.

File/Journal Scene

Wesley Dallas emerged as a leader of the Patriot wrestling team during his junior and senior seasons.

Dallas signs with Missouri Valley -

Wesley Dallas hasn’t always been a model student athlete, but he’s working on it.

As a freshman at Fort Dorchester High School, Dallas demonstrated he had natural athletic ability, which he put to use for the Patriot wrestling and football programs. However, he also demonstrated a knack for finding mischief.

“I used to get in trouble all the time,” Dallas said. “In ninth and 10th grade, I was bad. I even let the team down.”

Among the things he now regrets is the time he didn’t make it to one of the more prestigious high school wrestling tournaments. The wrestler who replaced him lost and the Patriots didn’t place as high as they had hoped.

But those days seem to be behind him.

In his final two seasons as a Patriot wrestler, Dallas became a leader who inspired his teammates.

As a captain this year, he helped the Patriots to a 24-2 season that ended with a four-point loss in the state championship match.

Inspired by his son, two-year-old Kamren Wesley Dallas, and the possibility of earning a college scholarship, the wrestler took care of business in the classroom and on the mat.

Dallas finished the 2008-09 season with a 51-0 record and after finishing as the runner-up in his division two straight years, won his first individual state wrestling championship this winter.

“I feel like I’ve grown up a whole lot,” Dallas said. “My son and coach played a big part in that. I want to make sure that I do things my son can be proud of so I got my stuff together. Coach (B.D.) LaPrad helped me through everything. On the mat, he encouraged me to push myself and off the mat, he made sure I was doing my schoolwork. He always checked up on me and I’m glad he showed so much interest in me.”

The athlete’s schedule has been brutal.

A typical winter day for Dallas started at 7 a.m. with school, followed by practice at 3 p.m. He would get home about 5 p.m., wash up and then head to work at a fast food restaurant at 6 p.m.

“Passing, getting that state championship and making money for my son is all that mattered,” he said. “The grades didn’t come natural for me, but I knew it was something I needed to get done so I set out to do it.”

The hard work paid off. On Wednesday, Dallas signed scholarship papers for Missouri Valley College.

The Vikings are giving Dallas a full ride, which is something hard to come by for a wrestler.

“Wesley has really come a long way and not just with wrestling,” LaPrad said. “He is a good kid who has made the best of his situation. He is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever coached and it has helped him get an opportunity to get an education.”

Missouri Valley has multiple wrestling national championships and has finished as the national runner-up on more than one occasion.

Dallas, who typically wrestles in the 130-pound and 135-pound divisions, is hoping to help them back to the title match.

“I strive to be the best so I’m going to do what they tell me to,” he said. “If they want me to run five miles a day, that’s what I’ll do. I’m going to earn my scholarship.”

Contact Roger Lee @ 873-9424 ext. 213 or rlee@journalscene.com.

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