There is pressure now for Bend High’s Leif Larwin, and the sophomore wrestler can feel it.

The pressure is certainly earned. As a freshman, Larwin announced himself as a force on the wrestling mat with wins in the state’s biggest tournaments. Now, heading into his sophomore campaign, Larwin is embracing the ever-growing target on his back.

“There is definitely pressure,” Larwin said. “But what I remind myself is to stay hungry for more victories. I try to focus on just having fun because that’s why I am here. I’m here because I love wrestling.”

Larwin won all but three matches as a freshman a year ago. He won the Reser’s Tournament of Champions (featuring the state’s best wrestlers in all classifications) then went on to win the Class 5A 165-pound state title. He became the first Lava Bear wrestler to place at the Rollie Lane Invitational in Idaho and ended the high school season on a 20-match winning streak.

His coach, and father, does not see him slowing down this winter.

“He has improved with his strength, and his speed is significantly better than last year,” Bend High coach Luke Larwin said. “I think he is even more dynamic with his wrestling, too. He has a really high wrestling IQ and has chances to score in a huge diversity of positions at another level. He is physically so strong, you cannot break his lock, you can’t break his hands.”

When you are a champion, other wrestlers are gunning for your crown. The test this season extends beyond the mat and into the mental side when opponents would find great pleasure in upsetting a champion.

“That is the big challenge is to take the pressure off of him and to have fun,” Luke Larwin said. “He loves wrestling. He loves to battle, he loves to fight and he loves to grind. He is one of those special people who thrives in those hostile environments. The challenge is to get him in that state of mind where he can rise up and do what he is good at instead of worrying about the results.”

To deal with the expectations that come with attempting to join the exclusive four-time state champion club, Larwin has taken a somewhat unique approach to preparing for matches.

Leading up to his matches, he tries not to think about what moves he is going to use to break down his opponent. It might even look like he’s goofing around, but it is his way of locking in.

“I try not to wrestle my match in my mind before it happens,” Larwin said. “I try to focus on other things, like joking around with my teammates, to help release that pressure.”

This past fall, Larwin decided not to play football to focus on wrestling. Before the high school season started with the Adrian Irwin Invitational the first week of December, Larwin was competing in the Western States Preseason Championships in Salt Lake City, and the Best of the West Tournament in Central Point.

“I got quite a bit slicker during the offseason. I got bigger, moved up a weight class, improved my mat awareness to reach higher levels,” Larwin said. “Training year round was super beneficial. I tried to keep it fun but also tried to stay hungry. I do love to win and I do love to succeed in this sport.”