Forshey comes back from injury to lead Tar Heels

North Carolina sophomore Drew Forshey entered the ring as the 125-pound bout began — his team down 13-9 to rival N.C. State with only three matches left Thursday.

“I wasn’t really thinking about a major decision or anything like that,” Forshey said. “I was just thinking, ‘Get in there and beat his ass.’”

Forshey got down to business immediately with four takedowns on his way to a 15-6 major decision.

The victory also gave UNC the four points needed to tie the match, despite having been down 13-0 after the first four bouts of the match.

“A couple of times, he’s really changed the momentum of the match,” said UNC junior Evan Sola. “We lost the first (four) matches, and he goes out on the mat and just takes it to his guy.”

With the win, Forshey improved to 16-7 on the year, including a 3-2 record in dual matches.

But only a few months ago, there was some question as to whether Forshey would even be able to wrestle at all.

In late December, as the Tar Heels prepared for the Southern Scuffle, Forshey suffered a torn rotator cuff.

“We figured he was out for the season,” said Tar Heel coach C.D. Mock. “With shoulder injuries, you’re done for.”

He said the coaching staff began contemplating giving Forshey a medical redshirt to save a year of his eligibility.

But, he said, Forshey wouldn’t give up. The sophomore continued to train and practice with the team, and before long, he was getting ready to get back in the ring.

“He started coming and rolling around with the team,” Mock said. “The courage that that took was phenomenal. If he got reinjured, that would have been the end of his year.”

While Forshey was injured, sophomore Bobby Shaw took his place in the ring in the 125-pound weight class.

But as Forshey recovered, the question began to arise as to who would be the primary wrestler in that weight class

“This is one of the unfortunate things about coaching wrestling,” Mock said. “There are no subs like in football or basketball. You’re either wrestling or you’re not.”

Forshey shared similar thoughts, saying that the competition was made that much harder by the camaraderie the teammates share.

“That’s the tough part about this sport,” he said. “Sometimes you have to wrestle against your friends and teammates.”

Shaw was given the nod over Forshey, but only a few weeks later, he too suffered an injury and Forshey stepped in.

In his first two matches back from injury, Forshey lost, but it wasn’t long before he was back in winning form.

In last weekend’s matches, he went 2-0, including a victory over Central Michigan’s 17th-ranked Luke Smith.

Sola said much of the reason for that victory and others lies in Forshey’s tenacity as a wrestler.

“He’s got kind of a mean, nasty style, and it’s fun to watch,” Sola said. “Sometimes it gets him in trouble when he tends to turn it into more of a fight than a wrestling match, but … it’s fun to watch.”

That tenacity is what led teammates and coaches to nickname Forshey, who comes from Hickory, “The Hickory Hammer.”

“They just really like my style,” Forshey said. “I bring it whenever I go in there. Like a hammer.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.