"He's just different," said Clovis High Head Coach Steve Tirapelle. "(Heavyweight is) normally dominated by seniors. Not just juniors but seniors. Kids kind of come along and then all of a sudden their senior year they dominate. And he's really dominated from his freshman year."
In 2011, Nevills was the first Cougar freshman heavyweight ever to win a State championship. And he hasn't slowed down since, posting a 162 wins and only five losses.
"I got into wrestling my junior year and was on a complete mission to just absolutely go into the season just getting better every day." said Nevills about his 53-0 junior season. "Just going out there and dominating."
Just look at some of his accomplishments: A four-time Doc Buchanan winner, four-time Zinkin Classic winner, three-time Masters winner, and two-time state champion.
"I enjoy each match that I wrestle," said Nevills. "I don't go out there and take those matches for granted anymore. I just enjoy the process as a whole and just something I'm extremely excited for and looking forward to."
The results are there, and not only on the wrestling mat.
"He was just asked by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to come over and speak to Alta Sierra (Middle School)," said Nick's father, Wayne Nevills. "He is considered a leader on campus. Kids look up to him."
But with all that Nick Nevills has accomplished, like other elite athletes he's never satisfied with where he's at. And that competitive drive has earned him a scholarship offer from three-time defending NCAA Wrestling Champion Penn State.
"I'd like to be undefeated and be four time national champion," said Nick Nevills. "But you've gotta take it one day at a time you gotta take it one match at a time, one practice at a time, and that's the approach I'm taking here at high school too."
"He's got a great personality, he kids around with the other kids, he rolls around with the other kids that are smaller than him," said Tirapelle. "He's the ultimate team guy. He's a once in a lifetime guy."
High praise from a man who's coached a few good wrestlers in his time. But by all accounts, the praise is pinned on the right guy.
