From the sidelines to state champ: Wrestler fights back from knee injury

Blake graduated from Buckeye High School in 2026.

For most of his life, wrestling has been a big part of Blake Bartos’ identity.

The 18-year-old recently graduated from Buckeye High School in Medina, where wrestling runs deep in his family. Blake started wrestling when he was 6 years old, following in the footsteps of his dad, uncle, cousin and brother, all of whom wrestled for Buckeye.

So, when a serious knee injury threatened his senior season, Blake faced one of the toughest challenges of his athletic career.

During his senior year, Blake tore his posterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments and had to sit out most of his wrestling season.

A season-changing injury

The injury happened during a match in January.

“I was on top of my opponent and turning the guy over when I felt my knee pop, and I fell over backward,” Blake recalled.

At first, Blake and his family weren’t sure how serious the injury was or where to turn for help.

“We weren’t sure what was going on or where to go for guidance,” said his mother, Lisa. “One of the athletic trainers at Buckeye, Jill Cekada, directed us to Akron Children’s orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician Dr. Patrick Riley Jr., who became Blake’s doctor.”

After an X-ray and MRI, the family feared the worst.

“We thought he might have torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which would have been devastating,” Lisa said.

Blake with his parents at senior night.

Encouraging news

Instead, Dr. Riley diagnosed Blake with torn posterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments and recommended an aggressive rehabilitation program rather than surgery.

“From the moment I walked in the room, the mood was grim,” said Dr. Riley. “I knew Blake’s name because of what a high-level local wrestler he was. He was expected to be a state champion again, and the reading from the MRI was devastating to both Blake and his parents. They figured he likely would need a major surgical reconstruction, miss the rest of his senior year wrestling and potentially impact his first year of collegiate wrestling.

“However, it’s not enough to treat a patient’s MRI. We did a careful exam, and his knee felt more stable than I would have expected. I thought we could treat this nonoperatively and, although a long shot, potentially get him ready for the state tournament.”

The news came with both relief and uncertainty. While Blake could avoid surgery, he would possibly miss most of his senior wrestling season.

For an athlete who won a state championship as a sophomore and was expected to contend for another title, the setback was difficult.

“Wrestling has been his life for so long,” Lisa said. “He’s mentally very tough, but he was devastated by the injury.”

Blake worked hard by doing intensive physical therapy three times a week at Akron Children’s Medina location at Pinnacle Sports.

The long road back

The first few weeks were especially challenging because he was in a lot of pain. He spent two weeks on crutches and began physical therapy three times a week. Lisa was grateful that Akron Children’s offered therapy at Pinnacle Sports in Medina, much closer to their home.

“Downtown Akron is about an hour from our house,” she said. “Having therapy in Medina was a real time saver because Blake was still in school, and there wasn’t much extra time in the day.”

While his teammates competed, Blake watched from the sidelines and helped coach. He focused on rehabilitation and getting stronger.

Even by mid-February, he was only beginning to return to wrestling activities.

“I could still barely bend my knee, and I was so afraid of reinjury,” Blake said.

Still, he never lost sight of his goal.

“I love wrestling. This is my thing,” he said. “I was really happy to finally be back.”

Blake was able to return to wrestling in time for districts and not only qualified but also won states for the second time!

Building confidence again

For Lisa, watching her son return to competition was nerve-wracking.

“He makes wrestling look easy because he’s so technical and skilled, but we knew he had that injury and it was hard to watch,” she said. “When he was on the mat, we held our breath.”

As Blake’s strength and confidence improved, Dr. Riley helped him trust his body again.

“When we saw Dr. Riley for his final release, he gave Blake a lot of confidence in trusting his knee,” Lisa said. “He told him to have faith in his body.”

Blake said one of the things he appreciated most about Dr. Riley was his understanding of what athletics means to young competitors.

“As a former high school athlete and with two children (and a third soon to be) in high school athletics, I understand the significance of these four short years,” said Dr. Riley. “The memories created and lessons learned during this time are unforgettable and help create who you are moving forward as a human. Therefore, it’s imperative that we give patients the opportunity (surgical or nonsurgical) to not only get back to playing the sports they love but get them back in the quickest possible manner.”

“When you’re a varsity athlete, this is your job, and he understands that,” Blake said. “It made me feel relieved and like I was in good hands.”

Blake will wrestle at the University of Wyoming, where he plans to major in business while competing in the Big 12 Conference, one of the toughest wrestling conferences in the country.

Ready for the next chapter

Today, Blake continues to wear a knee brace for added stability, but he’s back doing what he loves. His recovery is a testament not only to the physical work he put in during rehabilitation, but also to the mental toughness that carried him through months of uncertainty.

This fall, Blake will begin the next chapter of his wrestling journey at the University of Wyoming, where he plans to major in business while competing in the Big 12 Conference, one of the toughest wrestling conferences in the country.

When he’s not on the mat, Blake enjoys fishing, dirt biking and spending time with friends and family. But wrestling remains his passion.

After months of hard work and determination, he’s ready for whatever comes next.