Bob Goblirsch didn’t have much of a choice as to what sport he could compete in during his high school days in Wabasso. Because he was needed on the farm during the fall and spring months, his choices were limited to winter sports: basketball or wrestling.
He chose wrestling. And he excelled at it, reaching the state tournament in 1981 after losing to Tracy’s Mark DeVetter in the section finals that year.
“I can count on one hand the number of losses I had in high school,” Goblirsch said proudly. “When I was a little grasshopper, my dad said, ‘Do you want to play basketball or wrestle? He goes, ‘I’d recommend wrestling, you never know when it will come in handy someday.’ He was right.”
More than 40 years removed from his grappling glory days, Goblirsch recently found himself in another brawl, only this one had no referee, no cheering fans, no head gear and no mat on which to engage. And he wasn’t battling for the right to go to state — he was fighting to help capture a criminal with some not-so-good intentions.
See more in this week’s paper!