FORT WAYNE — Eastern wrestler Chad Barrett didn’t do any celebrating at the Fort Wayne Semistate on Saturday. He didn’t celebrate when he won his second-round match at 140 pounds to ensure a berth in the state finals. He didn’t celebrate after winning his semifinal match.

And there wasn’t any celebrating to do when he lost the final 4-3 to Elkhart Memorial’s Ryan Stahl when Stahl, trailing by a point, scored with less than 15 seconds left to win it.

Barrett was saving any celebrating for the championship, and when it fell out of reach by a few seconds, he regrouped and realized what he needed to take from it. He knew he’d made a mistake and dropped a winnable match. He’s more motivated now, and he knows exactly what it will take to get where he wants to go.

Barrett, who will wrestle in the first round of the IHSAA Individual State Finals in Indianapolis Friday, said losing the semistate final was a reality check.

“It’s a good warm-up to realize that the [semistate] finals match is how every match is going to be at state,” Barrett said. “There’s going to be a couple sticks and overwhelming wins [at state], but from my experience, it’s tight matches all the way through from Friday night all the way to Saturday night. It’s just going to be a dogfight.

“You can’t go into a state like you’re going to just go and stick a guy and be done. It’s all about keeping your cool and wrestling six minutes as hard as you can.”

Barrett, who won four regional titles in his career, knows this first hand. He took sixth at state last season at 135 pounds. This year he’s aiming higher. Barrett (46-2) faces Castle’s Chad Welch (40-5) in Friday’s opening round at 140 pounds. The winner lives on to Saturday’s place rounds. That’s where Barrett wants to be.

“I set my goals high,” the Eastern senior said. “This is the last year, so I want to be underneath the lights. Some people would laugh or some people would think ‘oh, that’s just too big’ but what else is there? It’s either a state title or bust for me. That’s how I was taught. Senior year, this is the last shot, so I want to go out on top and hopefully have my best day.”

Before falling in the semistate final, Barrett was one of the wrestlers that neutrals were buzzing about on the Coliseum floor and in the concourses. He won his first two matches by scores of 15-3 and 15-0, then scored a 10-4 win in the semifinal and wasn’t thrilled with his effort in that match.

He was already a state place-winner last season, but seems even more capable this season. He said he’s stronger on his feet more than anything else.

“I worked this summer at [Central Indiana Academy of Wrestling ] and I have been working all through high school,” Barrett said. “Ed Pendoski has always helped me work on my feet, move on my feet, scoring, scoring, scoring and I feel like I was definitely better on my feet this season. That’s my bread and butter — my feet and that’s where I feel I’ve improved most.”

That has helped ratchet up Barrett’s confidence heading into the most important week of his career.

“For a wrestler, this is what you wait for all year,” he said of the semistate and state finals. “Getting to wrestle these tight matches and putting myself in tough situations is how you get better. I crave these moments because it makes you better. You know you’re getting the best competition in wrestling, the best guys in the state of Indiana.

“For a wrestler, that’s what you wrestle all year for. This is the moment. I just love wrestling here [at Fort Wayne]. Semistate’s just one step below state and it’s so fun.”

That’s a key component. Barrett didn’t do any celebrating Saturday, but he did have fun. He said his first three years he took things too seriously and as a senior he needed to remember that he was doing something he really enjoyed.

“I just had to take a step back and say this is some of the [most fun] you’re going to do for the rest of your life,” he said. “Looking at the fans and the people you’re wrestling and the camaraderie and the friendships you get through wrestling, I can’t beat it. I always have to remind myself of that because sometimes you get down on yourself, especially after that semifinals match. I wasn’t pleased with my performance, but going into the finals I felt rejuvenated. I remembered that this is the sport of wrestling, there’s nothing better than that. I just put a smile on right before my [final] match.

“There’s nothing better I could be doing this whole school year than wrestling right here, and wrestling at Conseco Fieldhouse.”