Nathan Goebel, despite giving up several pounds to wrestle in the heavyweight spot in order to help the team, was one of Northview’s top point getters through the first few weeks of the 2025-26 season.
He was finding his stride in the 285-pound weight class.
Goebel picked up a win on January 6 against Bloomington North. However, after the match was finished, he fell to the ground and told those around him that he was feeling pain in his right knee.
The junior standout was sent to get an MRI, which revealed a torn ACL and meniscus, ending his season.
That could’ve been the last the Knights saw of Goebel, who recently underwent surgery and has a multi-month recovery ahead of him.
But it wasn’t.
“He’s still in the room, helping out,” said Northview wrestling head coach Tony Sanabria. “It’s nice to still have him in the room. Yeah, he lost his season, and that really stinks, but with him doing that, it shows to everyone else that he’s still dedicated to us and will do whatever he can to help us. He’s a hard worker.”
Goebel has lent a helping hand in the room during practices, but what he now brings to the table – as a student coach of sorts – was on full display during Northview’s regular season finale at Cascade last week.
Goebel, with a brace on his right knee, stood the entirety of the match with his hands cupped around his mouth, shouting out different strategies he wanted his teammates to implore while also cheering them on.
Sanabria noticed, and pointed out the way he guided Damon Lantz, who was elevated into Goebel’s spot at 285 after his season-ending injury, through his match as the benefits of having the experienced wrestler still with the team.
“On a night [against Cascade], he was up and talking to Damon the whole match. He wrestled that kid from Cascade back in December, so he was cheering on Damon and giving him pointers to help him win that match,” Sanabria said. “Damon was giving up a lot of weight to him, but he dominated and won and a lot of that had to do with Nathan helping him out and guiding him along the way.”
With Goebel less than one week post-surgery, it hasn’t been decided if he will accompany the team to Saturday’s Bloomington North Sectional.
Sanabria is hopeful that he will be present, while also understanding that it’s certainly possible the doctors may say it’s better that he stays home and continues to rest and rehab his knee, because of the boost it gives the Knights having him on the sideline, which he said speaks to the kind of impact Goebel has on the team.
“He had surgery last Friday, so we’ll see what his timetable will be to get back to help us, but we’re really hoping to have him for the sectional because he really does help us out when he’s here,” said Sanabria. “He’s had a rough go of it the last couple of weeks, but he’s always showing support to his teammates and making himself available, even through the injury.”
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