Caden Muselman is the car fueling Oak Forest’s drive. He gets a big boost his brother Brandon. ‘I want to be on top.’

Growing up with a brother who is several years older than him, Oak Forest senior Caden Muselman was often on the wrong end of some tough sibling battles on the wrestling mat.

Now, though, older brother Brandon is helping Caden get better as he chases a state championship. And about those family matches? Caden insists the tide has shifted.

“Growing up, we’d always be brawling,” Caden Muselman said. “It was definitely a big help. He beat me up when we were young, but I’m getting him now.

“He’s 23 and I train with him all the time. He’s really pushing me.”

Caden, who finished third last season in Class 2A at 126 pounds, helped the Bengals earn a huge victory Thursday over South Suburban Blue rival Lemont.

The teams tied 36-36, but Oak Forest won via the 10th tiebreaker criteria on more near-fall points. The win puts the Bengals (14-7) in strong position to take the conference title.

Caden Muselman, who came up with a pin at 132, was happy to get past Lemont, which beat the Bengals the last two seasons.

“That’s why I was so excited,” he said. “We had to get Lemont. After all these years, losing to them every time, it feels good to beat them.”

Muselman finished 33-4 last season, proving to himself he could compete with the best.

At the state meet, after losing 4-0 to Freeport’s Markel Baker, Muselman battled back to win four straight matches and finish third. The undefeated Baker took the title.

Coming out of that tournament, Muselman was happy to earn the podium experience but also knew exactly how he needed to get better before his senior season.

“I was really lacking on my feet and that really showed at state,” Muselman said. “I couldn’t get any takedowns in the match I lost. I knew that’s what I needed to work on.

“I’ve been doing practices every day, working on all my moves. I just have to keep doing it.”

Oak Forest coach Shawn Forst has seen Caden take his focus and effort to a new level this season — with help from Brandon, of course.

“If you look at the way Caden has wrestled from last year to this year, his determination, his work ethic in the room — not that those were ever bad with him — but it’s turned up to 10 every single day,” Forst said. “He’s fortunate to have his own personal coach with his brother, Brandon.

“What Caden is doing, it’s how every coach wants every wrestler to look in the wrestling room.”

Forst was impressed with how Muselman (23-2) responded after suffering his first two losses of the season on the same day in December.

“He took two beatings, and that just fired him up even more,” Forst said. “He came back the next day just hungrier to work harder. As a coach, that’s what you want.”

In the huge win over Lemont, Alex Sebek, Jackson Castanada and Stevie Strelow also had pins for the Bengals, while senior Adam Richter’s pin at 220 sealed the victory.

Forst credited Hunter Daniel’s 4-3 win over Johnny O’Connor at 145 as a turning point.

“I think, going in, everyone from the outside would say we were the underdog,” Forst said. “Lemont is such a good program. We just knew it was going to all come down to the matchups.

“The 145 match going down to the final seconds was definitely the swing match.”

Muselman, meanwhile, is ready to go after that state championship.

“Last year at state, it made me hungry,” he said. “I’m working hard every day and trying to get to where I want to be. I want to be on top.”

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.