Mike Easton Central Valley Year: Senior Sport: Wrestling Weight: 158

Mike Easton seldom wrestled varsity and barely broke even for the season. He was known more as a scholar who wrestled than a wrestler who was smart.

Yet he proved instrumental in Central Valley’s Mat Classic X 4A state team title by placing sixth.

“He dealt with the adversity of being a senior on junior varsity,” said coach Dale Ethridge, “but he came on great at the end.”

Easton wrestled behind two CV state-placers and two other teammates. Undefeated on junior varsity, he had just four regular-season varsity matches.

“I had been wrestling for four years and at times it was discouraging,” he admitted.

Yet he reached the district finals as CV’s No. 2 158-pound entrant.

“I knew I had it in me,” he said. “I just needed the right arena.”

A last-second takedown in regionals got Easton to state. Once there he placed, finishing with a 10-8 season record and scoring points critical to CV’s one-point triumph.

Easton also scored a school-record 1,510 on his SAT test, including a perfect 800 in mathematics.

Today the backup running back on CV’s state championship football team is reveling in his moment of athletic triumph.

“I was emotionally tied to both, but this one was all the sweeter,” said Easton. “It’s a thrill.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo