By Don Ketchum

Phoenix North Canyon wrestler Mark Bayer is proving to be one big headache for opponents.

When each match begins, the 140-pound senior aggressively begins to wear his man down and continues until the last moment when the outcome is decided, usually in his favor.

“You just need to be aggressive the whole time,’’ he said.

Bayer, who finished third in the state meet last season, will be on hand Friday (Dec. 17) and Saturday (Dec. 18) at the Moon Valley tournament. He won that event last year.

Much of Bayer’s success has come through his work ethic.

“He has wrestled for me as a freshman and has worked his tail off to get to where he is today,’’ said North Canyon coach Don Davis.

Bayer became interested in the sport in the seventh grade, at the suggestion of his physical-education teacher.

“I tried it and I liked it, but it was crazy (difficult),’’ he said. “I realized it is a sport where pretty much anything can happen.’’

After his junior season, Bayer began preparation for his senior season pretty much right away.

“Wrestle as much as you can,’’ he said.

That included going against some teammates and wrestling for a club team that competed in various locales across the country.

Bayer also found time to work on his Boy Scouts Eagle Scout project, which was to spruce up and paint the team’s wrestling room, complete with the school colors of purple and black.

“I think it looks a lot better now,’’ Bayer said.

He wrestles at 140, but during the offseason, he drifted up to about 155.

That means monitoring everything he eats during the season and staying away from the fast food, if he has the self-control.

The food he misses the most?

“Chipotle (Mexican food), by far,’’ he said. “That’s a killer.’’

He is looking forward to wrestling in the Moon Valley tournament.

“There is a lot of good competition and it is like practicing for state,’’ he said.

Have a story idea for wrestling or other winter sports? Contact Don Ketchum at dketchum@AIA365.com.