From the gridiron back to the mat: South’s Aaron Concepcion is hungry for another title

Elite high school wrestlers often steer clear from other contact sports to avoid a potential injury risk that could jeopardize their impending season. Coaches are often especially adamant about them staying away from football.

However, that wasn’t the case for South Anchorage junior Aaron Concepcion.

Concepcion won his first state wrestling title as a sophomore last year and suited up for the Wolverines football team this past fall.

“He wrestled all summer with us training at our club and wrestled out of state at the Fargo National tournament, so I thought it was an OK break and a necessary break,” South coach Randy Hanson said. “(It) let him clear his mind of wrestling, let his body get a break from wrestling so he could come back and start the high school season with new energy.”

While his junior season wasn’t his first year playing football, it was his first time seeing the field a lot more on both sides of the ball. He started on offense and defense for the Wolverines this past season and even though they didn’t win a game, he had a lot of fun and learned a lot about both the game and himself along the way.

“For me, football is a team sport so I just try to do my best for myself and do what I can for the team to make us better,” Concepcion said. “On my football team, I tried at 110% and it kind of correlates to wrestling because in wrestling it’s one versus one.”

Despite his efforts on the gridiron, South’s varsity football team didn’t win a single game in 2022 which was a hard pill to swallow for an athlete that is accustomed to succeeding at a high level.

“After our season where we went 0-9, I just wanted to get back in the wrestling room,” Concepcion said.

He believes that his wrestling background helped him on the football field with both his tackling and mindset.

“When we’re losing, some people just give up, but in wrestling you can’t do that,” Concepcion said. “If you give up when you’re losing, you’ve already lost that match so you got to keep pushing. I tried to apply that towards football. When we were down a lot of points, I tried to get our team back to a good score.”

Hanson was present for several of Concepcion’s football games and admitted that he had to hold his breath at times when he carried the ball on jet sweeps, and watching him hardly ever come off the field was “a little nerve-wracking.”

Most of South’s wrestlers that also played football, including Concepcion, doubled up on practicing for both sports once the wrestling season began after the football season was already underway.

“They were coming to practices and wrestling for an hour a day and then going to football practice,” Hanson said.

He has seen the most growth from Concepcion from leadership and work ethic standpoints.

“(He’s) not relying just on athleticism and talent but really just putting in a lot more time and that helps the mental side of it as well,” Hanson said.

Being both predator and prey

As the reigning Division I state champion at 135 pounds, he knows the inevitable target on his back.

“I like people hunting after me,” Concepcion said. “It pushes me to be better in the (wrestling) room.”

Winning wrestling titles has been a family tradition in the Concepcion household for nearly a decade. Both of his older brothers are multi-time state champions and are currently competing in the sport at the collegiate level.

His oldest brother, Aedyn, won state four straight times at four different weight classes, including in 2016 (98 pounds), 2017 (106), 2018 (112) and 2019 (119). His brother Adam won state at 98 pounds in 2017 and at 119 pounds in 2020. He also finished third at 112 in 2019 and second at 103 in 2018.

After claiming his first state title last year, Aaron is determined to capture another at a new weight class.

“I want to win it again so I’m pushing myself pretty hard this year,” Concepcion said.

As a freshman, he finished third at state in the 130-pound weight class but came back as a sophomore wrestling at 135 and won it all. Now as a junior and weighing 10 pounds heavier, he aspires to be crowned champion at 145 pounds.

“I just naturally got bigger and didn’t want to cut weight,” Concepcion said. “I wanted to stay a 145 because that’s where the toughest competition is.”

Hanson respects Concepcion seeking out tougher competition in a more competitive weight class instead of staying where he was at or bumping up to a class without as many high-level wrestlers.

“He could’ve dropped a weight class and gone down to 140 in a weight class that is not as tough,” Hanson said. “I’m glad that was his decision.”

Quest to vanquish the Knights

Concepcion’s lone loss last season came against Colony’s Carter Silva — a loss he was able to avenge at the state tournament to win his first state title.

Ironically, his lone loss of the season this year came against another wrestler from Colony — Elijah Larsen, who is the reigning state champion at the 145-pound weight class.

The two faced each other in a dual meet in late October at the Halloween Monster Bash Duals, and Concepcion got pinned in the first period. He hopes to have a second shot against Larsen in two weeks at the 2021 Division I Alaska State Championships.

“Chasing somebody is only going to make him better in the long run,” Hanson said.

The whole South team is highly motivated to break the stranglehold that the Knights currently have had on the Division I level after winning the last three team state championships.

“They’re always our rivals,” Concepcion said. “When I was younger, watching Colony versus South was a big rival and there were always tough matchups. We always want to beat Colony kids. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the frontside or backside of placing rounds.”

Hanson said it’s always fun to compete against the Knights — who are coached very well by Todd Hopkins and Hollan Gravley.

“They always flex on us every time they win so hopefully we can win this year,” Concepcion said.