Ready to shine: Pleasant Grove’s Jacob Carson honored as Utah Valley Boys Wrestler of the Year
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- Pleasant Grove senior Jacob Carson throws Fremont’s Jason Worthley during the finals of the 126-pound division at the 6A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove’s Jacob Carson celebrates after winning the finals of the 126-pound division at the 6A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove senior Jacob Carson (right) competes in the quarterfinals of the 126-pound division on the first day of the 6A state wrestling tournament at the UCCU Center in Orem on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove’s Jacob Carson celebrates winning his match during the 2023 Ross Brunson Utah All-Star Dual at the UCCU Center in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
“Leadership”, “willingness to take on any challenge” and “stepping up in the big matches” are some of the attributes that Pleasant Grove head coach Korbin Levin used to describe this year’s Daily Herald Utah Valley Boys Wrestler of the Year, Jacob Carson.
Carson was a key team leader on four trophy-winning teams at Pleasant Grove and this season went 49-4. He claimed his second straight 6A state title to go along with two other runner-up finishes.
“It feels great,” said Carson of being named the 2022-23 Utah Valley Boys Wrestler of the Year. “I put in the work and it felt like it really paid off.”
His championship final victory in 2023 at 126 pounds clinched the second place trophy for Pleasant Grove, but in the season before, his win over Layton’s Jace Lemons in the finals guaranteed the state title for the Vikings, their 11th in a 12-year span.
“When a lot of Utah’s top wrestlers look to avoid competition, Jacob was one that sought it out,” Levin said.
A prime example of this was at the 2023 Ross Brunson All-Star Dual where Carson went up a weight class to take on freshman sensation Austin Paris. And after falling behind 4-0, the Viking senior came back to win the bout 6-5. It was the only loss Paris (47-1) suffered in the season.
Besides taking state twice, Carson won the Rockwell Rumble this season and placed second in the Reno Tournament of Champions to automatically earn All-American status. Last year he placed fourth at Reno and also at the Doc Buchanan tournament in California.
For Carson, his thrilling come-from-behind win against Fremont’s Jason Worthley, where he earned a third period pin to claim the state title, is likely the last match he will wrestle. He has no intentions of wrestling in college but wants to complete his education at Mountainland Technical College (MTECH) and start his career as a welder at the end of the summer.
“It’s always hard to know when to lay down the shoes,” Carson said, “I’m happy that I got to go out a winner. I didn’t want to be that kid that was afraid to go after it. I wanted to put on a show for the crowd and get after it. I enjoyed it (the competition).”
Carson felt his strength on his feet (or takedown wrestling) and his physical strength were keys to his success.
“I was good on my feet and I always felt stronger than my competition,” Carson said. “I always felt I could control every match and put my opponents where I wanted them to be.”
Carson had some big wins in his career. He beat some of the up-and-coming future stars of Utah prep wrestling in the likes of Paris and Worthley, and he was one of the rare Beehive State wrestlers that gave Mountain Ridge’s Kyson Garcia a loss in his career. And by placing in prestigious out-of-state events like the Reno TOC and Doc Buchanan, he proved his wares as one of Utah’s best wrestlers.
But for Levin, Carson did more than just win a lot of big matches.
“He led by example. He also talked to the other kids and told them not to be scared and to go out and fight,” Levin said. “He worked as hard as any wrestler I’ve ever seen. The way he trained was quite precise.”
Carson said he was blessed to have great coaches and workout partners in the room. He began his career when Brock Moore was the head coach. Moore won 11 state titles as a coach so his influence was quite large on Carson.
“Coach Moore taught me how to work hard,” Carson said. “He taught me how to go after it and not be afraid.”
Levin, in his first year as head coach of the Viking program and a former “Utah Valley Wrestler of the Year” himself, also had a significant impact on Carson
“Coach Levin was one of my favorite coaches,” Carson said. “He worked out a lot with me and showed me a lot of stuff. He beat up on me and pushed me to my limits. He helped me go through hard things.”
Another big influence was Pleasant Grove assistant coach Jesse Farrer.
“Coach (Jesse) Farrer was like a second Dad,” Carson said. “He’s been in my corner since my junior year and is one of my favorite coaches. He always knew what to say to get the best out of me.”
Farrer’s son Brad was Carson’s primary workout partner the past two seasons. Farrer, like Carson, brought home the gold at the 2023 6A State Championships.
“I definitely want to thank Brad. He really helped my speed and my technique,” Carson said.
Jacob Carson File
Team Captain
2023 Record: 49-4
Career Record: 153-23
2-Time 6A State Champion
4-Time 6A State Finalist
2-Time Divisional Champion
2022 Runner-up at Reno Tournament of Champions (All-American)
2021 4th Place at Reno Tournament of Champions
2021 4th Place Doc Buchanan
2023 Ross Brunson All-Star Participant and Winner
