Jaxon Beaton isn’t bothered being a freshman starter on Catasauqua’s wrestling team this winter.

So far, his results have shown it. The 215-pounder is among the team leaders in wins this season.

Still, Beaton has some butterflies.

“I felt some pressure coming in as a freshman being thrown in as a freshman with some very good juniors and seniors in my division,” said Beaton. “That made me nervous.

“But now being months into the season, and that I have gotten some experience, the pressure doesn’t affect me as much anymore. I don’t see myself as a freshman anymore. I just focus on wrestling now, and I do the best I can in every match.”

Head coach Jon Reed and his staff believe they have found a quality wrestler.

“We as coaches are very excited about the way Jaxon has been progressing this year,” beamed Reed. “We knew he would most likely be a starter for this year as a freshman. But wrestling up at 215 pounds, we weren’t quite sure how he would handle wrestling against mostly upperclassmen.

“He has been quite a pleasant surprise.”

Reed likes Beaton’s work ethic.

“He is a super hard worker and always listening, trying to pick up new things we are teaching. He has been going toe-to-toe with some kids who have been wrestling varsity for a few years and we can’t wait to watch him grow through his four years of high school.”

Beaton began his wrestling trek in sixth grade.

“I started wrestling back in sixth grade when one of my football coaches suggested it to me,” recalled Beaton. “They need someone to fill out a 160-pound spot on their youth team. He said that if I didn’t like it, I could stop.”

His father, Joseph, a wrestler at Whitehall, has been his driving force.

“I’d definitely say my dad has had the biggest influence on my career,” stressed Beaton. “He’s always been super supportive of my wrestling and football career, but he loves the fact that I’m able to do a sport he once did. He was a former wrestler for Whitehall, and he wants the best for me and my wrestling career. No matter what happens, he’s always there to support me and offer me advice.”

In his youth, Beaton didn’t have any expectations. However Beaton began to make his mark in middle school, where place second and third in the Skater Showdown and third in middle school districts.

“When I was younger, I didn’t honestly expect anything, no major wins, or any chance to place in any tournaments at the end of the year,” said Beaton. “But I honestly shocked myself when I was able to finish fourth in a tournament at the end of the year. It was surprising but I was super excited to be able to accomplish that in my first year.”

Beaton overcame the challenge of dealing with football’s and wrestling’s close seasons.

“The biggest hurdle was definitely balancing football and wrestling,” said Beaton “Football season ended with the Turkey Day game and then going right into the Rough Rider Invitational Tournament was definitely a new challenge. But one I was excited to take on, and actually ended up being very fun.”

With the postseason now here, Reed is confident Beaton can raise his bar this year and beyond.

“You can see he is starting to gain confidence on the mat with each match he wrestles and he will continue to get better and better and surprise some kids as we head into the last half of the season,” boasted Reed. “He has a great work ethic, he’s a great kid, and he never complains. What more can the coaches ask for?

“He is going to get bigger and stronger as the years go on and we are very excited for his future at Catty.”