Masumoto Fueled by His Drive

FOUNTAIN VALLEY — Brian Masumoto doesn’t expect anything on a silver platter.

Masumoto, a wrestler at Fountain Valley High, has always believed hard work and perseverance will lead to good things. He found that out in the classroom and on the wrestling mat.

Masumoto, 17, is ranked third in the county at 119 pounds. But unlike some of the county’s best, whose background in wrestling is marked by years of club participation or natural talent, Masumoto came into the sport green and relied on his work ethic to accomplish his goals.

“Brian is the hardest-working kid I’ve ever coached,” Fountain Valley Coach Mike Provenzano said. “He’s a very intense kid who’s very smart. Considering he’s only been wrestling for four years, he’s come a long way. And it all has to do with his work ethic.”

Provenzano, who has been coaching the Barons for six years, says Masumoto isn’t the best wrestler he has ever coached. But when it comes to hard work, no one can touch him.

“He has the respect of his teammates,” Provenzano said. “He’s a team leader, but he doesn’t lead with talk, but by his actions.”

Masumoto was introduced to wrestling in his freshman year. He had had years of experience with other sports on the club level but had never competed in an individual sport.

“I played them all, from football, baseball to basketball, which is one of the biggest reasons why I got into wrestling.” he said. “I wanted to do a sport where I had to depend only on myself.”

He struggled at first.

“When you play team sports, there are people who you rely on during the game,” he said. “But not so in wrestling. I’ll tell you, my freshman year, I was beat up a lot. It was me, and only me. And that’s when you learn about humility.”

As a junior, he made the Barons’ varsity and won the Sunset League title in the 112-pound division. However, he lost in the Southern Section Division II quarterfinals.

Masumoto started his senior season ranked first in the county at 119 pounds. And though he has dropped to third in the coaches’ polls, his eighth-place finish at last week’s Five Counties was impressive. The two-day meet includes some of the top wrestlers from California.

Masumoto has a 4.12 grade-point average and is considering Stanford and Harvard and wants to major in biochemistry.

“School is very important to me,” Masumoto said. “But right now, I’ve been focusing almost all my time and effort into wrestling. I guess you could say I’m consumed.”