by Nathan Mollat
San Mateo Daily Journal
A funny thing happened to Preston Dixon on his way to becoming a starting defensive end for the Serra football team.
He fell in love with wrestling.
Wrestling was initially a way to keep the 5-10, 220-pound athlete in shape for football season and Dixon was tracking to becoming a major contributor for the Serra football team this past season. He was called up to the varsity late during 2022 campaign, put on the roster for the final regular season game and then was with the team as it advanced to the first of two straight CIF Open Division state championship games.
He was getting first-team reps at defensive end for the Padres in spring and summer workouts in 2023, coming off a solid season in his first year as a varsity wrestler.
But Dixon was at a crossroads. After having a heart-to-heart with his family, he decided to dive head first in being a wrestler only.
“I really loved playing football. I had been playing football for, like, 10 years,” Dixon said. “I really loved wrestling. My sophomore year was pretty rough. I was getting beat up a lot. But my coach said, ‘The better you get at wrestling, the more fun it is.’
“If I quit football, I had to go all-in on wrestling.”