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Orem • It's not an act. It's an attitude.

From his matte-black headphones wrapped around his neck to his equally midnight-colored Mohawk, Riverton's Simeon Page is bad to the bone. And his opponents know it.

The junior demonstrated his physicality at the UCCU Center during the Class 5A state wrestling tournament Wednesday, pinning West Jordan's Hector Arroyo a mere 52 seconds into the first round. Pleasant Grove's Brayden Mayo fell victim to the same fate against Page 36 seconds into their quarterfinal match.

It was the same punishing behavior he displayed at middle linebacker this past season. Page led the state with 170 tackles while registering a team-high nine sacks for the Silverwolves. He reached double-figure tackling totals in all but two games, including 18 highlighted by a season-high five tackles for loss in Riverton's semifinal loss to eventual champion Bingham.

"My opinion: two of the hardest, if not the hardest sports, especially wrestling, mentally," said Page, who was named first-team all-state by The Tribune for his efforts on the gridiron. "You've kind of just got to have the mentality that you're going out there and you have to try your best in every match. Under no circumstance can you quit in either sport."

The violent nature of wrestling and football interrelate, helping Page flourish in both. Wrestling improved Page's ability to finish tackles by wrapping through ballcarriers and driving them to the ground, while techniques learned on the field equated to more fluid takedowns and agility on the mat.

Page (40-3) finished fourth at state in wrestling last season, which he said exceeded his expectations after he secured "an upset or two." But the script has flipped this time around. As the second seed in the 220-pound division, Page is hoping to avoid the upset headlines.

"I mean anything can happen, but what it comes down to is whatever guy makes the least amount of mistakes," said Page, who faces Lehi's Naim Sosa in the semifinals. "That's honestly how it is. I know any guy can beat me, and I know I can beat any guy. I've got to be on my best."

An impending championship showdown with Herriman's top-seeded Wade French (41-4) is lurking, assuming the bracket plays as planned. French, who easily bypassed the first two rounds, won both meetings this season against Page, both by four points, including an 8-4 decision in the first-place match in the Class 5A qualifier earlier this month.

That's where the newly dyed Mohawk comes in.

"I kind of just wanted to show that I was coming to state this year, all business," Page said. "Anything less than first is going to be a disappointment to me."

In the team competition, Pleasant Grove is well on its way to capturing its fifth straight Class 5A title. The Vikings own a 117.5-80.5 advantage over second-place Herriman. Davis (78.0), Layton (68.0) and Syracuse (65.0) round out the top five. Wasatch leads Mountain Crest, 140.5-129.5, in Class 4A action after the Mustangs closed strong on the first day. Maple Mountain (117.5), Box Elder (56.5) and Salem Hills (52.0) occupy the remaining spots in the top five.

The semifinal round will begin at noon Friday; championship matches start at 6:10 p.m.

Twitter: @trevorphibbs —

Wednesday's team standings

5A

• Pleasant Grove 117.5

• Herriman 80.5

• Davis 78

• Layton 68

• Syracuse 65

4A

• Wasatch 140.5

• Mountain Crest 129.5

• Maple Mountain 117.5

• Box Elder 56.5

• Salem Hills 52