Ethan Hughes enjoys sports. He plays football and wrestles for the Perry Maroons. He knows that it takes a lot to be able to be at the top of his game when the competition starts and he says that he learned how to work hard from someone very close to him.

“The biggest influence in my life is my mother,” Hughes said. “She has been a single mother who has worked for everything by herself and is and always will be the strongest person I know. There is no doubt in my mind that I would not be the person I am today without her.”

A senior, Hughes says that being able to wear the Perry uniform is something that he does not take lightly.

“Being able to represent my school and community means a lot to me,” he said. “To be able to be out there representing everyone who supports us so much is an honor.”

Throughout his career, Hughes has worked hard to continually improve his game and his abilities. And though it can be tough at times, he says that it has helped him to reach some milestones.

“It has taken a lot of struggle and mental fight,” he said. “My teammates are great and I keep myself motivated by playing for them. I enjoy working against Treg Bowman because he is better than me and really makes me work and get better when I wrestle against him. The highlight of my career was being a state qualifier as a sophomore while having only wrestled for three years.”

Hughes and his teammates have competed against numerous teams during his career. And while he may have enjoyed some of the wins a little more than others, Hughes says that you just have to face whoever is in front of you.

“I don’t have a favorite opponent to beat, I just try to wrestle them all the same,” he said.