Photo by Julie Vinsand/The Gowrie News: Southeast Valley's Aaron Graves poses with his 2022 All-American Bowl jersey in Gowrie.

The state football championship was enough to cement the legacy of Aaron Graves at Southeast Valley.

Four-time varsity letterwinner. Four-time all-state selection. Three-time first team pick. Committed to the University of Iowa’s football program as a precocious 6-foot-4, 225-pound freshman in the summer of 2019.

This fall’s title on the gridiron was the icing on the cake, so to speak. Not only because it afforded Graves a state-wide audience to witness his chiseled physique and relentless motor, but it gave the program’s selfless, affable captain — a two-way lineman gobbling up double- and triple-teams in the trenches all season long — an opportunity to go out on top with his classmates in the ultimate team sport.

Graves is an intimidating presence — now standing 6-5 and a freakishly-athletic 270 pounds with sheer power complementing quick and nimble feet — but the four-star Rivals prospect likes to speak softly and carry a big stick, so to speak. The Dayton resident could effortlessly use his football prowess for selfish gains on and off the field. Instead, Graves stays true to his humble roots — and the other Southeast Valley programs which helped him diversify and gain perspective as a more well-rounded high school athlete.

On Tuesday night, Graves scored the 1,000th point of his three-plus year basketball career. Just a few weeks removed from hoisting the Class 2A hardware to conclude a memorable football campaign, Graves and many of his teammates got right back to work on the hardwood. In his first three games of the year, Graves has made the transition look easy, averaging 29 points and nearly eight rebounds per contest.

Basketball isn’t Graves’s only winter sport of choice, though. For the second consecutive season, he’ll try and pull off the rare hoop/mat double. After rejoining the wrestling squad for the first time since his middle school days, Graves had an immediate impact, placing fourth at the 2021 state meet with a 34-5 individual record. He defeated the second-, fifth- and eighth-rated heavyweights in Des Moines, while dropping decisions to the No. 1 and No. 4 athletes by a total of six points.

Graves opened his senior campaign ranked first at 285.

Of all the impressive numbers posted by Graves, the best may be his grade point average: 4.0. The recently-christened Gatorade Iowa Football Athlete of the Year obviously takes his academic ledger seriously; that bodes well for Hawkeye fans wondering if he’ll be able to make the transition to the next level not just on the field, but in the classroom.

We’ve done our best as a staff to make sure Graves has received the attention he deserves. For four years, Messenger Assistant Sports Editor Chris Johnson has worked tirelessly to cover Graves’s achievements and build a trusting relationship with Aaron and his parents, Mark and Amber.

It would’ve been easy for Graves to discard the other sports, concentrate on his future and prepare for his collegiate football career at Iowa. It would’ve also been easy for Graves to turn his back on Iowa when the bigger blue-chip programs started to show interest and pitch the idea of greener pastures.

Graves is fiercely loyal, though. He’s not interested in short cuts, empty promises or quick fixes. He’d rather roll up his sleeves and out-work the guy across from him, whether it’s on the football field, basketball court or wrestling mat.

In other words, he’s an easy kid to root for as an athlete — and an even better person to watch flourish in the weeks, months and years to come.

Enjoy Aaron while he’s still a Jaguar and then wish him well in Iowa City. They’re getting a special one.

Eric Pratt is Sports Editor at The Messenger. Contact him via email at sports@messengernews.net, or on Twitter @ByEricPratt